Many people who suffer from opiate prescritption drug addiction do not know why. Furthermore, they do not know what they can do? Getting answers before it’s too late is critical for many. We are losing over 200 lives per day to heroin overdose.
Why Are So Many Addicted to Prescription Opiates?
Opiates or opioids are among one of the most highly abused substances in today’s modern world. Why is that? Well, the simple answer is they are a strong and rapid solution to those dealing with chronic or acute pain. Overly prescribed pain medication is what has caused the opiate epidemic.
When you think of getting a prescription drug you don’t always think of the negative side effects that come along with it. Many doctors will explain the common side effects like the following.
- sleepiness
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
And the list can go on and on. One aspect of prescribing opiate/opioid pain medication is rarely if ever discussed with the patient, and that is the addictive capabilities. Substance abuse is among many of the risk factors when taking opiate medications.
Opiate Prescription Pain Medications Are Highly Addictive
Many trust their Doctor and do not know how addictive they are. You may ask yourself, “Why would the doctor prescribe me a medication that can be addicting or hurt me?” Well, when dosed and monitored correctly opiate pain management can be effective in short term use. We live in a world of instant gratification. Whether that is ordering food and having it delivered within minutes or ordering those clothes you want and having it shipped over the next day.
When it comes to pain management medical practitioners tend to follow the same guidelines in order to offer their patient the highest and most effective level of care. This does not necessarily mean it is always the safest route, or the most long-term solution, but it is getting their patient out of pain as fast as possible.
The over prescribing of opiates has caused a great need for detoxification. Our prescription drug detox San Diego center has seen big increases in the last 12 months of people reaching out for detoxification. Harmony Grove Recovery has felt the need to educate the public on this issue. We know, your next use could be your last. We urge you to reach out for help now.
What is the Difference between Opiates & Opioids?
Well essentially, they fall under the same category and drug class. Opiate refers to natural substances that can be extracted from a flowering opium poppy plant. Some examples would be heroin, morphine, and maybe even codeine. While opioids can have natural substances they also include synthetic versions like the following.
- fentanyl
- methadone
- Hydrocodone
- Oxycodone
There are many different opioids, but this is just to name a few. Either way all these prescription medications are addictive. The reality is to question your physician and ask about alternatives.
How Do Opiates Work in the Brain?
Opioids or opiates attach to proteins called opioid receptors on nerve cells that are in the brain, spinal cord, gut and other different parts of the body. When this occurs, the opioids block pain messages that are sent from anywhere in the body through the spinal cord to the brain. They trick the brain into not feeling pain.
When taking pain medication, the relief from the pain and many other factors can be highly addictive. When taking any opioids, they will trigger the release of endorphins. these in essence are the brains “happy” neurotransmitters. While this can be a good thing for those who are feeling pain in that instance, it can damage an individual perception of pain and pleasure.
If you are expereincing any addiction issues with pain medications, time is of the esscence. You can become addicted in as little as three days. Harmony Grove Recovery’s drug rehabs San Diego has the expereince to help you. We have helped many get their pescription drug medication addiction under control. We urge you to call our specialists now at (760) 697-0497. We accept most insurances and can get you the help you need right now.
What Does This Have to do with Addiction?
Well, it has a lot to do with addiction and abusing substances. Once you have introduced a new chemical to your body your brain now tells your body you need it to survive or feel good. There can be a sense of euphoria when taking these medications which as human beings it’s only natural to crave.
When taking these medications, it is important to remember they should only be taken for short periods of time. Another risk factor in using opioids in pain management is the potential of forming rebound pain or ghost pain. This is when your body becomes so dependent on a drug that if you take it without needing it may cause your brain to send signals to your body that it is pain. This in essence would cause you to take more of the medication and then would begin to form the viscous cycle of addiction.
