Around 27 million people worldwide suffer from a drug problem. Several drugs can cause addiction, however, opioid is the one that comes under the heading of “Narcotic drug,” meaning any substance which helps to faint the senses and relieve pain. Opioids are highly addictive, whereas some types are used for medical purposes, but the rest are misused, which is illegal.
How does the body respond to opioid drugs?
As opioid drugs that might be natural, synthetic, or partial-synthetic, they bind with the nerve cells’ receptors throughout the body and brain—inhibiting the pain signals to reduce irritability and pain.
Prescribed opioids are safer if taken for a short time and used per the doctor’s direction. Opioids used for medical purposes are not different in their action on the body since they also produce euphoria for pain. Several medical cases allow using opioids during surgeries, dental procedures, or injuries.
What are the different kinds of opioids?
You must have heard of heroin, classified as a street drug available from drug dealers. It is very much an illegal drug, prohibited in many countries. Still, it can also be quickly processed from morphine provided on prescriptions or extracted from several poppy and opium plants. Besides heroin, another kind of drug is famous, called Fentanyl which is also illegal to use without a prescription, followed by many others.
On the other hand, drugs like morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and Fentanyl are legal upon prescription for medical purposes.
What can be the challenges to overcoming opioid addiction?
Several people are suffering from opioid addiction globally and trying to overcome it, but they face several challenges. People might feel a surge of frustration towards those who suffer from opioid addiction, those people who ask why the drug abusers do not just give up. It may sound easy as some people think without relating the complexities. Let’s talk about those challenges one by one.
- When the person comes so far as using drugs, their body gets addicted to it, and refraining from it becomes almost impossible. Drugs like Opioid change the body and brain functions so that the impulse to take the drug again and again becomes too strong to be fought off. The feeling of pleasure that Opioid gives the addicts towards it compelling them to use them. Being able to give up on opioids is beyond willpower. However, the usage of opioids can inhibit the natural production of painkillers by the person’s brain, which is yet another leading challenge for Opioid addicts.
- Several Opioid addicts suffer from different mental illnesses, such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which compelled them to use opioids as pain relievers. If this condition is not diagnosed, Opioid addicts will likely relapse in this situation where addicts relapse becomes more challenging for them to try giving up from scratch again.
- The amount of period an addict has misused Opioid drugs is also a notable point. If used for much longer, it may affect the health, causing health problems ranging from malnutrition to digestive disorders to brain damage. Signs of an Opioid affecting health can be pale skin, fingernails and lips turning bluish purple, vomiting, and unclear/no speech delivery. An opioid is extremely dangerous, and its overdose can lead to death also if other symptoms and signs are left untreated.
- The mind of Opioid drug addicts becomes so numb that, at times, they may steal their own family just for the sake of some money. They might steal cash from a family member’s wallet or take some medicines with them. It becomes a challenge for them to interact with people face to face and spend most of their time in isolation. When addicts become anti-social, it becomes more difficult for them to get help. Some addicts might fear rejection by society, and some might fear going to jail after a theft.
Now might got an insight of how difficult it is for the opioid addicts to simply quit, if anyone around you or in your family member is suffering from opioid addiction, you may guide them towards help.
What are the available treatments?
As said before drugs are likely to change the body and brain, so can the treatment. If given right treatment addicts can overcome opioid addiction and live a decent lifestyle full of sobriety.
One of the major treatments for opioid addicts is MAT (medication assisted treatment) which is FDA (food and drug administration) approved. It includes medications, counselling sessions and therapy. MAT sessions may individually differ for each patient so that it may meet their all needs. MAT not only helps to sustain recovery but also prevent over dosage of drugs which lead to death or any physical harm to the patient.
Treatment like MAT are designed to normalize brain chemistry, to block the euphoric sensation of opioids also suppress physiological cravings and adjust body functions back to normality.
If we talk about effectiveness of MAT, then is it proven to be clinically effective as their goal is to make their patient recover fully. MAT covers all best approaches for the outcomes which includes: survival of the patient, increased retention, decrease the use of opioids, decrease the criminal activities which addicts are likely to lure towards, increase chances of them getting a long term employment and improve healthy birth outcomes in cases of pregnant mother misusing the drugs.
If taken help of MAT, the chances of addicts relapsing decreases. There are several opioid dependency medications such as, Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone which helps to treat the addiction.
Outro
There are many rehabilitation centers, aiming for the same goal to detoxify, treat and provide a peaceful environment to prosper. Addiction treatment may last for 30 days or more than 90 days depending upon mild or severe addiction cases. There are 4 basic stages to fully overcome addiction: treatment initiation, early abstinence, maintaining abstinence, and advanced recovery. If all 4 stages are completed successfully, then congratulation on being clean and welcome back to normal life which await you a lot of joy. If you’re looking for medication Assisted Treatment for yourself or for your loved ones, Click here! The well-known holistic rehab center, Akasha Recovery center in Encinitas, CA, is always there for you.