Aging with or aging out of drug use? Older adults' experiences of aging with long-term drug use (2025)

Older adults with long-term drug use have long been overlooked in both drug research and aging research. More knowledge is needed about their experiences and needs. Drug use is often seen as a youth phenomenon and as something that with time leads to destructiveness and compulsion. A more nuanced picture of who uses drugs and what the use may look like over time is necessary. There is limited insight into what it means to age with drug use, based on individuals' own stories and experiences. We conducted 27 semistructured interviews in Sweden with individuals aged 55 or older who reported current and long-term drug use. In this article, we demonstrate how the relationship with drugs evolves over time and how the interviewees contemplate stopping or continuing their use. Three themes were identified: (1) Aging out of drug use: Thoughts on drug cessation. Some expressed a desire to end their drug use. The reasons behind this varied, but there was a clear pattern related to older age. (2) Aging with drug use: Thoughts on continued use. Some had a desire to continue using drugs and expressed concern about how everyday life would be without them. (3) Age adapted drug use: A change in drug use. Several participants stated that their drug consumption had changed over time and with age. Drugs no longer dominated their lives as before but still served essential functions. The themes should not be seen as rigid categories, but as fluid narratives. Understanding this variation provides a deeper insight into people's often complex relationship with drugs. [Author's abstract]