The History Of Addiction To Opiods

14 April, 2012 (15:49) | Uncategorized | By: Admin

Opiates have been around for quite awhile. From ancient Opium pipes to modern day forms of opium in prescription pills, Opiates still have a hold on society and have led to many addictions. Opiate addiction is a serious condition, no matter the form of opiate used. It is imperative that an opium addict seek coming off opiods treatment immediately to rid themselves of the opium, but to also get their lives back on track.

What Are Opiates?

The way opiates are formed is by the latex sap that is produced by the opium poppy. Opiates come from poppy seeds. There are many different types of opiates, however. Some of these forms include hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Generally, opiates are classified amongst the group that consists of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids.

Prescriptions

Doctors have been prescribing opiates for pain relief for hundreds of years. Some of the most commonly used opiates are morphine and hydrocodone. However, today people are beginning to abuse these drugs by crushing them and snorting them. Some drug companies are now producing opiates that cannot be crushed up. Instead, they turn into a gummy like substance. Opiates are remarkable at relieving an individual’s physical pain, however if they are misused they can lead to even more serious health problems.

Warning Signs

Some signs that can help identify an opiods abuse include; a strong desire or compulsion to take the drug. A persistent difficulty in controlling drug related behavior. Evidence of a built up tolerance. A lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities. Another symptom includes continuing to use the drug, even though the harmful effects are made known. There are many other signs and symptoms of an Opiod addiction as all individuals are different. An addiction can develop regardless of use,

Withdrawal

The physical symptoms of withdrawal include extreme pain, cramps, chills, tremors, perspiration, tachycardia, itch, flu-like symptoms, sneezing, and tremors. There are many other physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with opiates. Nausea and weakness are also very common. The psychological symptoms attributed to an opiod withdrawal include dysphoria, malaise, cravings, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, dizziness, depression, and nausea. Other rare symptoms include cardiac issues, strokes, seizures, dehydration, and suicide attempts. For these reasons it is important that anyone detoxing from Opiods go through a medically supervised detox. This will ensure a safe detox and ease the pain of going through withdrawal.

Detox

To recover from any addiction it’s important to first acknowledge the problem and seek help for it. This is done by going through detox. Once the body is rid of the toxins that the drug filled it with, recovery will be better achieved. Detox, depending on the severity of the addiction can last between a few days and weeks. Medically supervised detox is highly recommended so as to provide a safe and secure environment for the recovering addict. Also medicines such as methadone and suboxone can be distributed to east the pains associated with withdrawal.