Opiate addiction or in more common words unusual dependence on prescription narcotic medications like addiction to heroin, is a problem that is growing at an unusual rate. Most of the time the start of this addiction seems quite harmless, for example a person starts taking prescription pain medicines when he suffers from chronic pain or suffers an injury, in the long run the person becomes addicted to these medicines.
It is true that prescribed medication like suboxone and methadone are used as medications in opiate addiction recovery, however let us not forget that these medications are also opioids and have similar characters in the way they are processed in the brain. The main reason that these opioids are addictive is the fact that when they are consumed they release particular reactors in the brain, which leads the individual to have a sense of euphoria which is commonly known as being ‘high’. And when these opiates are taking repeatedly the brain get used to them and therefore when a person tries to discontinue their usage suddenly he suffers nasty withdrawal symptoms.
Physical Effects of Opiate Withdrawal
- Vomiting and Nausea
- Hallucinations
- Cold Sweats
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Strong Mood Swings
- Cramps and Muscle Twitching
- Runny Nose
- Abdominal Cramping
- Diarrhea
Because opiate withdrawal symptoms are very strong, a proper rehab program that includes medication, counseling, support and family is needed, along with significant will power. Suboxone treatment is the most popular way of treating opiate addiction. This prescribed medication is used to treat both heroin as well as prescription pain medication addiction. The reason why suboxone is popular is because it is the first narcotic drug under the Drug Abuse Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000 that can be prescribed in the doctor’s office, which means more addiction patients now have easy access to the treatment.
