Opiate Addiction

December 15th, 2009

A narcotic sedative which slows down the activity of the central nervous system is called an opiate drug. Opiate drugs lessen pain and stimulate sleep. These, like other prescription drugs, could be beneficial to the body. However, the drug has the capacity to allow the body to become too dependent on it, leading to addiction.

Opiate addiction is recognized as a central nervous system disorder. Continuous and extensive opiate use causes the nerve cells in the brain to stop functioning as they normally and stop producing natural endorphins. Opiate substitutes endorphins in the body. In return, the nerve cells start to degenerate and the body becomes physically dependent on opiates. Scientists have found that the brain has its own opiate and opiate receptors, which are concentrated in the parts of the brain that control pain and emotions. Drugs that bind to opiate receptors in the reward centers of the limbic system that enhances the release of the brain chemical dopamine in another brain area called the nucleus accumbens. Flooding of dopamine in the brain produces a “high” of pleasure and relaxation which in turn could lead to addiction.

Usually an addict would do whatever it takes to hide the addiction. However, the addiction will always show on the person’s attitudes and behaviors. Some symptoms of opiate addiction include obsessing over medications, obsessing over doctor appointments and the need to get more medicine, being restless, irritable, and angry when not getting enough opiates, being preoccupied with getting more drugs, lying about how much they have used or when they got the medicine, and lying to doctors or faking injuries or illnesses in order to get more medicine. Opiate addicts can go out of their way to the point of inflicting injury to one’s own body to get medication.

Treating opiate addiction is similar to treating any other drug addiction. And, the common denominator is that the patient should be willing to stop the addiction. Professional help is also needed for a high possibility of recovery from the addiction. First step of the treatment is the process of detoxification. In the procedure of the treatment, withdrawal symptoms can happen. Opiate detox and withdrawal can occur when one suddenly reduces the amount of opiates after heavy and extended use. Opiates could be an illegal drug or prescription drugs. Actually, it is the occurrence of withdrawal syndrome that pushes the person to continue using the drug. Furthermore, people using opiates often experience drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, muscle soreness, constipation and dry mouth.

Before, getting addicted to opiate is seen as a helpless condition. Patients with opiate physical dependency were considered to have inherited an addictive personality or psychological disorder or to have suffered with a dysfunctional family life. However, studies have been made on how to cure this type of addiction. After more than a decade of NIH-supported animal and human research, buprenorphine became one of the daily-administered medications most recently approved to treat opiate addiction. The discovery of the opiate receptor determined that buprenorphine worked like a treatment already available, termed methadone, by activating opiate receptors and mimicking opiate drugs of abuse. Receptor-activating medications can help relieve drug cravings and control a person’s addiction. Medications should also be paired with behavioral therapy such that the patient is encouraged to feel and be hopeful that the addiction would later on subside. To help deal with the addiction, behavior should be modified.

The substance opiate helps to relieve severe and chronic pain. It may be safe to think that prescription drugs are safe to take, however, dangerous effects may possibly occur due to misuse or abuse. Opiate can be tolerated by the body and later on may lead to addiction. Treatment may be hard but it is the only way out.

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