Opiate Dependence
Opiate Dependence: The Science Behind Its Addictive Downfall
More and more in the medical and social community, opioid dependence is being accepted as a chronic disease, much like high blood pressure or diabetes, because opioid dependency affects the brain. When a person uses an opioid or other addictive substance, a craving for the substance develops. Opioid dependence is indicated when the amount of the substance in the body is depleted and the cells send a signal to the brain that more of the substance is needed. Over a period of time the brain becomes used to its presence and in time the body comes to rely on it. This is how opioid use turns to abuse, then dependency and finally addiction.
Opiate Dependence and Addiction – When Pleasure Turns to Pain
Opioid use tends to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain, which allows a pleasurable feeling. As people continue to use more opioids they expect to feel even more pleasure, but as they continue to abuse the drug a tolerance develops. This means it takes more of the drug to produce the same effect. Whether a person started taking opioids to lessen physical or emotional pain, as opioid dependency occurs they feel they cannot live without the drug. Obsessive thoughts about where to get the drug and how they will use the drug set in, accompanied by an actual craving, and then a person is addicted. Today, opioid dependence and addiction in the United States is growing at unprecedented rates. The information here is offered to help promote better understanding of opioid dependence and to remind you that help is available. Call us now at (954) 631-3333 for more information on drug detox from opiates using Suboxone.
Suboxone Substance Abuse Treatment for Opiate Dependence – Break Free of Addiction
There are serious physical issues associated with opioid dependence and addiction including poor health as well as the deterioration of interpersonal relationships, loss of employment, legal problems, and financial difficulties.It was only within the last 20 years that researchers began to realize opioid dependence was a medical condition caused by changes in the brain—changes that didn't go away, sometimes for months, after patients stopped using opioids, leaving individuals vulnerable to relapse and at risk for misuse, diversion, and abuse. Addiction treatment can help get you on the right path to living a drug-free life.For all of these reasons, opioid dependence treatment requires the right medication such as Suboxone accompanied in a professional drug addiction treatment facility which incorporates support systems that include counseling to increase your opportunity for treatment success. When you stay in treatment, you are less likely to misuse opioids. You can do this and you don't have to do it alone!
Visit our frequently asked questions page for more information about Dr. Morrison and our Opiate Dependency Treatment Center in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Dr. James Morrison is a certified Suboxone prescribing doctor located in Deerfield Beach, FL. Contact your local opiate dependency treatment center at (954) 631-3333 for more information on drug detox from opiates using Suboxone.
Heroin Dependence
Heroin is an illegal, extremely addictive drug, which has no approved medical use. It is a rapidly acting opiate and produces profound euphoria - which is its draw to those predisposed to addiction. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin." Heroin is a derivative of morphine. Buprenorphine can be very effective in the treatment of heroin addiction. The transition from heroin to buprenorphine is usually smooth. Discuss this with your addiction treatment physician.
OxyContin Addiction
OxyContin is an opiate prescribed for chronic or long-lasting pain. The medication’s active ingredient is oxycodone, which is also found in drugs like Percodan, Percocet and Tylox. Oxycodone is a strong opioid analgeic (pain killer) drug with a high potential to cause physical and psychological dependence. Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opioid made from the alkaloid, thebaine. It is very similar to codeine in structure and actions.The agent has been around for more than 70 years in Europe but because of the addiction and abuse potential, the drug never became popular until the late 1980s. Once the addictive problems of heroin and morphine became well known, it was decided not to make pain killers using morphine substitutes.
The preparation of hydrocodone from thebaine was done to avoid the mood altering effects that were common with morphine and heroin. Oxycodone, like morphine, acts on the brain but does not show the full spectrum of mood altering effects seen with morphine or heroin, nor are the effects long lasting. However, the drug does have some euphoric effects, lessens anxiety and gives the user a pleasant experience. This plus the relatively easy availability of the drug has made it liable to abuse.
Vicodin Hydrocodone Addiction
Vicodin is a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. It has a legitimate medical use - the treatment of moderate to severe pain. Hydrocodone addiction is a growing crisis in the United States. While illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin remain in the headlines many individuals may be surprised to know that hydrocodone addiction could lurk right behind them as one of the most widely-abused drugs of addiction. In fact, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration believes hydrocodone may be the most abused prescription drug in the country. Nationwide, its use has quadrupled in the last ten years, while emergency room visits attributed to hydrocodone abuse soared 500 percent. Hydrocodone is a narcotic that can produce a calm, euphoric state similar to heroin or morphine--and despite such important and obvious benefits in pain relief, evidence is pointing to chronic addiction. Pure hydrocodone is a Schedule II substance, closely controlled with restricted use. But very few prescription drugs are pure hydrocodone. Instead, small amounts of hydrocodone are mixed with other non-narcotic ingredients to create medicines like Vicodin and Lortab. This means they can be classified under Schedule III with fewer restrictions on their use and distribution.
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