Legitimate Uses for Opiates

Although opiates can be addictive and can lead to major health problems, it’s important to remember that they do, at times, have a legitimate medical purpose. Some opiates are prescription painkillers, and these medications are vital to help patients who are suffering from extreme pain. Opioid painkillers might be used to reduce discomfort immediately following surgery, for instance, or to help individuals who were involved in a major accident.

Exploring the Rise of Opiate Abuse and Addiction

The rapid growth of opiate abuse and addiction in the United States, and indeed around the world, is something of a recent phenomenon. By some estimates, there are more than 36 million people across the planet who abuse opiates, and many of these individuals have developed addictions that are virtually impossible to break without intervention and professional assistance.

While it may be impossible to pinpoint a singular cause of the rising numbers of opiate abuse, there are certainly plenty of contributing factors. Perhaps the largest of all is a lack of understanding and education regarding the potency of opiates. People may inherently know that things like cocaine are addictive and dangerous, but those same people might not have the same view toward opiates, particularly if they are legal painkiller medications.

Another major factor contributing to rising opiate abuse is the ease of access. Opiates are a controlled substance, but many individuals are able to get prescriptions and then resell opiates to others. Or, patients who are legally prescribed opiate medications may save some pills, which can then be stolen from bathroom cabinets or bedside tables.

Never underestimate the role of the physician in this growing epidemic. Some experts suggest that physicians prescribe opioid medications too often, and in cases where it’s not medically necessary. This contributes both to the amount of opiates in existence and the likelihood of abuse.

Identifying Commonly Abused Opiates

Opiates are an entire class of drug that are available in many different varieties, including prescription medications and illegal street drugs like heroin. By identifying and learning about each type, individuals can be aware of what substances to avoid or use with caution, even when prescribed by a medical professional.

Oxycodone is one of the most common forms of opiates in the United States, with more than six million prescriptions annually. This drug is typically taken in pill form, and formulations of it appear in brand name drugs like Oxycontin and Percocet. Oxycodone is one of the fastest-growing opiates abuse in the country. While it is prescribed for pain relief, it’s often taken recreationally.

Codeine is another opioid medication that is prescribed in large numbers. Typically in a purple liquid form, codeine is used by a staggering 10% of all Americans every year. Like many other opioid painkillers, it’s used to treat severe pain but is widely abused for recreational purposes. Immediate side effects of codeine include dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and nausea.

Vicodin is another opioid painkiller, and one that has more than two million addicts in the United States alone. Vicodin is a mixture of acetaminophen, a painkiller, and hydrocodone. Vicodin comes in pill form, but it is sometimes crushed and administered in alternative methods for a more direct or lasting high.

Morphine, also sometimes called block or cube, is an analgesic opiate that can be injected directly into the bloodstream or ingested by mouth. Morphine is used in emergency medical situations, such as surgeries, but is widely abused. Seizures, convulsions and extreme nausea are common with prolonged use.

Heroin is the only opiate on this list that is entirely illegal and has no legitimate medical purpose. However, it is similar in many ways to each of the opiate drugs listed above. More than four million Americans have used heroin, and the addiction rate is more than one-quarter of all users.

Understanding the Root Causes of Opiate Addiction

Aside from the inherently addictive nature of opiates, there are some reasons that contribute to the cause of opiate addiction. Most significant is the fact that many medical patients start by using opioid medications completely legally and under the recommendation of a physician. Over time, however, addiction can develop. Some individuals lie about their health, buy or steal medication, or turn to alternatives like heroin.

There may also be genetic, social and cultural factors that can lead to the development of addiction. Some research suggests that individuals can be genetically predisposed to the formation of a drug addiction. Mental health disorders or a history of trauma can also increase the likelihood of becoming addicted to substances like opiates.

Treatment for Opiate Abuse and Addiction

Treating an addiction to opiates is incredibly challenging. Some experts argue that an opioid addiction is one of the hardest to break, but it’s possible. The key is acknowledging the need for professional help in a licensed, accredited facility.

Detox will often be the first step toward recovery from an opiate addiction. This is the process when individuals struggling with addiction cease all opioid consumption. Although withdrawal symptoms are common and can be difficult, this stage is vital in the quest for health and lasting sobriety.

There is no denying the rising epidemic of opiate abuse and addiction. Opiates come in several varieties, each as addictive as the next. Through proper treatment, however, opiate addiction can be overcome, allowing patients to regain control over their health and their lives.

