Opioid addiction may be something that you have heard about or read about, or it might even be something that you are experiencing. Opioids are pain relievers, and can be prescribed by doctors in order to help patients who are having trouble with pain.
The problem with this is that they are a highly addictive substance, and it’s not possible to know for sure who is vulnerable to developing a dependence. As such, it’s something that needs to be kept an eye on, and those who suffer with opioid addiction, prescription drugs or illegal substances, need help.
What Is Opioid Addiction?
Opioid addiction is the misuse and dependence on opioids. There are a lot of different opioids available, but they are not readily available to purchase. You have to have a prescription from the doctor in order to be able to get opioids legally. Doctors are often reluctant to up any dosage of opioid if you have been taking it for the prescribed amount of time, so keep that in mind.
What Are The Signs Of Opioid Addiction?
The first sign of opioid addiction is that you are thinking about getting that high feeling again, even if you have only just taken the substance. If you feel as though you are starting to become dependent on the feeling that the opioids give you when you take them, then this should be setting off warning bells in your head.
After this, you might be starting to build up a tolerance to the drugs because you are taking them so often and your body is adapting. When this happens, a lot of people try to up the dosage in order to create that feeling of happiness again. This is another sign that you are becoming addicted to opioids and the feeling that they bring.
What Are The Effects Of Opioid Addiction?
Opioids can have a number of effects on the body and the mind. Eventually, the continued use of opioids will cause your body to produce a smaller amount of endorphins, so your mood is going to plummet. Those who are addicted will then substitute this with the opioid so that you can still feel good. The problem is, the more you take, the more dependent on the substance that you become, making it more difficult to stop when the time comes.
As well as this, it can also impact a number of other areas of your health. When you are addicted to opioids, you are more susceptible to fractures and falling over because you’re not entirely in control of your body. Users may also find issues with breathing while they are sleeping, problems with the heart, and even bowel issues.
Mentally, those who are addicted to this substance feel as though they need it. Their mind will not let them focus on anything other than getting the next fix, no matter what needs to be done. A lot of people turn to lying, stealing, cheating, and whatever else to get their next hit.
How Do We Treat Opioid Addiction?
Different treatment centers will treat this differently. However, one thing that all treatment centers will do is offer a detox service. During this service, you are given lower doses of opioids until you no longer rely on them, it’s a very difficult process, and it takes time, but it has to be done in order to recover. Getting the opioids completely out of your system is the first step to getting better, because there is no way forward when you still think you need them to survive.
After the detox services, at Grand Falls Addiction Treatment Center, we use a range of evidence-based, client-focused treatment methods to improve your life. This includes psychological therapies in order to help you make good choices in the future, leading to a life of sobriety. We know how important it is to support you fully through this process, which is why each and every one of our therapies whether this be talking therapy, art therapy etc is focused on you.
We want you to get better, which is why we also offer a drug rehab aftercare program. We don’t just leave you to navigate life on your own after your stay.
Contact Us
If you have an opioid addiction and you need help, then we are here to provide that for you. We know that it’s scary, and contacting us is probably one of the hardest things that you will ever do, but for your sake it’s the best thing that you can do. We are here to help, you just need to take that first step and get in touch with us. We look forward to hearing from you.