Opiate addiction usually starts from abusing
painkillers. Controlled use of painkillers are not harmful, but once these are
taken in large doses and are injected, their effect is very dangerous and can
even become fatal.
Opiate abuse
is the period when users are beginning to use the medications apart from the
doctor’s prescription. Drug dependence starts when the body develops tolerance
for the drug, requiring them to take more doses to get the same effect.
It is also in
this stage when the body develops withdrawal symptoms when decide to stop. Opiate addiction begins when the addict
displays psychological side effects as the dependence worsens.
Addicts start
changing their behavior. They become extremely hooked with the drug pushing
them into a drug seeking behavior.
Symptoms of
addiction
Opiate
addicts usually exhibit the following symptoms:
Euphoria
(feeling high) Respiratory
depression (shallow or slow breathing)
Sedation Analgesia
(feeling no pain)
Nausea,
vomiting Small
pupils
Itching or
flushed skin Constipation
Slurred
speech Confusion
or poor judgment
Opiate addiction is threatening that users experience
drug withdrawal when they become physically dependent on the drug. If you know
or suspect someone abusing opiate, watch out for the following withdrawal
symptoms:
Anxiety Irritability Craving for the drug
Rapid
breathing Nasal stuffiness Yawning
Goosebumps Runny nose Salivation Muscle aches
Vomiting Abdominal cramping Diarrhea Sweating Confusion
Enlarged
pupils Tremors Loss of
appetite
Although
opiate withdrawal symptoms are not that harmful for the body, they are dangerous,
unbearable and painful. The withdrawal symptoms vary in degree depending on the
duration and the amount of drugs taken.
If the user
decides to stop opiate addiction, the
person can take medicines to prevent withdrawal symptoms in the process of
detoxification. The recovering addicts are given medications such as methadone,
buprenorphine (sometimes combined with naloxone), and naltrexone.
After the
user surpassed the drug withdrawal stage, the recovering patient is no longer
dependent on the drug. However, psychological dependence and relapse are always
possible if the person is not strong enough to resist and fight the stress to
go back to addiction.
Opiate addictiontreatment could be a painful process
for the users. Some took the drug initially to relieve pain. For this reason,
they developed a tolerance for the opiates and may require higher dosage to
relieve the pain.
Addiction
sets in when the user abuse opiates to the point that it becomes
self-destructive and compulsive.Medically, to address the addiction, users are
advised to have lower dosage over the course of some weeks.
Those who
stop taking the drug and have no pain at the same time can successfully pass
their addiction. Short-term users most of the times do not display withdrawal
symptoms.
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