Retirees and Opiate Addiction

Retirees and Opiate Addiction

When an individual retires, he or she might be extremely excited about the many new adventures that lie ahead. In many cases, retirees have grand plans to travel, do things they could never do before, or spend more time with their families. What many retirees do not expect is to find themselves bored, depressed, or feeling worthless after transitioning out of the workforce. As a result, some may begin to abuse opiates, a popular form of pain medication that can seemingly help alleviate this boredom or depression, as well as many other negative factors about retirement and aging.

Why Do Retirees Use Opiates?

Opiates such as Percocet, hydrocodone, OxyContin and morphine are extremely addictive and even when used only briefly, can cause a retiree to develop a strong dependency. Some of the many factors that contribute to opiate abuse by retirees can include the following:

• Lack of responsibility – It is not uncommon for retirees to start doing things such as staying up later, going on longer vacations or even taking a few more pills because they no longer have to uphold the responsibility of showing up to work on a regular basis.

• Coping with loss – Many retirees find that once they end their careers, they experience a sense of loss that impacts them more than they expected. For many, their jobs might have played a huge role in their identity, and being retired can make them feel worthless. These feelings of worthlessness can easily trigger retirees to abuse opiates as a means of coping.

• Aging – When retirees begin to age, both their mental and physical health can begin to decline. As this happens, retirees might start using to help them feel happy and carefree, and ignore the signs of aging.

Retirees face many new feelings and obstacles that may trigger them to abuse opiates in order to cope with the transition into retirement and the negative side effects of aging.

The Importance of Addiction Treatment in Older Age

It is important that individuals of any age who are struggling with opiate addiction get the treatment they need to get sober. However, retirees face different challenges that should encourage a faster admittance into a rehabilitation program. For example, retirees are more prone to experience serious side effects of their use, as both their bodies and minds are no longer in their prime. By getting treatment to address the issue of opiate addiction, retirees can prevent these negative side effects from developing and work towards incorporating positive coping skills into their lives that will enhance their retirement and keep them from using in the future.

Do You Need Opiate Treatment?

Call our toll-free, 24 hour helpline right now to obtain the resources you need to get the opiate addiction treatment you deserve. Do not spend one more day of your retirement using opiates. Call us today.