Am I Too Old For Rehab?

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Am I Too Old For Rehab?

Debunking Age-Related Myths About Rehab

We tend to get two kinds of people coming into rehab; those who have concerns they might be too young to recover and those who think they might be too old. It would be wrong to just dismiss age-related issues (we will examine some of these later in the post), but it is important to realize that they are often overstated in our thinking when we consider making such a huge life-change. The reality is that there is the addicted part of our mind wants things to remain the same, and it will use concerns about being too old in an attempt to maintain the status quo.

Research by Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (2018) found that older clients (those over 60) in their sample “surpassed treatment outcomes of the younger sample“. There are actually numerous advantages to being older entering rehab (see below), and it is arguably never too late to begin a new chapter in life.

Ten Reasons You Are Not Too Old for Rehab

It improves relationships. One of the common effects of addiction as we get older is that we become increasingly isolated from friends and family.
Ending an addiction improves our chances of living longer.
No matter how many years we have ahead of us, we can enjoy this precious time more without the handicap of alcohol or other drugs.
We gain wisdom and experience as we get older. Recovery can help us make the most of this.
We can provide a good example to the next generation of how real change is possible for anyone.

It will improve our mental health. Issues such as anxiety and depression can be caused or worsened by substance abuse.
Recovery is the opportunity for a brand new chapter in life. No matter what our age, there is going to be inner potential that we have never nurtured.
It will generally lead to improvements in our physical health. We can become far more active.
Substance abuse has a huge impact on our cognitive abilities. Giving up these substances will lead to cognitive improvements.
Recovery is all about increasing personal freedom. Are we ever too old to become free?

Legitimate Age-Related Concerns When Entering Rehab

Age does make a difference. If we are over 60, it is going to be too late for us to play for a Premier League football team, begin training to become a professional ballerina, or join the Special Forces. We will also have different needs, concerns, and issues than when we were younger. There are changes to our physical and cognitive abilities as we get older – although these are frequently overstated as a lot of loss of function can be due to the substance abuse and inactivity (much of the decline that we associate with getting older can actually be more symptoms of inactivity).

To give ourselves the best chance of success at rehab, we do need to take into account age-related concerns. If a program is overly focused on young people, it is not likely going to be a good fit for us. A rehab that caters specifically for older clients could appear to be the obvious solution, but this might be a mistake. The 80-year old ultra-runner Dag Aabye (who runs a 125km race each year) warns us that “age is something other people will put on you.” A better option can be to enter a mixed-age rehab where our specific needs can be met, but where we can be inspired by people of different backgrounds and levels of youthfulness.

Being Older Can Be an Advantage in Rehab

Grant me an old man’s frenzy,
Myself must I remake

W.B. Yeats

The problem with being a young is we lack life experience. We may think we know it all as an eighteen, but when we look back, we will probably appear incredibly naïve to our older selves. In our twenties, it can appear as if we have all the time in the world to sort our life out, but of course time flies by, and before we know it, we are asking ourselves questions like “am I too old?” We may miss our lost youth, but there are significant advantages to being older, and these can help us when it comes to getting the most out of rehab. These advantages include:

The most important advantage is probably our life experience that makes us wiser.
Being older can create a sense of urgency to get our life on track.
If we have been dealing with a long-term addiction, we will likely have seen enough to realize that life can never work.
We may have come to the key realization that relationships, career, or money are not going to fix us.
We can be less distracted by quick fixes (we have been around long enough to realize these rarely work).

We are mature enough to be skeptical and ask the right questions.
We may have a clearer idea of what is important in life (e.g. the people we love).
We can be more grateful for a second-chance in life. Gratitude is a key factor in success as it increases motivation.
We may have reached a point in life where we are concerned with our legacy. There can be a desire to be a good example for future generations.
Getting older tends to make us more patient and realistic.

A Brand New Chapter Can Begin at Any Age

One of the most valuable lessons we can learn as we get older is that our time is precious. Unfortunately, if we are caught up in addiction, we can feel hopeless and disappointed by life. We may even be looking forward to it all being over. There is a saying that alcohol and other drugs give us wings, but then they take away the sky. Yet, even at our lowest point, there can be “a light that never goes out”, a suspicion that things could be much better for us. If we can just grasp onto this tiny flame of hope, it can grow and burn the shackles that are keeping us trapped in an unfulfilling life. Half the battle in recovery is the recognition that a better existence may be possible.

If you are ready for the next chapter in your life, please contact the team here at Hope.