National Recovery Month Brings a Timely Warning About Three Common Medications Used by Older Adults
September is National Recovery Month, a time dedicated to educating the public about substance use disorders, mental health challenges, treatment options, and the reality that recovery is possible. It is also a fitting time to examine a recent New York Times article published on September 5 that discussed a warning about three common medications that experts believe many older adults may be using unnecessarily or inappropriately: benzodiazepines, antibiotics, and aspirin. The article serves as an important reminder that while medications can improve quality of life and treat serious medical conditions, they can also create significant health risks when used improperly, overused, or continued longer than medically necessary.
The article was recently brought to the attention of Connelly Law by a prominent mental health professional and senior care advocate, Rhode Island psychotherapist Mike Cerullo, who immediately recognized its value for older adults and their families. Given the extensive services Connelly Law provides to older adults throughout Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut, Cerullo noted that the article highlights concerns families confront every day—often without recognizing the warning signs until a crisis is already underway.
Mr. Cerullo emphasized that families often overlook the possibility that a doctor‑prescribed medication may be contributing to a loved one’s difficulties. In his experience, certain prescriptions have played a role in memory problems, increased fall risk, emotional instability, dependence, and an overall decline in a senior’s quality of life.
After reviewing the article, Professional Fiduciary and Certified Elder Law Attorney RJ Connelly agreed that the issues raised by the Times warranted further discussion, particularly during National Recovery Month when communities throughout the country are focusing on addiction awareness, treatment, recovery, and prevention.
Beyond Benzodiazepines: Why Antibiotics and Aspirin Also Matter
At Connelly Law, we have written several times about the dangers of benzodiazepines, often called “benzos,” because of the unique risks they pose to older adults. While benzodiazepines stand out as the most concerning during National Recovery Month due to their potential for dependence and withdrawal, the Times article makes clear that antibiotics and aspirin also deserve serious attention—even though they are not addictive. Their risks are different, but no less important for families to understand.
The Times highlighted that certain antibiotics, particularly those in the fluoroquinolone class, have been associated with confusion, delirium, sudden changes in balance, and cognitive disturbances in older adults. These reactions can appear abruptly, sometimes within days of starting the medication. Seniors metabolize medications differently, and antibiotics that are safe for younger individuals can trigger neurological side effects in aging brains. In addition, fluoroquinolones have been linked to tendon inflammation and tendon rupture, especially in older adults or those taking steroids.
Overprescribing antibiotics also contributes to antibiotic resistance, leaving older adults vulnerable to infections that become harder to treat and requiring stronger medications with even greater risks. For seniors with multiple chronic conditions, even a short course of antibiotics can disrupt cognition, mobility, and overall stability.
Aspirin, another medication widely assumed to be harmless, carries its own risks. Long‑term aspirin use can increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, and dangerous interactions with blood thinners or other medications commonly prescribed to seniors. Aspirin can also contribute to hemorrhagic strokes, a risk that grows with age.
Many older adults continue taking aspirin because it was recommended years ago, not realizing that updated medical guidelines now advise against routine daily aspirin use for many seniors due to bleeding risks. For individuals with kidney disease, anemia, or a history of stomach problems, aspirin can quietly worsen underlying conditions. Even low‑dose aspirin—often marketed as “baby aspirin”—can cause significant harm when taken daily without medical oversight.
These concerns underscore a critical point raised by the Times article: a medication does not need to be addictive to be dangerous. Antibiotics and aspirin may not lead to dependence, but they can still create serious health complications when used inappropriately, taken for too long, or continued out of habit rather than medical necessity. During National Recovery Month, when the focus is often on substance misuse and addiction, it is equally important to recognize that recovery also involves reducing harm from medications that quietly undermine a senior’s health.
These examples illustrate a broader truth: families often underestimate the dangers of medications that seem routine. Even drugs that are not addictive can quietly undermine a senior’s health when used inappropriately or without regular medical review.
Benzodiazepines: A Growing Concern for Older Adults
The New York Times article noted that experts are increasingly concerned about the widespread use of benzodiazepines among older adults. These medications—including Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and Klonopin—are frequently prescribed for anxiety, panic disorders, insomnia, and stress‑related conditions. They work quickly, often providing immediate relief, but that rapid relief may come at a significant cost.
Experts interviewed by the Times emphasized that benzodiazepines can impair cognition, balance, coordination, and reaction time. Older adults are particularly vulnerable because their bodies metabolize medications differently. What may be a routine dose for a younger patient can result in confusion, excessive sedation, dizziness, and memory problems in a senior.
