The stage of life of a person entering rehab for an addiction has a large effect on what treatment will succeed, says John Dyben, clinical director of the Hanley Center for Recovery in Palm Beach, Fla. Senior citizens are likely to accept the opinion of rehab professionals, he said, but Baby Boomers are an entirely different lot: they are more likely to question authority.

Dyben spoke in New York on May 12 at a seminar organized by the Together Family Foundation, which promotes education about addiction and recovery.

Younger people, such as those in their 20s and 30s, typically enter rehab to avoid some consequence of their addictions, such as losing their marriage or driver’s license. Boomers, however, increasingly appear at the door not as a consequence of some problem, but rather as a “self-actualizing” process, Dyben said. They’ve achieved success in their lives, and now they are asking, “Is that all there is?”

They are the generation that questioned authority, however. And when a professional suggests a certain course of treatment, Boomers are likely to quote another professional with a different approach. They’ve grown up with self-help gurus, and they can quote them.

In this situation, Dyben said, the professional has to resort to evidence. He often uses SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) scanning, which shows pictures of the brain and the physical effects of addiction.