Call (916) 704-1174 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Call (916) 704-1174 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

The Opioid Epidemic Strikes Older Americans Too

Posted by David Ghiorso, CPA, February 2, 2022

You’ve no doubt heard of the opioid epidemic, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives each year. In fact, from May 2020 to April 2021, overdose deaths from opioid drugs grew to over 100,000 in the US alone.

But what you might not have known is that a significant portion of older adults are also affected. We tend to think of drug abuse and overdose deaths as something that primarily happens to younger people. But in 2019 alone, over 10,000 opioid deaths were in people over age 55. And the rates of addiction and overdose have been climbing in recent years, in all age categories.

While synthetic drugs like fentanyl are often responsible for deaths in younger people, prescription drugs are often the culprit in older Americans who become addicted.

The problem stems from how opioids behave in the body. The drugs trigger an endorphin release, which are chemicals our bodies naturally produce to help us cope with pain or stress. But with repeated use of opioids, the body slows its natural endorphin release. You then feel like you need the drug more often and require more to obtain the same effects.

Even when an injury or illness clears up, and you theoretically no longer need the drug to manage pain, your body’s natural endorphin levels are now permanently lowered.

The biology behind this epidemic does not discriminate based on age; and opioids affect everyone in more or less the same way. But we don’t have much public awareness of opioid abuse in older people, because the common perception is that drug abuse is a “young people thing” and that older people are too mature and responsible to fall victim to a drug dependence.

Awareness among medical professionals and family members is key to spotting the signs of a drug dependence. But personal responsibility and education is important, too. When seeking a prescription drug for pain relief, talk to your doctor about the possibility of developing a dependence. Follow directions precisely with regard to dosage and discontinue pain medication when no longer needed. Follow your doctor’s advice if they feel you should gradually “step down” your dosage.

And finally, understand that increased tolerance and drug dependence can happen to anyone. There is no shame in seeking help if you suspect a problem, expert help can help you get your dependence under control.

Need more information?

Contact us online to learn more

Contact Us

Close Accessibility Tools
Accessibility Controls Reset
Content Adjustments
Font Size

Default

Line Height

Default

Content Scaling

Default

Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Highlight Forms
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Focus Mode
Color Adjustments
Desaturate
Monochrome
Contrast

Default

Saturation

Default

Accessibility Statement

Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

Our User Interface Adjustment Options

Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

Close