Families are often surprised to learn how dramatically benzodiazepines can affect older adults. The changes are gradual, and families may mistakenly attribute increasing forgetfulness, confusion, or falls to aging rather than medication effects.
How Benzodiazepine Prescribing Rose After the Opioid Crackdown
A critical factor behind the rise in benzodiazepine use—especially among older adults—is the dramatic reduction in opioid prescribing over the past decade. As federal and state governments tightened regulations, implemented prescription monitoring programs, and issued strict CDC guidelines, opioid prescriptions dropped sharply.
Between 2012 and 2020, opioid prescribing in the United States declined by more than 44%, according to national prescribing data. While this reduction was necessary to address the opioid crisis, it also created unintended consequences. One of those consequences was a significant increase in benzodiazepine prescribing.
Research published in JAMA Network Open and other peer‑reviewed sources shows that as opioid prescriptions fell, benzodiazepine prescriptions rose steadily, particularly for older adults. By 2019, nearly one in four older adults had been prescribed a benzodiazepine at some point during the year. Another study found that benzodiazepine prescriptions for seniors increased by over 30% during the same period that opioid prescribing was declining. Why did this happen?
As physicians became more cautious about prescribing opioids for chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and stress‑related symptoms—conditions often intertwined with pain—many turned to benzodiazepines as an alternative. For older adults dealing with grief, loneliness, chronic illness, or sleep disturbances, benzodiazepines were often seen as a “safer” option than opioids. They were fast‑acting, familiar, and widely available. But this shift created a new problem.
Benzodiazepines do not carry the same overdose profile as opioids, but they pose significant risks of dependence, cognitive decline, falls, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms—risks that are magnified in older adults. In fact, the CDC has warned that combining benzodiazepines with even small amounts of alcohol or other sedating medications can be life‑threatening for seniors.
The substitution of benzodiazepines for opioids also led to a troubling trend: co‑prescribing. Even as opioid prescriptions declined, many older adults continued receiving both medications simultaneously. Studies show that the rate of benzodiazepine‑opioid co‑prescribing increased by more than 40% between 2005 and 2015, despite clear evidence that the combination dramatically increases the risk of overdose, respiratory depression, and falls.
For seniors, this shift has created what experts now call a “silent epidemic” of benzodiazepine dependence—one that receives far less public attention than the opioid crisis but affects millions of older Americans.
The rise in benzodiazepine prescribing following the opioid crackdown illustrates how easily one public health crisis can give way to another when families and clinicians are not fully aware of the risks. For seniors, the consequences can be devastating: memory loss, impaired judgment, increased falls, hospitalization, and dependence that develops quietly over years.
This is why Mr. Cerullo and Attorney Connelly believe the New York Times article deserves broad attention. Families must understand that benzodiazepines are not simply “calming medications”—they are powerful drugs that require careful monitoring, especially as a person ages.
Addiction and Dependence: What Families Need to Know
Unlike antibiotics or aspirin, benzodiazepines carry a significant risk of dependence and withdrawal. Withdrawal can be dangerous, involving severe anxiety, insomnia, tremors, elevated blood pressure, confusion, and—in extreme cases—seizures. For this reason, tapering must be medically supervised.
Mr. Cerullo has emphasized that prescription drug dependence remains one of the most overlooked forms of addiction among older adults. Many people associate addiction with illicit drugs, yet far fewer recognize the senior who began taking a prescribed medication for anxiety or sleep years earlier and slowly developed a physical dependence. In his experience, this scenario is far more common than families realize.
Frank's Story: When a Prescription Becomes a Problem
Frank was a seventy-eight-year-old widower living alone in southeastern Connecticut. He had spent most of his life working hard, raising a family, and providing for those he loved. Following the death of his wife, he struggled with loneliness, anxiety, and sleepless nights. After discussing his symptoms with his physician, he was prescribed a benzodiazepine medication to help him manage his anxiety and improve his sleep.
Initially, the results were positive. Frank slept through the night for the first time in months. His anxiety diminished. He seemed calmer and more relaxed. His children were relieved to see him doing better after such a difficult loss. Over time, however, subtle changes began to emerge.
His daughter noticed that conversations often repeated themselves. Frank would ask the same question multiple times within a single phone call. When family members visited, they began finding unopened mail stacked on the kitchen table. Bills that had always been paid promptly suddenly went unpaid. His grandchildren observed that he seemed unusually tired and detached during family gatherings.
