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How Can I Be Addicted to Opiates if I Never Smoked Opium |
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Saturday, 09 June 2007 |
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This is a question that is asked by millions of people every year as they sit and stare at their physician across the lofty desk that seems to be a pedestal above the rest of the world for the man or woman sitting behind it. The negative consequences of opium use have been spread far and wide by a conscientious media, and a majority of the population would not touch the drug if their life depended on it. Yet millions of people every year become addicted to opiates. How can this be?
The answer to that question is simple. Prescription drugs. Every year drugs such as Vicodin, Percocet and Darvocet are prescribed as freely as candy for a multitude of reasons, generally stemming from a need for pain relief, every year millions of people become addicted to these substances. These drugs are completely legal, yet the body reacts to them as strongly as it would any street drug because they are made from either opium or one of its synthetic derivatives.Detoxification programs for these drugs can be brutal, due to the way the body adjusts to compensate for their use. The side effects of opiate detox are unpleasant at best and dangerous at their worst, encompassing everything from malaise to seizures. The increased need for opiate detox has led to an increasing focus on finding a better method.
From this need was born rapid detox, performed under sedation and available at many treatment centers across the country. Opiate drugs are strong, and their potential for addiction should not be brushed aside simply because they are not illegal. All guidelines for use of these drugs should be followed, and patients should make a point to notify their physician if they feel they are in danger of becoming addicted. Remember, it is not only criminals who abuse prescription drugs. Every day there are millions of average, law abiding citizens who must face the simple fact that they are, in fact, addicted to opiates. |
