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Aging brings more than the typical physical problems form seniors. Most will survive family members and friends, and face other possible losses, causing depression or anxiety. Some, following a doctor’s orders, may risk harm with prescription drugs without knowing that they are doing so. Telemedicine, in these cases, seems to be a very compassionate gift from the medical community.

It commonly comes with longer life that family members and friends will pass on. As their generational companion list begins to shrink, depression and loneliness is inevitable. The regular reminders of their own mortality can also be a source of anxiety. In these tough financial times they may also lose property through foreclosure, or be swindled by unscrupulous individuals.

Grief and loss therapy and mental health treatment can help to minimize emotional pain, but the tendency is to decline because they don’t want to leave home or they are immobile. The pain will not improve without talking about it. So if they have no one to grieve with, they become more isolated, and sometimes turn to alcohol or drugs for relief.

Prescription drugs are often ordered for seniors to stabilize physical or emotional pain. Opiate pain killers and benzodiazepines can spell trouble, though, when individuals also use alcohol, take higher doses than prescribed, or use other medications. Isolation and substance use can feed on each other, leaving a once vibrant person alone and numb.

These are the lesser known forms of alcohol abuse and drug abuse, and can be helped with addiction treatment. However, it is quite rare for seniors to agree to enter drug treatment for the same reasons as above. Sadly, younger family members tend to condone substance use to “ease the pain” of aging, and don’t offer proper assistance. Every day is a risk that tragedy will strike by accident or drug overdose.

Telemedicine has the potential to improve the golden years for many individuals. They don’t need to leave home to get mental health treatment or drug treatment. There are specialists in both fields who work with seniors on related issues. Grief and loss specialists can ease individuals through these processes, minimizing the duration of emotional pain. Addiction treatment counselors can help them to see that drugs and alcohol add to problems if they are abused, and are never the solution for emotional pain.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides online therapy for mental health and drug addiction. Our online treatment is delivered using the LiveVisit application, powered by MDLiveCare. One only needs a computer with a webcam connected to the internet to participate. This makes treatment convenient, accessible, and affordable. Security is important in treatment, so LiveVisit runs behind several layers of encryption. Phone access is available for those without a computer.

Telemedicine at Tarzana Treatment Centers is not limited to online mental health treatment and drug addiction treatment. We also provide online medical care. Our goal is to see that those who need treatment can get it.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.