Governmental Studies on Opiate Pain Medication Addiction Show Its’ Out of Control
Some statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse related information that in 2019, 50,,, people died from opiate related overdoses! It also showed that roughly 21-29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse or abuse them. 8-12 percent of them develop opioid use disorder. Another interesting fact is that a staggering 80 percent of individuals that abuse heroin first started with some form of opioid pain medication.
Again, in 2019 approximately 50,000 people died from an opioid involved overdose. We are statistically seeing these numbers grow and become more of a problem on an epidemic level scale, yet we continue to use the medications. The numbers are not out yet during the Covid-19 epidemic, however we do know that have grown even more.
Government Control of Opiate Pain Medication is a Start, But Much More is Needed
In the last several years the government has attempted to get a grasp on this opiate epidemic with little to no success. We are always steps behind new synthetic versions of these drugs which can be easily obtained in multiple different avenues. There have been more strict guidelines and restrictions on healthcare providers as far as what medications they can prescribe and for how long.
For example, many individuals that see a particular provider or pain management specialist are monitored very closely. With that being said there is a database known as the PDMP or prescription drug monitoring program which is an electronic database that tracks controlled substances prescriptions in your state. This database was designed and developed to combat and cut down the number of individuals that abuse medications or drugs.
“How to Get Off of Prescription Drugs?“, is a common question we see on our social media feed. One of the reasons we see this questions so much is this epidemic affects everyone. It so much larger than just heroin users. Middle aged men and womenl, teen agers, and college students. It affects anyone that would need relief from pain.
Opiate Pain Medication Regulations to Control Over Prescribing
How this works is when you see a provider for any reason that may involve requiring the prescription of a controlled substance or in this case opioid, they will enter your name in the database. They will be able to see what medications you have been prescribed in the past and by what doctors. This is helpful in managing an individual who may be struggling with addiction who may be attempting to get multiple prescriptions for these drugs from different providers.
Many pain specialists or providers have even gone as far as having patients sign a contract stating that they will not receive pain medication or controlled substances from any other provider. This is helpful in tracking and reducing the abuse of prescription medications. However, “What if there were other ways to obtain them?
Drug Rehabs Escondido, California in a Hot Bed of Easily Obtained Opiate Prescription Medications
Geographically speaking Southern California is a beautiful and great place to live. Where some of the issues can occur is just how close we are in reference to the Mexican border. For those who live in San Diego County, it’s at most a 45-minute drive to be at the Tijuana, via the Mexican border. When it comes to medication regulation in Mexico there is no regulation on many of their drugs like we have with the FDA. One opioid that is very easily obtained in Mexico would be tramadol.
Tramadol is a opioid narcotic analgesic, used to treat moderate to severe pain. In the US this is a controlled substance and narcotic. As far as it goes in Mexico, you can purchase this medication over the counter at any pharmacy without a prescription. To add to that the medication will only cost cents on the dollar compared to buying in the US.
This is a big problem because any individual that is struggling with opioid use disorder can have their drug of choice in the matter of minutes. This is also very dangerous because due to the lack of or lax regulations or drug enforcement. You are unable to positively guarantee what you are taking is what is in that medication. For example, any of these medications can be laced with any even cheaper drug to not only make it cheaper to produce but can also make it more addictive.
Harmony Grove Recovery Drug Rehabs San Diego Offers Homeopathic or Holistic Approaches to Pain Management
If you are caught in this viscous cycle of addiction or substance abuse, you should always seek out professional help through an inpatient rehab or recovery program. Programs like Harmony Grove Recovery’s drug rehabs San Diego options are saving lives from heroin overdose.
We can help you explore the root cause and triggers of your issues whether it is physical or mental. You should always ensure that expert and trained professionals are the ones you go to when it comes to any type of substance abuse or seeking a solid recovery plan. We accept most health insurances and offer private rooms during our care.
Think carefully, your next decision on whether to reach out for help could have deadly consequences. Call (760) 697-0497 we can help you now. We are one of the best residential inpatient drug rehabs in the San Diego area.