“Martha goes through spine surgery at a young age. Doctor gives her Vicodin to relieve pain during healing. It feels super good on Vicodin!! She pops a few extras and gets a few extra refills. Prescription is hard to get now, so she hits the streets for ‘Heroin.’ In no time, she is an addict and ends her life at 24.”
Opioid addiction in the US.
Pain is a feeling we all like to avoid, and for some, it is a lifelong battle against pain. Doctors, insurers, government, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies and the patients, all form a closed-looped system in dealing with pain. One can blame any of the stakeholders in the system or whole system, but one needs to accept the fact that it ultimately boils down to US and we are the most affected due the pain caused by the worst epidemic of Opioid addiction today.
It all started in the nineties when opioid prescription became a standard practice for treating pain. Today we have tens of millions of opioid addicts in the US alone, and CDC studies reveal that chances of addiction is increasing rapidly as a person takes opioid for more than a week. If you have used an opioid for 12 days, you are 25% likely to get addicted. Opioids can cause dependence within few days and dependence is totally different from addiction.
If take a look at Recovery Delivered website you will come to know that when you stop using a drug and experience its withdrawal symptoms, you are said to have developed ‘dependence’ on drug. When a person gives in to the dependence and starts taking the drug on a regular basis without knowing the consequences, he/she is called an ‘addict.’
What are Opioids and how to use?
Opioids can be short acting like Oxycodone (Oxycontin), or long acting like Tramadol (Ultram) and of course, opioids can be good if taken under proper guidelines. If an individual has a previous history of addiction or has a habit of smoking or drinking, they are highly vulnerable to opioid addiction. Also, persons with a history of mental illness can be more susceptible to opioid addiction. Opioids give you a feeling of euphoria, and as the pain eases, anxiety goes away and naturally a person seeks for more of that feeling repeatedly. However, never alter the prescription protocol as well as it is highly dangerous to mix Opioid with depressants such as Benzodiazepines and alcohol, which can lead to death.
Opioids on the streets
The euphoria of opioids also suffers from another issue, where people take it for recreational purposes. It blows your mind the first time, promises you a paradise in distant waiting, compelling them to get trapped in the addiction abyss within few weeks. There is always a hope in form a rehab to recover your life. Click here to read more about different opiate detox.
Opioid addiction and detox treatment
People often miss out and refuse to believe that they are addicted or at least on the path of no return. To gauge into your situation of addiction, you must see: How long you have been using opioid? Are you ok without it? Are you following the guidelines for safe opioid use as guided by your doctor? If you know you are addicted, it is not the end, but the beginning of recovery.
To come off an opioid addiction, tapering is one of the best options. You need to attend a detox centre and follow a treatment plan. You may be switched to safer pain medication such as NSAID, Aspirin or Ibuprofen. Aid in recovery helps to place you with detox and provides the environment to meet friends who are going through same experience. Expert guidance, counselling, and medication help you fasten your recovery process and achieve higher rate of success.
Carrying out the detox process at home and on your own is not easy, as the withdrawal symptoms can be too bad, and often people lose their motivation. A psychologically weak and depressed individual wants to get on with the next opioid dose and so thus addiction relapses. Opioid addiction affects almost every element of your life and a recovery from it is a slow re-building process. New mental habits, proper guidance, and support are essential in your recovery process, which are only available at the opiate detox centres.
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Be smart to deal with an addiction through Detox centres!”
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