Empathizing with Opioid Dependency

The misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers in the U.S. has dramatically increased over the past decade. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that the number of Americans misusing prescription opioid pain relievers has more than doubled in the past decade. This alarming …

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How Opioids Develop Addiction

The opioid epidemic is severely affecting the nation. Many people nationwide are overdosing or developing an addiction to these prescription opioid medications. Addiction cannot be spotted as easily as we would like to think. Anyone can be addicted to opioids and people can attain them through different methods such as doctor prescription or buying them …

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What is Addiction?

As of 2014, 1.9 million Americans, 12 years of age or older, have had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers. We know that people are becoming addicted to opioids, however, what do we really know of the symptoms and signs of the medical illness, addiction? Watch this video in which Jim Reyser, the …

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Opioid Abuse and Your Health

Opioids are a class of drug. Prescription opioids include oxycodone, codeine, morphine; illegal ones include opium and heroin. Opioids are very addictive. They trigger a temporary euphoria in the brain, which sets up a dopamine reward reaction. Users need to take more and more opioids to reach same level of pleasure, which can lead to dependency …

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No More Paper Prescriptions, No More Addiction?

Handwritten prescriptions will be outlawed as of March 27th. Yes, come that date, all doctors in New York will be required to issue digital prescriptions under a new state law which aims to curb opioid abuse. This law will make New York the first state to mandate digital prescriptions and moreover, penalize any doctor who …

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Opioids Versus Your Brain

Frequent use of opioids causes long-lasting changes to the structure and biochemistry of the brain. Many of these changes are the reason why opioids are so addictive. In particular, opioids target what is called the “reward pathway.” Our brains are hardwired to reward activities that are beneficial, such as drinking water or eating, with feelings …

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Opiate Abuse and Withdrawal

In 2010, over 12 million people in the United States reportedly used prescription painkillers, also known as opioid pain relievers, for non-medical use. Opiate abuse can lead to rough withdrawal symptoms and even alternative drug abuse once a person stops using the drug.   Abuse: Many people who abuse opiate pain relievers tend to become dependent on …

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