The severity of withdrawal symptoms opiate users will experience are typically determined by how much of the drug they use in each sitting, and how often their drug use occurs. Regardless of those factors, opiate withdrawal is caused for the same reason in every user and there are regular symptoms that arise during withdrawal that any user can experience.

The Cause Of Withdrawal

In small, regulated doses, opiates are supposed to work as pain killers. Unlike aspirin, which thins the blood to help ease pain, opiates change the way the brain and spinal cord function to help users through extreme physical distress. Normally, the spinal cord would send messages to the brain, telling it that the body is dealing with some physical discomfort. Taking opiates mutes that communication and makes the brain feel relaxation or even pleasure instead of pain.

People who use opiates for less than two weeks and in small doses aren’t likely to go through withdrawal. After lengthy, continuous use, however, opiate-based drugs alter how the brain works. Instead of giving users a feeling of relaxation and pleasure, the brain will start believing the opiates are necessary to continue regular function.

Once the brain feels the opiates are required in order to work properly, the body will respond in kind and physical dependency will occur. When individuals become dependent on opiates, they’re going to experience withdrawal symptoms whenever they try to quit using.

Symptoms That Can Appear During Withdrawal

With opiates, withdrawal symptoms show up in three different phases. The first phase tends to start 12 hours after opiates were last used and can continue for about five days. People going through this first phase of withdrawal can expect to experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, insomnia and depression. Usually, these symptoms peak around day three and slowly dissipate in the next two days.

Once that initial, physically taxing phase is over, the second phase of withdrawal begins. Although there’s still some physical pain involved, the nausea and other sickly symptoms are mostly done. Those who work through the second phase will deal with leg cramps, dilated pupils, chills, and goosebumps.

The final phase of withdrawal lasts the longest but is also the least taxing on the body. Anywhere from one week to two months, people going through this final phase can experience anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness. While that doesn’t sound terribly taxing, the lack of sleep and emotional distress can still make people turn back to opiate use on days that aren’t going well.

Although none of these symptoms are life threatening, they can seem unbearable to the people going through withdrawal. For some, it’s easier to turn back to opiate use than deal with the discomfort of trying to quit. Continuing drug use just to avoid withdrawal is a worse choice, however, because maintaining an opiate habit could lead to overdosing and, ultimately, death.

How People Addicted To Opiates Should Handle Their Withdrawal

Going through withdrawal is necessary for anyone trying to quit regular opiate use. The thought of that can be scary to some people, especially if they think they have to work through the entire withdrawal process on their own. That isn’t the case, though. In fact, there are detoxing centers across the United States that are designed specifically to help people work through withdrawal.

At a detoxing center, people working through withdrawal will meet with doctors on a daily basis to determine how the process is going. From the very beginning, doctors can prescribe medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms. If symptoms spike suddenly or become overwhelming for some people, the medical staff is going to be on hand all day, every day to help them cope and give more medication as needed. While medication may not always be necessary, it’s good to have on hand just in case.

It’s important for those struggling with opiate addiction to enter a detoxing center familiar with the drugs they’ve been using. Different drugs are going to have different withdrawal symptoms. If someone addicted to opiates enters a detoxing center that’s not familiar with how opiate withdrawal works, the three phases are going to be a lot harder to work through. There are plenty of detoxing centers that are familiar with opiates and how they affect the body during withdrawal, so finding one to enter won’t be difficult.

People Struggling With Opiate Addiction Shouldn’t Try To Go Through Withdrawal Alone

If an opiate user’s body becomes dependent on the drugs, withdrawal is going to happen once the drug is no longer used. Withdrawal can be a very taxing process for anyone. The nausea, lack of sleep, and other harsh symptoms associated with withdrawal can tear people down and cause them to turn back to drug use. Instead of continuing the cycle of drug abuse, those trying to quit abusing opiates should reach out to get the professional help that they need.

Detoxing centers around the United States house those struggling with opiate addiction. The doctors at these facilities are trained to handle the worst withdrawal symptoms that may arise. Medications can even be prescribed during times where the symptoms become unbearable and the people struggling through the three phases of withdrawal are about to give up.

Even though the withdrawal symptoms involved with quitting opiates aren’t likely to kill someone, no one should go through the three phases of withdrawal by themselves. Not only can the entire process take a couple months, but some people may not have enough willpower to make it through all three phases without professional help. No matter how long someone has been addicted to opiates, working through withdrawal while at a detoxing center is the best choice he or she can make.