Addiction is most commonly linked with alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine’s, PCP and heroin. Hidden
behind all of that is another demon which affects individuals from every demographic imaginable,
prescription medication. The Office of Applied Studies (OAS) has findings an influx of individuals with
addiction to pharmaceuticals or other types of medications that affect the central nervous system such
as pain relievers, anxiety medication such as Xanax, Valium and Clonazepam as well as medication used
to treat insomnia. Surprisingly, more than half of the emergency room visits for such addictions or
adverse reactions are from adults ages 65 or older.

Continuing on the path of surprise, OAS shows a combined data from 2004 through 2008 indicating
that there was an average of 178,423 visits per year for drug-related suicide attempts by individuals
ages 12 or older! Shockingly children at the age of 12 have access to substances which could kill them,
and annually estimated 709,000 children ages 12-14 get alcohol from their family or home! Where is
the justice in that? Those children are still learning how to interpret reality from pretend! They are
learning right from wrong and finding their place in this world and their growth is being stunned through
substances provided by the parents that are supposed to be protecting them.

Drug and alcohol addiction obviously has many faces so no one person is better than the next. Addiction
is a disease, just like diabetes or cancer and it cannot be taken lightly. However there is hope as
addiction is a disease that is manageable with the right mindset and support system. It does not matter
if you are 12 or 65; substance abuse is everywhere and does not favor any one demographic more than
others.

Finally, addiction commonly runs hand-in-hand with mental illness or dual diagnosis. Many times
individuals with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other non-treated behavioral patterns
lead to substance abuse as a form of self-medicating. Individuals with such disorders may not know they
suffer from a mental health related illness and believe that the drugs are what keep them stable. In fact
the drugs are only an additional barrier between the addiction and recovery. When individuals are seen
for treatment of substance abuse, they should also have a psychological evaluation to determine if the
substance abuse was caused by the mental illness or if the mental illness was caused by the substance
abuse.

There are options for men and women of all backgrounds and for children and elderly individuals as
well! Treatment, like addiction wears many faces thus it is important to find a rehabilitation center that
fits the individual’s needs. There are co-ed facilities and there are centers that provide drug rehab for
women or men only. No matter what shape or size you are, treatment is the first step to challenging the
disease of addiction!