Opioids are dangerous substances that can be found in many forms. Opioid addiction can form extremely quickly, and it does not take much for someone to develop a full-blown addiction. Opioids are one of the few drugs that are frequently subscribed as painkillers for people who may have been in an accident or have received recent surgery. It is extremely important to listen to your doctors when prescribed pain medication because addiction can form fast, and it will take over a person’s life.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are a type of drug that is found in strong pain medication such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and tramadol, and it can also be illegally obtained in the form of heroin. It’s fairly common for someone to receive an initial prescription for opioids and get addicted very fast. Then, they result in using heroin because they no longer have an opioid prescription and are unable to purchase them illegally. Noone wakes up one day and says to themselves “I want to do heroin”. Heroin addiction is a slow, painful process that can start off with someone abusing their painkiller prescription.
Opioids can cause multiple side effects such as nausea, itching, mental fog, drowsiness, constipation, and sometimes slowed breathing, which can lead to an overdose.
Opioids are also known as narcotics, and the drug changes the chemistry of the brain, leading to a drug tolerance that continues to build over time. Taking opioids for an extended period can lead a person to grow dependent on the drug, meaning that if a person stops taking the drug, they will develop physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms that can be excruciating and life-threatening.
Developing a dependence on opioids may then lead to a full-blown addiction. Opioid usage is considered an addiction when it changes the chemistry of a person’s brain, leading them to compulsively seek out the drugs even when they are no longer required medically.
Why Are Opioids Addictive?
When a person is either prescribed opioids or starts taking them recreationally, it is a slippery slope. Opioids are a heavily addicting narcotic because they are a class of drug that acts in the nervous system to produce feelings of pleasure and pain relief. Opioids trigger the release of endorphins, which are your brain’s ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters, and if a person takes the drug frequently, they may have trouble feeling those endorphins on their own without the drug.
Addiction is a condition that starts out with a person taking a substance that may offer them elevated pleasure, but it then develops into a feeling they cannot fathom living without. Opioids are particularly addictive because they activate the part of the brain that makes you feel pleasure, mitigates pain, and creates a temporary, but powerful, sense of well-being.
At SEE Purpose rehab, located near Kokomo, we offer rehabilitation through group and individual therapy, holistic techniques such as mindfulness and yoga, and we have a team of expert professionals who can offer the best individualized methods on how to overcome opioid addiction.
How a Kokomo Rehab Can Help You With Your Opioid Addiction
At SEE Purpose, an addiction recovery center located near Kokomo, we offer our patients a serene and calm environment for healing and recovery. Our rehab is equipped with the best medical staff and the best-personalized treatment program plans to help our patients get back on track and get past this difficult time in their lives.
Opioid addiction is unfortunately quite common, but it is also something that is fortunately curable and treatable. With the right care, recovery is just around the corner. Come visit SEE Purpose, located near Kokomo, to make a meaningful and life-long recovery.
