How Prescription Opioids Addiction Develops

Few drugs are more addictive than prescription opioids. Since people get prescriptions for these drugs, they tend to think that they aren’t dangerous. Unfortunately, that frame of mind often leads to the development of addiction. Below is more information about opioids and how prescription addiction starts.

What Are Prescription Opioids?

To fully understand why opioids are so addictive, it’s important to know what they are. In general, opioids are drugs that doctors prescribe to help people deal with pain. They act on the opioid receptors in the brain to block pain signals. The drugs are very effective in blocking pain in the short term but don’t work for long-term use.

How Does Opioid Addiction Develop?

Opioid addiction develops for a number of reasons. It usually happens after people take the drugs for too long. Sometimes it happens because their doctors keep writing prescriptions. Other times, it happens because people don’t follow the prescriptions that their doctors give them.

With that said, some people develop opioid addiction after just a few doses even though they follow their doctor’s’ orders. Part of the reason is that addiction can run in families. They’re simply more likely to develop a drug abuse problem than others without a family drug use history.

Abusing Opioids

It’s very easy for people to abuse prescription opioids. They generally start as their bodies build a tolerance to the drugs, which can happen extremely quickly. To get the same relief that the drugs initially provided, they have to increase their doses periodically.

Meanwhile, opioid overdose may not be far away if people don’t get help. In most cases, they continue to raise their doses until they cross the overdose threshold. To make matters worse, there’s no specific limit for everyone. It differs from person to person, so they don’t know when the threshold is close.

A Link to Heroin

When people can’t get prescriptions from their doctors anymore, they buy opioids illegally. What they don’t know is that prescription opioids are expensive. Buying them on the street costs a lot more than at the local pharmacy. As such, they eventually look for alternatives.

It’s unfortunate that the most cost-effective option is heroin. This illegal substance produces a similar kind of high to what opioids produce. However, it’s far more addictive than any of the opioids that people get with prescriptions.

We Can Help You With Opioid Addiction

If you struggle with opioid addiction, it’s time to get help at The Hills Treatment Center. We can provide a customized treatment plan in a luxury environment. Our programs include:

• Gender-specific treatment
• Outpatient rehab
• Inpatient services
• Family and group therapy
• Individual therapy
• On-site detox

Don’t wait any longer to get help. Fight back against prescription opioids today. Call The Hills today at 844-915-0287.