It’s Never Too Late to Seek Help

If you’ve wanted to stop using drugs or alcohol but haven’t been able to, it’s never too late to seek help. Alcohol consumption among older adults in the U.S. has grown steadily over the past couple of decades.

By 2020, roughly 5.7 million American adults over the age of 50 are projected to suffer from substance use disorders, including alcoholism. This is almost double the number that encountered some form of substance use disorder between 2002 and 2006. Older adults may be more likely than people in other age groups to take prescription medication, which in some cases can lead to increased substance use and exacerbate the issue of drug or alcohol addiction.

Why It’s Not Too Late for Addiction Treatment

No matter your age, living with a substance use disorder can decrease your quality of life. Older adults are the least likely demographic to ask for help because, in most cases, they believe it’s too late. Whether you are a teenager, adult or senior, it’s never too late to seek treatment for a substance use disorder and start the journey to recovery.

Here are three reasons why it’s never too late to seek help:

1. Seeking treatment is always worth it for your family and friends. Asking for help and seeking support can help you repair or re-establish connections to people who care about you the most and want you to recover, including close family members and friends. 
2. Seeking help is always worth it for your sake. No matter your age, you deserve a shot at sobriety. No matter how many times you may relapse or get caught up in the cycle of addiction, recovery is possible. 
3. Once you get help for your addiction, you’ll be better able to help others. Once you or a loved one seeks help and overcomes addiction, you’ll likely want to help others that were once in your position. Often, it’s the people who have been suffering from addiction for years or even decades that offer the best advice in recovery meetings or other rehabilitation groups. Many times, these people have the most amazing stories of recovery and words of wisdom.

There Is Hope — You Are Never Too Old for Rehab 

Hope is always possible, no matter how old you are or how long you’ve had your addiction. At Gateway, we believe everyone deserves a chance at living a new, exciting and sober life. Our team of professionals has assisted people of all ages in their journey to recovery. 

For over 50 years, our caring, compassionate health professionals, counselors and medical experts have administered evidence-based treatments and high-quality services to patients struggling with drug or alcohol addiction in the Illinois area. Gateway’s professional clinicians support over 6,000 people a day to follow through with treatment based on individualized plans to treat the underlying causes of substance use disorder.

It’s never too late to seek addiction treatment. Contact us today to learn more.

Gateway Foundation

Gateway Foundation is a recognized leader in evidence-based addiction treatment proven to get results. Our experts in Addiction Medicine—including highly educated clinical and medical professionals and expert psychiatrists and nurses—deliver care that never stops. For over 50 years, Gateway Foundation has been helping individuals and their families recover from addictions and behavioral health issues and is the only provider that covers the entire state of Illinois with 16 facilities from the Wisconsin Border to the Kentucky Border. Gateway has specific programs focusing on substance use disorders, trauma, depression, anxiety, and other co-occurring issues. We’re licensed by the state of Illinois and accredited by the Joint Commission. We are in-network with all the major commercial insurance plans. Gateway Foundation: Addiction medicine, saving lives.