There has been a national crisis of opioid abuse in our country that is labeled as a true epidemic. Opioids are prescription painkillers and street drugs synthesized from raw opium which are extremely addictive and dangerous when abused. Some of the most commonly misused opioids include drugs such as Fentanyl, Codeine, Heroin, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Methadone, Morphine, and Oxycodone. Some of these are prescribed daily for pain that is both acute and chronic. Many people who are prescribed painkillers abuse them, leading to pain pill addiction and a rise in opioid-related overdoses. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH):
- Roughly 21 to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.
- Between 8 and 12 percent develop an opioid use disorder.
- An estimated 4 to 6 percent who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin.
- About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.
- Opioid overdoses increased 30 percent from July 2016 through September 2017 in 52 areas in 45 states.
How Do Opioids Get People Addicted?
Opioids work by attaching to the opioid receptors in your brain, which control pain and pleasure. They are administered, prescribed, and intended for the treatment of chronic pain in patients under strict medical supervision. If you abuse opioids, you can easily become dependent on them, and if you don’t know the warning signs, becoming dependent can lead to physical dependence that may end up an opioid overdose. In addition, they cause a lot of harm to your health and, indirectly, your loved ones.
Increased Restrictions on Prescription Opioids
There has been an ongoing battle to fix the opioid crisis and lessen the number of people addicted and overdosing on opioids throughout the country. So far, up to date, 38 states have implemented policies or guidelines that set limits on the supply of opioids that doctors can prescribe. However, the opioid limits in five of those states only apply to Medicaid recipients. Two states have no set pill or day limit for opioid prescriptions but require doctors to prescribe the lowest effective dose. Supporters of opioid prescription limits such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argue that prescriptions with fewer days’ supply will minimize the number of pills available for unintentional or intentional diversion and could help some, it will destabilize others and likely promote the use of heroin or other drugs.
Opioid Addiction Treatment at Evoke Wellness at Cohasset
If you or a loved one are struggling with opioid addiction and are ready to stop, Evoke Wellness at Cohasset can guide you to lasting recovery with our Medication-Assisted Addiction Treatment (MAT). Medication-Assisted Treatment is an addiction intervention approach that involves the use of medication such as buprenorphine along with behavioral counseling which includes group and individual therapy. This evidence-based opioid addiction treatment option has seen high success rates even with addicts with a chronic history of drug and alcohol abuse history. The main goal of MAT is to help the individual sustain recovery. We utilize clinically recommended and peer-review medication that works to stabilize the brain’s chemistry, shut off the euphoric effect of opioids, ease physiological cravings, and stabilize body functions without the abused substance’s adverse side effects. If the thought of facing unpleasant opioid withdrawal symptoms has kept you away from starting treatment, then know that compassionate help is just around the corner. Regardless of the severity of your addiction, can rest assured that our opioid addiction treatment program will help you achieve your goal of becoming clean again.
