The Effects of Opiate Addiction

Heroin, morphine, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Tylenol 3--these are all opiate drug names with which most people are familiar. However, they also share something else in common: They are all opiates, meaning they are derived from opium. These drugs share yet another property in common: They are all addictive. Hollywood has delved into the depths of the street heroin user's life numerous times, but it only shows a small part of a much larger--and much more subtle--picture. Opiate addiction, whether to heroin, using a needle, or to those white pills in the orange bottle in the medicine cabinet, has serious effects on both the person addicted and those to whom he is close.

Addiction

• Use of opiate painkillers as prescribed from time to time in a person's life is normal for most people, but for someone who becomes addicted, the drugs become necessary for daily life. The effects opiate drugs have on the brain are the reason they are so highly addictive. Opiates relieve anxiety and produce euphoria, or a profound sense of well-being, at doses ranging from therapeutic to above.
  When an opiate is used, whether injected intravenously or taken orally in pill form, it eventually reaches the brain's opiate receptors--which are also triggered naturally by endorphin release--and produce a "reward" response to which the user becomes addicted.

Tolerance and Withdrawal

• Two important features of the effects of opiate addiction stand out: tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance occurs when the brain becomes accustomed to receiving opiates regularly, and it requires more and more of the drug over time to produce the euphoric effects. Withdrawal happens, usually four to six hours after the last dose is taken, when the opiate user is suddenly deprived of the drug. When deprived, the brain is caught off balance, and withdrawal symptoms occur, such as anxiety, pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can vary in severity depending on the opiate addict's habit.

Relationships

• Opiate addiction can have serious effects to consider on the addicted person's lifestyle. Many users will spend most of their time trying to obtain the drug and will give up many other things that are important in their lives. Families, friendships, and other interpersonal relationships are all at risk for an opiate addict because after prolonged addiction, getting the drug becomes the most important aspect of a user's life.

Health Risks

• There are many health risks that are direct effects of opiate addiction. Intravenous users, or people who "shoot up," are greatly at risk for infection and diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. Overdose is a serious consequence of opiate abuse as well. When an addict underestimates the potency of the drug, or overestimates her ability to "handle" the drug, too much of the opiate can overwhelm the brain. Overdose can cause depressed breathing, slowed heartbeat, and even death.

Rehabilitation

• A common misconception of the effects of opiate addiction is that a user has to go off the drug "cold turkey," or quit using entirely, to stop using the drug. Methadone detoxification or maintenance treatment can be a solution.
  Ending up in a methadone treatment center is a very common late-stage effect of opiate use and can often help the user return to everyday life as a functional member of society.The FDA-approved methadone for treating opiate addiction in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, so a methadone clinic is a legitimate place for a user to end up.
  Also, the user may enter an inpatient rehabilitation treatment center where they can be monitored through their detox by nurses and physicians.