Opioid Addiction

Opioid drugs increase feelings of pleasure while numbing symptoms of pain. These drugs include the illegal drug heroin and prescription opiates:

If you can come see me in person for private session, that would be best. I realize many people are not near me in San Francisco or cannot afford to see me. So here is an option until I complete my own online “Good Night Insomnia” program:

Opium

Codeine

Fentanyl

Hydrocodone

Hydromorphone

Methadone

Morphine

Oxycodone

Oxymorphone

Paregoric

Sufentanil

Tramadol

Infographic from American Addiction Centers

What causes opioid addiction?

Opioid drugs alter your brain by creating artificial endorphins. Besides blocking pain, these endorphins make you feel good. Too much opioid use can cause your brain to rely on these artificial endorphins. Once your brain does this, it can even stop producing its own endorphins. The longer you use opioids, the more likely this is to happen. You also will need more opioids over time because of drug tolerance.

What is drug tolerance?

Drug tolerance is when your body, over time, gets used to the effects of a drug. As this happens, you may need to take a higher dose of the drug to get the same effect. When you take opioids over time, you need a higher does to get the same pain relief.

Opioid Addiction Treatment

People can learn to live a satisfying life without access to opioids. The key is to recognize the problem when it starts and to enroll in qualified programs that can help. Below are resources to help you or a loved one caught in the grip of opioid addiction.