Heroin And Opioid Addiction

Opioids refers to the entire class of opioid drugs, both natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic, including heroin. In this context, we use the term to refer to prescription opioids which may lead to problems of abuse.

Prescription opioids are usually used to relieve pain, but not just any pain. Moderate to severe pain, chronic pain, and pain due to terminal or long-term diseases are all conditions for which opioids are prescribed.

In many cases, these medications are administered under the care of a doctor, and people suffer far less risk of abuse that way. For some, though, especially those with chronic pain, long-term pain, or with a terminal disease, opioids become their main source of relief from pain.

While this can be a great comfort to these people, it can also present risk of misuse, which may eventually turn into addiction. Quitting abuse of opioids is very hard to do on your own, partly because of the physical withdrawal symptoms you’ll likely experience (similar to that of heroin), tolerance that keeps you taking more, and dependence that pushes you to take opioids or seek alternatives long after you realize you have a problem.

The side effects of opioid abuse are quite similar to those of heroin abuse, but people abusing prescription opioids may also experience:

• Chronic constipation
• Increased sensitivity to pain
• Reduced pupil size
• Reduced sex drive
• Shallow breathing
• Slurred speech

Some of the most commonly abused opioid prescriptions include Buprenorphine, Codeine, Fentanyl, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Methadone, Morphine, and Oxycodone.

Most of these are used for the different treatments of pain, but some are used for other purposes. Methadone and buprenorphine are used largely in the treatment of opioid addiction. When taken with careful monitoring, they typically don’t result in addiction. It’s when the drugs are abused that they come with greater risk of addiction.

The effects and potency level of these drugs vary greatly, from mild to extreme. For instance, drug recommendations warn against even touching hydromorphone, but codeine is commonly taken for severe coughs in addition to moderate pain. Many of these drugs can cause severe trouble breathing when abused.

An important fact about many of these medications is that a lot of them are available most in extended-release form, which means they are meant to release slowly over time. When people abuse the medications, they tend to want to skip this waiting period, hence the crushing and snorting for faster results.

Yet forcing a quick release of a drug that is supposed to mete out only a small amount of chemicals over time is dangerous, and doing it too many times can be disastrous.

Perhaps you’re reading this and wondering how common opioid addiction actually is, or you’re reading this on behalf of a loved one you want to help and wondering how many other people struggle with this problem. The truth is millions of people have suffered with prescription opioid and heroin addiction, and millions continue to suffer every day.

Data from the 2015 report by the American Society Of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) shows that two million U.S. adults had an opioid substance use disorder. In the same year, more than 20,000 people died of an overdose related to prescription opioids.

We have problems of too many prescriptions being written, misuse of drugs that are distributed, prescriptions being given out or stolen and sold on the streets, and, when addiction follows, often overdose increases or increases in crimes related to obtaining these drugs.

Because these prescriptions have to be given by a doctor, if you become addicted to opioids and run out of the drug, you may try to obtain them through other means. This could involve “doctor shopping,” or bouncing from one doctor to the next until you find one who will write you a new prescription. It could also involve getting the drugs illegally from a friend or even a stranger, by word of mouth or on the streets, usually at incredibly inflated prices.

Many teens who begin abusing prescription opioids first got them from a friend or family member. You may think, but why would anyone do that? Sadly, not all are aware of the risks associated with opioid medications. People may not realize that instead of helping their loved ones they could actually be giving them a drug that could do more harm than good.

There are a few signs of opioid addiction that can’t be ignored. If you’re trying to decide if a loved one has become addicted to opioids, consider if the person seems to have lost control.

The National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA) characterizes this stage with actions like reporting lost or stolen medications in order to obtain more, trying to get early refills of prescriptions, or getting the medications some other way, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

In addition to withdrawal, you may experience strong cravings, or urges to seek the drugs or use them, even if you already realize you have a problem. Withdrawal symptoms due to physical dependence aren’t always life-threatening, but can be pretty uncomfortable and intense as time wears on.

Finally, one of the telltale signs of addiction is action despite consequences. If you know that buying opioids or heroin is illegal, and do it anyway, you’re most likely addicted. If you know the harm addiction can cause you, yet continue to abuse the drugs, you’re probably addicted.

