We’ll get straight to the point: do not let your age stop you from getting addiction treatment! We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Maybe you’ve even said it yourself a time or two. Thankfully, like plenty of other crabby-clichés, just because we’ve all heard it before doesn’t make it true. And it certainly doesn’t have to be true for you.
If you’re over 65 and struggling with addiction, it’s not too late to get treatment. Maybe you’re sitting in the sweet spot for recovery. After all, this might be the moment when the right timing, motivation and treatment align.
Still unsure if this is the best move for you? Here are a few things you might want to consider about overcoming addiction:
When it Comes to Therapy, it’s Time to Flip the Script on Getting Addiction Treatment
- What’s your first thought when you hear that someone you know goes to counseling?
- Do you scoff at the idea, wondering what must be so terribly wrong with this person? Are you proud of them for taking a bold step toward betterment?
- Or do your feelings fall somewhere in between the two?
While we’ve made great strides as a society to recognize the value of therapy, stigma lives on. And it lives on not just in what we think of others who seek help, but also in what we think of ourselves.
Research shows that people often feel embarrassed or consider themselves failures because they need to work through issues with a counselor. And yet, it’s this very work that can help a person learn to respond to difficult situations in a healthy, non-addictive way. Let’s look at therapy through a different lens, shall we?
Right now, the questions running through your mind probably sound something like:
- What will so-and-so think about me if I seek out professional help?
- What will I think about myself?
Instead, we’re going to ask you to flip the script a bit. It might hurt, but we believe it to be a worthwhile exercise. Are you ready?
Instead of asking yourself what you and others will think if you begin therapy, ask:
- What will so-and-so think about me if I don’t?
- What will I think about myself if I don’t?
Because, if we’re honest, this is the trade-off. We get help—detox from addiction, learn to live without our preferred substance and move toward better, brighter days.
Or we stay just as we are. Perhaps we get worse.
What will our loved ones think about us then? What will we think of ourselves? Yes, this is painful to consider, and we’re so sorry for how these questions might make you feel, but hear us out:
You’re much better off being judged for getting help
than you are being judged for doing nothing.
If you do nothing, who wins? If you enter treatment and recovery, you win—and so does everyone you love. And you might just find that the stigma you expected to come alongside therapy doesn’t show. Our hope is that you’ll be surprised by the amount of love, acceptance and encouragement you receive for taking such a bold step.
Get Started Now—No Matter Your Age
Need more motivation to reach out for help? How about the people you love and the fact that you really are never too old to go after what you want?
Relationships Matter. Overcoming Addiction Means You Can Begin to Heal Yours
Maybe you’d like to see improvements in your interactions with your spouse, siblings, children or grandchildren. Perhaps you’d like to grow closer to friends and family in a way that would enrich your life. Maybe you want to leave a legacy for the next generation.
Of course, as Narconon points out, “recovery doesn’t happen overnight, and neither does the repair of harmed and damaged relationships.” So take a deep breath. Start today. And you’ll be that much closer to the life you hope to lead.
You Won’t Be the First Person to Do Something Surprising at Your Age
Beat the odds, go after a dream, blaze a new path—these hopes aren’t relegated to the younger generation. You, too, can join the ranks of age-defying determination. With folks like:
- J.R.R. Tolkien published the first book in Lord of The Rings at 62.
- Katsusuke Yanagisawa, once a teacher in Japan, climbed Mt Everest at 71.
- Allan Stewart graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree at 91.
And, believe it or not, people of your generation are also overcoming addiction.
Faces and Voices of Recovery surveyed more than 3,000 recovered adults and found that respondents made the first step toward overcoming addiction between the ages of 12 and 73. Are you 73? Good news, friend! You’re at just the right age to make a change. Are you older? Let’s update the stats! Are you younger? You know what to do!
It’s worth getting the help you need after 65. The Right Step Houston can help you regain your hope at any age. Call us at 844.768.0169
By Stephanie Thomas