Drug Addicts Take Advantage of Doctors

by AdamS on July 20, 2012

Drug trends are nothing new in the United States.  Over the past several decades, Americans have seen a switch from the psychedelic era of the 60s and 70s, to the club drugs like cocaine and ecstasy in the 80s and 90s.  Now it seems the new trend of the 21st century, is addiction to opiate based prescription pain killers.  Physicians and Psychiatrists are prescribing an array of dangerous drugs to their patients and it could be causing more harm than good.  Opiate abuse now accounts for more deaths in the United States than any other type of illegal drug.  For those people who have become completely addicted, sometimes the only solution is to go through a medical detox program.  Check out https://www.thewatershed.com/resource/opiate-abuse/ to find more information on opiate abuse.

Dangerous Prescription Drugs

Many people are fooled by just how dangerous prescribed drugs can be.  Prescription pain killers such as Methadone, Oxycontin and Morphine are incredibly powerful depressants.  These prescribed drugs are all created from the opium poppy plant, the same plant used to make heroin.  Even though these drugs are regulated by the FDA, they can be just as dangerous and addictive as heroin if used improperly.

Effects of Opiates

Opium based drugs all have similar effects on the body.  When used properly, they can be an effective medication to help treat people with severe pain, usually in cases of significant injuries or trauma.  They are also prescribed to individuals who are suffering from chronic pain from cancer.  The chemicals in these drugs bind to pain receptors in the brain and block out the sensation of pain.  However, they also have an impact on the central nervous system, making it harder for the individual to breathe.  When taken excessively, these drugs can cause the respiratory system to completely shut down.

Addiction

Once taken on a regular basis, the body develops a tolerance to the opiates.  This means that the individual will have to start taking larger doses to achieve the same feeling they have grown accustomed to.  It also means that if the individual stops taking the drug, their body will become sick.  Opiates are considered by many as the most addictive type of drugs available.

Withdrawals

The symptoms associated with opiate withdrawals are very numerous and painful.  Without a regular dose of the drug, the body will begin to show flu like symptoms.  The affected individual can expect to experience vomiting, diarrhea, cold sweats and insomnia while going through withdrawals.

The only way to get over opiate abuse is to face these withdrawal symptoms and push through the pain of a medical detox.  The length of the detox process is dependent upon the amount of the drug taken and the period of time the individual was addicted to the drug.  Normally this process takes between three days and a week, but could take as long as a month to completely get the opiates out of the users system.  Detox should be completed at a professional medical facility, under the watch and care of medical professionals.  It is very dangerous to try to go through detox without medical supervision. Check outhttps://www.thewatershed.com/treatment/programs/medical-detox/ for more information on medical detox.

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