Opiate drugs are narcotic sedatives that depress activity of the central nervous system, reduce pain, and induce sleep. Like every drugs prescribed by physicians, this drug gives benefits to our body. However, the drug has the capacity to allow the body to become too dependent on it, leading to addiction.
Opiate addiction is recognized as a central nervous system disorder. Continuous and extensive opiate use can cause the nerve cells in the brain to discontinue functioning as they normally and stop giving off natural endorphins. Opiate replaces endorphins in the body. In return, the nerve cells start to degenerate and the body becomes physically dependent on opiates. Studies show that the brain has its own opiate and opiate receptors, which are concentrated in the parts of the brain that control pain and emotions. The nucleus accumbens is a region in the brain that enhances the release of dopamine. Dopamine gives an individual a high feeling of pleasure and relaxation which can lead to addiction.
Normally, a substance dependent would take actions to conceal the addiction. However, the addiction will always show on the person’s attitudes and behaviors. Some symptoms of opiate addiction include obsessing over medications, obsessing over doctor appointments and the need to get more medicine, being restless, irritable, and angry when not getting enough opiates, being preoccupied with getting more drugs, lying about how much they have used or when they got the medicine, and lying to doctors or faking injuries or illnesses in order to get more medicine. Opiate addicts can go out of their way to the point of inflicting injury to one’s own body to get medication.
This type of addiction is treated the same as any other type of drug addiction. All treatments always start with the addict willing to overcome the addiction. Professional help is also needed for a high possibility of recovery from the addiction. First step of the treatment is the process of detoxification. In the procedure of the treatment, withdrawal symptoms can happen. Opiate detox and withdrawal can occur when one suddenly stops the amount of opiates after heavy and extended use. Opiates could be an illegal drug or prescription drugs. Actually, it is the occurrence of withdrawal syndrome that makes an individual to continue using the drug. Furthermore, people using opiates often experience drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, muscle soreness, constipation and dry mouth.
Before, getting addicted to opiate is seen as a helpless condition. Patients with opiate physical dependency were considered to have inherited an addictive personality or psychological disorder or to have suffered with a dysfunctional family life. However, studies have been made on how to treat this type of addiction. After more than a decade of NIH-supported animal and human research, buprenorphine was discovered to help stop opiate dependency. With the help of the opiate receptor discovery, researchers determined that buprenorphine worked like a treatment already available, termed methadone, by activating opiate receptors and mimicking opiate drugs of abuse. Receptor-activating medications can help relieve drug cravings and control a person’s addiction. Medications should also be paired with cognitive treatment such that the patient is encouraged to think positively and be hopeful that the addiction would later on subside. Also, one’s behavior should be modified as to how they deal with their dependence on the drug.
The substance opiate helps to relieve severe and chronic pain. Prescription drugs may be safe to take but exploiting it could always lead to danger. Opiate can be tolerated by the body and later on may lead to addiction. Treatment may be hard but it is the only way out.
