Opiate Abuse and Addiction: A New Epidemic

Opiate abuse and addiction are definitely on the rise, as a matter of fact the majority of opiate users are caught up in prescription drug abuse. In the past two decades the US has seen epidemic proportions of legitimate and illicit prescription drug abuse. When we talk about opiates we are encompassing a mass number of drugs, again both illicit and non illicit drugs alike. Opiates include heroin, Oxycontin, Morphine, Methadone, Vicodin, and just about any prescription pain pill.

Opiate abuse and addiction can happen very quickly. Many times a person will develop an opiate addiction after an injury where the doctor prescribes an opiate based pain killer to ease the pain. The pills ease the pain and make the person feel good again. After just a short period of time, the body will develop a tolerance to opiates and the user will need more to feel the same effect. This is all part of the opiate abuse and addiction cycle. Unfortunately, many doctors do not have a problem writing these prescriptions to manage pain even though they are knowledgeable about their capability to become addictive.

Opiates are extremely difficult to stop taking once the body becomes used to them. This is because in the brain there are natural receptors which are responsible for levels of pain, energy, and pleasure. These receptors are stimulated by the opiate drugs and eventually they die off. The result is that when the drug use is stopped the user has an extremely difficult time with a hyper sensitivity to pain, an extreme loss of motivation, and severe depression. These opioid receptor sites in the brain will heal with time but in the meantime opiate abuse and addiction is not the same as any other substance abuse and should not be treated as such.

The severity of opiate abuse and addiction are dependant on a few different factors such as the drug of choice, the amount being used, and the length of time that the substance was used and abused. This information is relevant in forming an appropriate treatment recovery plan. The truth is that someone who booted street heroin will usually have an easier time recovering than one who abused prescription Oxycontin because there is less neuro-chemical damage done. The pharmaceutical giants can be thanked for that! Pharmaceutical companies manufacture and design these drugs so that they go to the brain very quickly and act, this is why they do more damage.

The front line approach in opiate abuse and addiction is to detox and get the opiates out of the system. This is a very scary thought to most opiate addicts because along with that thought is the fear of "getting sick." In treatment you do not have to worry about this because the detox is facilitated with usually either methadone or Suboxone to ensure that there are no uncomfortable feelings. In patient treatment would follow detox for opiate abuse and addiction; however the length of time that one is in treatment must be assessed on an individual basis. One of the most important layers of treatment is after care, especially with opiate abuse and addiction.

Opiate abuse and addiction has become so prevalent that many celebrities have been in the spotlight in recent years announcing their battle with opiates. Addiction has no restrictions in terms of status, wealth, or social class. Burt Reynolds, Lindsay Lohan, Eva Mendes, Robert Downey, Jr., Betty Ford, and Whitney Houston only top the list of the elite that have battled opiate abuse and addiction. Among those that lost the battle with opiate drug addiction are Anna Nichole Smith, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and DJ AM.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are a half a million people in the US alone that have chronic pain and because pharmaceutical companies stand to gain literally billions of dollars by addressing this issue the number of people that suffer from opiate abuse and addiction will likely continue to grow.

The Drug & Alcohol Services Information System indicates that each US state has seen a major incline in prescription opiate abuse. For example, in Maine in 1997 there were 13 admissions per 100,000 for treatment of prescription opiate abuse but by 2004 that number was 151 per 100,000. These numbers are consistent for people over the age of only 12. In Louisiana there were no admissions during 1997 but by 2004 there were 54/100,000 for opiate abuse.

While these numbers are staggering what they really indicate is that when a person has found themselves in this situation it is assuring to know that help is available and there is hope for recovery if you just reach out for help now.

Genesis House Inc. is a leader in addiction treatment and have helped thousands of people recover from the devastating consequences of their addictions. Call 1-800-737-0933 or 561-439-4070 for immediate help and answers. More information is available on our web site http://www.genesishouse.net or please email us at info@genesishouse.net