At first, everyone attributed these changes to grief and aging. After all, losing a spouse after decades of marriage can affect anyone's emotional well-being. But the symptoms continued to worsen.
Frank began forgetting appointments. He misplaced his keys, his wallet, and sometimes even his eyeglasses several times each week. He increasingly withdrew from social activities. Once an active member of his community, he began spending most of his days alone at home.
Soon, his balance became noticeably impaired. One afternoon, he stumbled while walking to retrieve his mail. A few weeks later, he fell while stepping out of the shower. Then came another fall while descending the front steps of his home. Fortunately, none of these incidents resulted in a serious injury. But they frightened the family.
They began asking difficult questions. Was Frank developing dementia? Was he suffering from early Alzheimer's disease? Had the loss of his wife simply become overwhelming?
A comprehensive medication review eventually revealed that the benzodiazepine was likely contributing significantly to his difficulties. The same medication that had initially helped him cope with anxiety and sleep disturbances was now affecting his memory, balance, judgment, and daily functioning.
"When we see changes in memory, balance, or behavior, many families naturally assume dementia is developing," Attorney Connelly explains. "Sometimes the answer is more complicated. Medications can have a profound impact on a senior's cognitive and physical functioning."
The Long Road Through Withdrawal and Recovery
After Frank's physician identified the benzodiazepine as a likely contributor to his decline, a carefully supervised tapering program began. The process required patience, persistence, and support from family members.
The first few weeks were difficult. Frank experienced increased anxiety, sleep disturbances, irritability, and periods of discouragement. Like many individuals withdrawing from benzodiazepines, he questioned whether the process was worth continuing.
Withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be one of the most challenging experiences an older adult faces. These medications alter how the brain regulates anxiety, sleep, and stress responses, and long‑term use can lead the nervous system to rely on their effects. When the dosage is reduced too quickly, the body may react intensely. Older adults are particularly vulnerable because age‑related changes in metabolism, cognition, and balance can magnify withdrawal symptoms.
As Mr. Cerullo points out, medical supervision is essential, as withdrawal may involve heightened anxiety, tremors, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, confusion, or—in severe cases—seizures. Family involvement also plays a critical role, providing emotional stability and helping ensure that tapering plans are followed safely.
Over the following months, meaningful improvements emerged. His memory sharpened, and he became more engaged with family and friends. His balance improved, and the falls largely stopped. Although he continued to grieve the loss of his wife, he was able to confront that grief through counseling and healthier coping strategies rather than relying on a medication that had slowly undermined his independence.
National Recovery Month and the Importance of Family Awareness
The timing of the New York Times article during National Recovery Month is particularly significant. Recovery is often associated with alcohol or illicit drugs, but many people develop dependence on medications originally prescribed for legitimate medical reasons. Benzodiazepines demonstrate that reality clearly.
Mr. Cerullo stated that this reality is precisely why the New York Times article deserves broader public attention. In his view, families cannot confront a problem they do not recognize. Raising awareness about the risks associated with medications—including benzodiazepines, antibiotics, and aspirin—helps caregivers identify early warning signs and seek appropriate support before a crisis develops.
A Final Thought
As National Recovery Month reminds us, recovery begins with awareness. Families who understand the risks associated with commonly prescribed medications are better positioned to advocate for their loved ones and help them maintain their health and independence.
Mr. Cerullo’s decision to bring the New York Times article to Connelly Law's attention underscores the importance of these conversations. The concerns raised by experts regarding benzodiazepines, antibiotics, and aspirin reflect issues families encounter every day. Successful aging requires more than treating medical conditions—it requires vigilance regarding the medications used to treat them.
Attorney Connelly believes one of the most important questions family members can ask is also one of the simplest...What medications is my loved one taking, and why? By staying informed and involved, families can help ensure that medications improve a senior’s quality of life rather than quietly diminishing it. Sometimes the most important act of caregiving is simply knowing what is inside the medicine cabinet.
The materials and information presented in this blog are intended solely for general informational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal, financial, or healthcare advice. The content may not reflect the latest developments, regulations, or best practices in these fields, and as such, should not be relied upon for making personal or professional decisions. This blog may include links to third-party websites provided strictly for the convenience of our readers; Connelly Law neither endorses nor guarantees the accuracy or reliability of external content. Case studies shared herein are anonymized, contain no identifying information, and may be amalgamated from multiple cases for illustrative purposes only. Given the complexities of legal, financial, and healthcare matters, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified attorney, a professional fiduciary advisor, or a healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your specific circumstances. Your well-being and ability to make informed decisions remain our utmost priority.
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