Opioid Addiction and
Rehab in Ohio​

UNDERSTANDING OPIOID ADDICTION

Introduction to Opioid Addiction​

Opioids, or narcotics, come in two forms. Some are prescription medications prescribed by your medical provider to relieve symptoms related to chronic pain conditions. Prescription opioids are also used to help patients recovering from surgical procedures or with severe pain related to cancer or injuries. Most prescription opioids, when used as directed, help relieve pain and help patients regain quality of life. However, they also carry a significant risk of addiction.

Opioids are a specific class of drug that includes both legally prescribed medications and illegal drugs or “street drugs.” Common prescription medications include oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone, among others. Fentanyl and heroin are two widely abused illicit opioids. Opioid drugs, whether prescription or illegal, work by attaching themselves to the opioid receptors in the brain on the spinal cord. They also adhere to other opioid receptors in areas throughout the body. This connection blocks pain messages sent from the body through the nervous system to the spinal cord and the brain. When someone uses a prescription or illegal opioid, the pain that they struggle with becomes manageable and, in many cases, disappears completely.

The relief or high felt from opioid use is often felt very quickly. Unfortunately, it also wears off relatively quickly as well causing pain and discomfort to return. When this happens, the user craves the high (or pain relief) again and takes another dose. Each time, the dose becomes larger, and the time between doses is reduced. This is known as tolerance. When you have built a tolerance to a substance, more frequent and higher doses are needed to achieve the same high you remember from early on. This is dangerous, because higher doses can quickly lead to overdose and death.

In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in opioid use nationwide. Both prescription and illicit opioids are highly addictive. In fact, data indicate as many as one in four people who use opioids for long-term pain management therapy struggle with opioid addiction and cannot reduce or stop using without detox and addiction treatment at a professional treatment center like Findlay. In 2018, almost 47,000 Americans lost their lives to opioid overdose. In 32% of those cases, prescription medications obtained through legal means were involved.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS AND SAVE A LIFE

When To Get Help for Opioid Addiction ​

Guidance from a professional opioid addiction rehab in Ohio. Understanding when to get help for opioid addiction requires understanding the signs and symptoms of opioid addiction, also called an opioid use disorder. When someone has an opioid use disorder, they cannot stop or reduce using opioids despite knowing their use leads to negative and harmful consequences. If a friend, or loved one, is struggling with an opioid use disorder, they may show various physical, psychological, and behavioral signs and symptoms. A few common examples include:

• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Decreased libido
• Lack of hygiene
• Inability to control or resist using
• Changes in eating habits leading to weight changes
• Changes in exercise habits
• New or worsening financial problems
• Self-isolation or avoiding spending time with friends or loved ones
• Stealing from friends and family to get money for drugs
• Stealing prescriptions
• Doctor shopping
• New or worsening legal problems related to drug use

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS AND SAVE A LIFE

When To Get Help for Opioid Addiction Continued​

Regular opioid use will lead to tolerance and dependence. Painful and unpleasant symptoms can develop when someone is dependent on a substance and stops using. In the case of opioid addiction, these symptoms, also called withdrawal symptoms, can sometimes be dangerous and even fatal.

Opioid withdrawal occurs when someone who struggles with an opioid addiction reduces or stops using an opioid drug. It does not matter if the drug is a prescription medication or an illicit substance; withdrawal symptoms are an inevitable part of the detox process and are best managed as part of a medically supported detox program. Depending on the substance or substances used, withdrawal symptoms may occur in as few as six hours after your last dose. Common withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, agitation, body aches, difficulty sleeping, sweating, gastric disturbances, nausea, and vomiting. Other, more severe symptoms can include delirium tremens (DTs), irregular respirations, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.

The more severe withdrawal symptoms which can occur in certain withdrawal cases point to the need for medically supported detox to ensure safe and successful detox from opioids. Many who struggle with opioid addiction and choose to withdraw “cold turkey” often fail and relapse as withdrawal symptoms become too overwhelming to manage. In a medically supervised detox setting, trained medical staff is available to guide you through the detox process and ensure your safety while assisting with symptom management. As you focus on getting well, your treatment team will continually monitor your vitals (including heart rate, respiration, and temperature) to ensure your safety should a medical emergency arise. Detox is often a complex process, but it is the first essential step on the journey to sobriety.