Addicts are young people who have problems with drugs or alcohol, right? Well, maybe. The thing is, addicts can be (and are) everyone, not just people in certain groups. Different members of a family might struggle from substance use disorder.

Yes, teens do struggle with alcohol and drug abuse. But even there, their addictions might be different from ones you might be picturing. Yes, there are teens and young people who abuse party drugs such as ecstasy. Large numbers of teens abuse marijuana as well.

But large numbers of teens also have addictions to prescription drugs. These drugs might be painkillers that they’ve stolen from Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa. They also might be prescription drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin, drugs commonly used to help people in their age groups focus.

Mom and Dad might abuse substances as well. They could’ve spent their teen and young adult years experimenting with drugs and have continued this experimentation into adulthood. Or their alcohol use over the years could have developed into alcohol abuse as they’ve started drinking more and more.

Even Grandma and Grandpa aren’t immune to substance use disorder. They could become dependent on powerful prescription painkillers and develop addictions. Or they might turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to self-medicate depression, grief, or other emotions that could come with changes later in their lives.

These examples illustrate how addiction is not limited to one age group. Luckily, treatment is not confined to one age group, either. In fact, there are specialized treatments to treat addicts of all ages.

For example, if you’re a teen seeking treatment for drug addiction, there are specialized treatment centers and programs for you. These treatments acknowledge that you might have special concerns about your social group, schoolwork, and other aspects of your life that adults might not share. Such specialized treatment can be more successful in helping you become sober and stay that way.