Opioid addiction is an addictive behavior whereby someone becomes dependent on opioid drugs through repeated use. This can refer to illegal drugs, such as heroin, or legally prescribed opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl. Over 2 million Americans struggle with some kind of opioid addiction.
Some people might be addicted to heroin, which is a very serious issue that needs professional help. An overdose of heroin can slow your heart rate down until it stops, killing you. Dependency on heroin also tends to have devastating effects on your finances, relationships, and lifestyle.
On the other hand, many patients are addicted to legal opioid drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin which can be prescribed for chronic pain. If taken regularly, it’s easy for your body to become too dependent on opioids for constant pain relief.
Signs & Symptoms
There are main signs of opioid addiction that you need to watch out for in your loved one. For example, they may regularly take opioid painkillers in a way not prescribed by their doctor or “just in case” when they’re not actually in pain. You might also notice changes in their sleep patterns, habits, and general lifestyle, such as missing work or social events.
People with opioid addictions often have mood swings where they become suddenly hostile or suddenly euphoric. They often make poor life decisions or may appear to put themselves in dangerous situations despite their better judgment. If they’re addicted to painkillers, they might seek multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors or try to procure “backup” meds.
The main causes of opioid addiction are stressful lifestyle factors, low income, unemployment, history of drug abuse in the family, legal problems, mental health issues, risky social circles, thrill-seeking behavior, regular smoking/drinking, and chronic pain.
Side Effects of Opioid Addiction
While opioids provide pain relief and a feeling of euphoria, they are very dangerous drugs that have plenty of long-term and short-term side effects that can devastate someone’s health and lifestyle.
Short-term side effects include dry mouth, headache, mental fogginess, becoming flushed, constipation, drowsiness, itchiness, tiredness, and respiratory depression. For more intense drugs like heroin, you will usually be passed out in a trance-like state for many hours.
Long-term side effects of opioid addiction can lead to serious health conditions such as irregular heartbeat, increased risk of heart attack, depression, ongoing constipation, severe abdominal pain, hormonal problems, weak bones, and increased pain in everyday life. You can also die. 90 Americans die every day as a result of opioid addictions.
Symptoms of Withdrawal from Opioid Addiction
Once you stop using opioids, your body will naturally go into the stage of withdrawal. You might feel very sick and experience alarming symptoms. Within the first 24 hours, you might notice restlessness, muscle aches, anxiety, yawning, runny nose, insomnia, and excessive sweating.
After the first 24 hours, you might notice additional withdrawal symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal cramps, goosebumps, vomiting, nausea, blurry vision, dilated pupils, fast heartbeat, and high blood pressure. The withdrawal experience can be better or worse according to your level of opioid dependency. The more heavily you use these drugs, the worse the withdrawal will be.
Opioid Addiction Treatment and Medication
Opioids stay in your system for up to 7 days, and they’re detectable via samples of urine, blood, and saliva. It’s very easy for an opioid addiction to ruin your life. If you’re worried about opioid addiction and you need help to combat the addiction, you can seek help to take control, stop the addiction, and start living your life normally again!
Here at Lantana Recovery, we offer therapeutic and medical outpatient services for people with opioid addiction problems. Our calm and comfortable outpatient rehab center is designed to put you at ease, acting as a safe space to discuss your problem with medical professionals and work on evidence-based therapies to plan your personalised pathway to recovery.
