What Are Opiates?
Opiates are a class of drugs that are found in the opium poppy plant.
Prescription opioids are used to block pain signals between the brain and the body, and are prescribed as a treatment plan for moderate to severe pain (1).
Opioids are converted into morphine and are bonded to opioid receptors, causing the user to become dependent on opioids and develop cravings (1).
Opiate drugs cause feelings of euphoria and relaxation, causing addiction (2)
Legal forms of opioid drugs (when prescribed as medicine by a medical professional) are:
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Suboxone
- Oxycontin
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, legally prescribed opioid painkillers are used to treat: (3)
- Moderate to severe pain
- Pain experienced by cancer patients
- Pain during the end-of-life stage
- Chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP)
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Tissue or nerve damage
- Pancreatitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Acute pain – short-term and caused by specific events such as accidents, surgery, or childbirth
- However, because opioid drugs are highly addictive, they are prone to misuse and abuse.
Users progress to heroin use after prescription drugs become unavailable, as heroin is presented as a cheaper and available option.
Addiction treatment for opioid drug abuse involves intense symptoms of withdrawal.
The Drugs Wheel
According to the Drugs Wheel, people addicted to opioids experience the following:
- Euphoria
- Relaxation or a sense of peace/well-being
- Relief from pain
- Slowed-down concentration
- Sleepiness and inattentiveness
- Reduced sex drive (4)
Why Are Opiates Addictive?
Opiates change the brain's chemistry through the nervous system, causing the brain to adapt to the level of pain relief (5).
When opiate use is stopped, relief from pain is reduced significantly due to the body's tolerance to opiates.
Withdrawal Symptoms
- Sensitivity to stress
- Anxiety/ Irritability
- Tremors/ poor body coordination
- Abnormal sleep pattern
- Emotional numbness/ blanking out/ daydreaming
- Easily distracted
- Loss of focus/ memory problems
- Mental health problems
- Runny nose
- Dehydration
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Excessive sweating (6)
Opioid Addiction Overdose
Opioid overdose from substance abuse is life-threatening. In the event of overdose, immediate medical supervision is necessary. (8)
Overdose can be avoided by:
- Taking the exact dose as prescribed to avoid substance abuse
- Not mixing opioids with other pain medications
- Not using opioids and alcohol together
- Not mixing opioids with anti-anxiety drugs and anti-depressants
- Ensuring that opiate drugs are kept away from adolescents
Buprenorphine is often the preferred option as an opioid replacement because it is a partial opioid agonist, causing a “ceiling effect” that makes overdose difficult compared to other opioid drugs. (9)
What Opiate Detox Rehab Is Like
Detox
Detox for opioid use disorder uses medically assisted treatment to remove the dependence on taking opioids.
Abbeycare uses naloxone, naltrexone, or suboxone for opiate withdrawal.
Therapeutic Help
Therapeutic help in rehab will include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- 12 Step Facilitation
- Keywork sessions with a case manager
- Group therapy
Opiate Rehab Aftercare
Aftercare improves the chance of full recovery as:
- Emotional and psychological support helps to alleviate feelings of loneliness
- Being in contact with a sponsor or an accountability partner encourages compliance with recovery commitments
- Motivation through hope in a common vision of recovery
- New decision-making skills are learned due to suggestions for the practical side of recovery
- Sticking with an aftercare plan creates structure in a life previously described as chaotic
Pricing
