Understanding Opiates

There is an opiate problem in America. Even though more and more people are dying from opiate overdoses, the usage is still going up. But why are people still using opiates when the dangers are known? Also, what causes opiates to be so dangerous in the first place? Today, we will be going over what opiates are, what they do and why they are so dangerous to use.

What Are Opiates?

Opiates cover a large range of different drugs. Many people associate opiates with heroine, but this isn’t the only opiate drug that is being abused. In fact, many opiate drugs are legal and even prescribed by doctors. Examples of drugs that opiates are as follows:

• Morphine
• Oxycodone
• Fentanyl
• Heroine
• Codeine

As you can see, over half of these drugs can be prescribed by a doctor. This is where the perceived image of opiate addicts differs. Many people picture opiate addicts as a certain type of people while in reality it can be anyone. Many people who become addicted to opiates get addicted due to injury or operations.

Why People Use Opiates

But why are people using opiates? Surely they must have heard of the dangers that are put in place when using the drugs. To many people who have never used opiates, using these drugs seem silly, but to people who have used it they know exactly why they keep coming back.

Opiates is one of the most addicting substances you can put into your body. You see, some opiates create over 100 times more endorphins than the body would naturally create otherwise. These endorphins make the user feel very good. This is because there is no other way to compensate for these lost endorphins except to take more of the drug.

When a user stops taking the drug, withdrawal symptoms can appear almost instantly. These withdrawal symptoms can include: stress, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep and suicidal thoughts amongst many more. At this point, it’s crucial that the user seeks professional help as it’s likely they will go back to using their drug of choice.

What Causes Opiates to Be Dangerous

We know that opiates can cause addiction, and like any addiction there will be a multitude of social consequences – users can be closed off from other people and will become detached from their friends and family. But what causes the drug to be so dangerous? Why are so many people dying from opiates?

Firstly, opiates can cause respiratory depression. This means that a large dose can literally cause your breathing to slow dangerously, to the point that your body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This is called hypoxia. Hypoxia can have short and long term effects such as permanent brain damage and of course death.

Another dangerous effect is a built up tolerance. After taking opiates for an extended amount of time, users may feel less effects. This can cause the person to raise the dosage with each use – which of course is a quick way of leading to an overdose. While the person may not feel like the effects are strong, their body still can’t handle the high dosage of opiates.

The use of opiates can also cause seizures, heart failure and a lack of pain sensitivity – all of which can be fatal. The drug takes over your body in a way that your organs often can not handle, and shut down because of it. The worst part is, the user may not feel it happening in enough time to call 9-11.

Many people do not understand the dangers of opiates. They don’t understand why people use them, why they can’t stop and what makes them so dangerous in the first place. We need to help people who have an opiate dependence, as it’s a fight that will be very difficult to win on their own. If you know someone who needs help with addiction Holy Cross Counseling and Kairos Healthcare can help.