Just like anyone else, seniors can struggle with substance use disorders, which the National Institute of Mental Health defines as mental disorders that affect a person’s ability to control their use of alcohol, prescription drugs or illicit substances.

Opioids are a synthetic form of the oldest drug in the world. Over the years, the opium plant has been cultivated for both medicinal and recreational use. Today, these drugs are considered acceptable for some medical purposes, such as treating severe pain. However, opioids are extremely addictive, and they can cause unwanted physical and psychological effects.

The nation’s opioid crisis continues to destroy and claim lives as ever-increasing numbers abuse prescription painkillers and other highly addictive substances. Alcohol abuse is widespread, with the rate of Alcohol Use Disorder increasing among certain demographics. Benzodiazepines are commonly abused in what many medical professionals are referring to as a hidden epidemic.