Overview
Ageism refers to prejudices or biases against older adults that can lead to discrimination. Unlike most other prejudices around immutable characteristics, all healthy adults eventually experience some degree of ageism over time.
Ageism can be a barrier to accurate diagnoses in older adults, since some of the symptoms of chronic substance use can align with stereotypical expectations for older adults or symptoms of dementia, such as memory loss and frequent falls. Public health campaigns discussing the dangers of substance use or pathways to treatment are focused on younger people and prevention.
Discrimination can work the other way as well. A distinct set of organizations (Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous, or YPAA) formed to support younger people in Alcoholics Anonymous as the traditional demographics skewed towards older people, and there was often a sentiment that younger alcoholics had not experienced enough consequences, or hit “rock bottom,” to be ready for reform. While younger people may not have the extensive history of drinking, they can definitely have had the trauma and rapid-onset of substance use disorders to benefit from treatment and peer support.