Opioids, like morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, etc., reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain and impact the areas controlling emotions, diminishing the effects of a painful stimulus. However, beside managing pain, opioids also levitate a plague of chronic dependency. Opioids’ medicinal use is being debated for decades owing to its euphoric and addictive effects.
Opioids have moved beyond the realm of relief and have been entwined between the interface of analgesia and abuse. There has been an alarming 200 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths since 2000 in the United States, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In fact, the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) states that out of 21.5 million Americans who were 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2014, 1.9 million had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers and 586,000 had a substance use disorder involving heroin. The opioid epidemic is threatening the world in general and the United States in particular.
Opioids bind the opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord and other areas to diminish the effects of a painful stimulus. However, a chronic use of opioids can produce functional brain abnormalities leading to opioid dependence and addiction. Over time, people develop tolerance to the drug and start taking large quantities to get the same high. Drug overdose can cause severe respiratory depression and also prove to be fatal. Mood swings, depression, vomiting, insomnia, hallucinations are some of the common problems faced by a person struggling with addiction.
Opioid addiction can be difficult to tame but not impossible. People abuse opioids should consult a specialist in a coveted opioids addiction treatment center. Safe withdrawal from opioids through a medically assisted detoxification process at an opioids addiction rehab center can be ensured through an inpatient or outpatient recovery program, depending on the seriousness of the problem and the condition of the patient.
Pharmacological therapies also help in ameliorating the withdrawal symptoms and reduce opioid cravings. Cognitive behavioral, supportive, or analytical-oriented psychotherapies are added to standard drug counselling to yield the best effects of treatments. Such all-inclusive treatment plans are available at opioids drug rehab centers which help in refraining from a drug-abusing lifestyle.
The best opioids addiction treatment center provide extensive aftercare plans which help in a smooth transition from a medically controlled environment of treatment to the world outside. These plans play a pivotal role in decreasing the rates of relapse and helps in coping with a drug-free life.