Treatment for Opiate Addiction
Opiates are drugs that are used medically to treat pain. They produce both a depressant and a euphoric effect. Opiates are highly addictive as they bind with the body’s receptors that are responsible for us feeling good or ‘not illness’. In very short order even the user that has been prescribed a therapeutic amount will start the addiction process. When a person starts to take the opiate the opioid receptors in their body begin to no longer accept. If the use of an opiate continues for even a couple of months the natural system is no longer functioning properly and withdrawal is the result.
Addiction Opiates
Addiction Opiates is even more complicated for the addict. As with any addiction the higher the tolerance that develops (which is easy on opiates) the more risks that are taken as the user gets ever closer to the body’s toxicity. The results are overdose and death, opiates kill, but before the do, they take your life away.
The Prescription Epidemic
There is an epidemic of opiate addiction in America! Make no mistake! It is an exploding problem out of control and has broken lives and broken people. Many of these people are not what we would consider being typical drug addicts because they are just taking pills prescribed by their doctor. Others are out there in the streets caught in an endless cycle of craving. withdrawal and the fix.
Opiate addiction recovery programs
Opiate addiction recovery programs should incorporate similar methodologies as heroin addiction recovery programs since the physical effects of opiates are similar to heroin. Opiate drugs, regardless the origin has similar physical effects on the body and mental-emotional state as heroin, some are even more potent and more addictive.
The length of time it can take to become physically dependent can vary with each person. Withdrawal from opioids can be uncomfortable and painful, but not life-threatening. That does not mean that there are no side effects. Opiate detox withdrawal can have some serious side effects. People using opiates often experience drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, muscle soreness, constipation, and dry mouth. With more frequent use, opiate treatment can lead to tolerance, where the body adapts to large opioid levels. This phenomenon is common to most addictive substances, such as heroin or caffeine.
The need for opiate addiction recovery usually begins with someone’s prescription. Opiates are used in pain-relieving drugs such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone ( OxyContin), morphine, fentanyl, codeine, and related medications. Morphine and fentanyl are often used to alleviate severe pain, while codeine is used for milder pain. Other examples of opioids prescribed to relieve pain include propoxyphene (Darvon); hydromorphone (Dilaudid); and meperidine (Demerol), which is used less often because of its side effects.
Common Name:
- Actiq
- Buprenorphine
- Codeine
- Darvocet
- Demerol
- Dilaudid
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- Hydrocodone
- Lorcet
- Lorcet Plus
- Lortab
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Norco
- Percocet
- Percodan
- Oxycodone
- Oxycontin
- RMS – MS Contin
- Suboxone
- Ultram
- Vicodin
- Vicodin ES
- Vicodin HP