As the ASAM states, “addiction is a primary, chronic and relapsing brain disease characterized by an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.” Simply put, addiction affects your mind, physical health, and spiritual well-being.

So, what are the consequences? While addiction affects everyone differently, one thing is certain: addiction will negatively affect your life in ways you probably couldn’t have predicted.

Opioid addiction can cause vast effects to your health, whether from getting an infectious disease from sharing needles, contracting a sexually transmitted disease, seeing the collapse of your veins, development of liver or kidney disease, or having terrible trouble breathing. Of course, the worst possible effect is probably overdose, which affects millions of people every year and can be fatal.

If all the direct side effects weren’t bad enough, there are residual ones to worry about as well: poor nutrition and lack of sleep, weakened immune system, weakened mental health, and changes to behavior and mood. These are all aspects of your life that, when changed, aren’t easily reversed without help.

Externally, addiction can alter your life in ways you hate. When you first become addicted, it may be fairly easy to hide the problem for a while. With time, it will become obvious to those around you that you’re struggling, and they’ll likely be frustrated with you and want you to get help.

Addiction also increases your risk of gaining permanent stains to your record from drug-related incidents, like auto accidents and crime. Before your life becomes altered in ways that you never wanted it to be, know that there is help for opioid addiction. Even if you’ve already suffered major consequences, there is hope for healing and growth when you have the right support in treatment.

Overdose from opioids is the unfortunate possibility no one wants to see. However, it’s a good idea to know the signs if you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction.

Opioid overdose is a considered a medical emergency, so if you suspect someone is suffering from an overdose, seek emergency medical help right away. The following are signs to look for:

• Lack of response to stimulation
• Loss of consciousness
• Pinpoint pupils
• Respiratory depression
• Slowed or stopped breathing

Combining opioids with other substances, like benzodiazepines or alcohol, greatly increases the risk of overdose occurrence. If you get treated for an overdose, especially if you’ve lost consciousness, you may be given the overdose reversal drug, Naloxone. With successful recovery from an overdose, seeking treatment right away is of utmost importance and detoxification may be the first step.

You may have heard the word “detoxification” before, and wondered what it was and if it’s a necessary part of treatment. For many people addicted to opioids, detoxification will be the first part of treatment.

So, when is it necessary? For those who have formed a physical dependence to opioids or heroin, and who experience intense withdrawal symptoms when not taking it, they will likely need detoxification.

This process allows the person to flush out harmful toxins built up from substance abuse, leaving the body ready for treatment and healing. Detox from opioids, and especially from heroin, must be medically supervised to monitor vital functions.

Withdrawal can cause dangerously slowed breathing levels, and medical supervision during detox helps ensure your breathing and heart rates stay safe during this time. Medically supervised detox also means if you need medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms, you’ll be able to get it.

In short, detoxification is the first hurdle in addiction treatment for many opioid-addicted individuals. Once you make it past that necessary milestone, you can cross over into healing and treatment.

Maybe you’ve heard that treating heroin or opioid addictions with medications like Buprenorphine or Methadone is simply “replacing addiction with another addiction,” but this is simply not the case. Here’s why: medication-assisted therapy allows the addicted individual to slowly and safely taper off use of opioids until they are ready to move on with treatment.

With our medication-assisted therapy programs, individuals are closely monitored, not just for safe vital functioning but for use of medications. Buprenorphine is indeed an opioid, but it is a partial agonist opioid (others are full agonists).

What this means is that buprenorphine produces effects similar to other opioids, which helps those in treatment to avoid serious cravings and intense withdrawal symptoms, but it doesn’t produce the same rush or high feelings of euphoria and bliss. When used in treatment, buprenorphine doses are slowly meted out, with dosages slowly decreasing until an individual can taper off use of it.

Methadone, in contrast, is a full agonist that works by blocking the brain from receiving a high feeling while reducing cravings and helping to ease withdrawal. Both medications have shown effective outcomes in helping people stop use of opioids.

Medication-assisted therapy involves not just medication and medically supervised detox, but also a multitude of other treatment methods as needed. Our rehabs build custom, individualized programs to address your unique needs.