Arguably the largest addiction in the world and the numbers are only increasing day by day is opioid addiction.

Now when we think of opioid addiction the first thought that comes to mind is usually someone taking heroin down a back alley somewhere, but opioids are actually consumed far beyond the street Heroin user.

Opioids aren’t one drug as such but more a class of drugs. The class houses all drugs that are made from the opium poppy. Within this class of drugs, you can find many household names such as codeine, morphine, oxycodone and of course heroin to name a few.

Uses of opioids

Opioids are primarily used for pain relief and are actually pretty effective at relieving pain. Those suffering with chronic pain will typically be prescribed some kind of opioid from their doctor to help with the pain.

And this is where the issues begin.

Opioids while being a very effective form of pain relief are very addictive. If taking continually for a long period of time it can be very easy for a user to become reliant on opioids and with this come not only the issues associated with addiction but also the health issues that long term opioid abuse brings to the table.

How do opioids work?

Opioids as we mentioned are primarily a form of pain relief and provide the recipient with a pleasurable feeling that can sometimes be very intense this relieves the pain of the user if they have it and even if they don’t, they will still experience a euphoric sensation.

This feeling occurs in the brain and sends pleasure signals all over the body. The addiction stems from this pleasurable feeling due to the brain reacting with the opium and releasing feel good chemicals around the body.

Users can become addicted in two ways:

Mentally

In this instance the user will consciously desire opioids not necessarily in a physical craving sense but more in the way you may crave an ice cream after dinner. There isn’t a physical need for it but your brain is telling you to get it. The mental side can develop very quickly which means even new opioid users can develop a mental addiction to the substance.

Physically

If a user has been taking opioids for a period of time, then their body can develop a physical dependency for it. Very similar to the way an alcoholic needs alcohol an opioid user will begin to need a dose of opium in order to function what they view as normally.

Users over time will typically develop both the physical and mental addiction to opioids. And it will begin to take over their life to the point where the only thing that matters is getting more.

What are the long-term effects of opioids?

Opioids as pain relief work very well because the alleviate pain very well and work as an anesthetic in the body. When someone takes more opioids than prescribed, they can create a feeling of euphoria which is what typically causes users to become addicted as they chase this euphoric feeling.

Now as someone continues to use opioids, they put themselves at risk of contracting some serious health conditions such as:

Reduced immune system

As a user continues to use more and more opium-based medications, they will over time weaken their immune system which can make them vulnerable to all sorts of viruses and infections.

Hallucinations

When users chase this euphoric high, they have reported being transported to almost like a dream state which in reality is a release of chemicals in the brain. The problem is the more often the brain releases these chemicals the mind gets used to seeing things that aren’t really there and this can lead to the user hallucinating.

Intravenous diseases

If someone has escalated from opioids in pill form to now injecting heroin, they will do this using a needle. And more often than not these needles are sourced through unscrupulous means and are often shared between users increasing the risk of deadly diseases like HIV or Aids.

In addition to these life-threatening diseases, users are also at a very high risk of contracting hepatitis through the practice of sharing used or dirty needles.

Add in the reduced immune system that the user may already be experiencing as a result of their opioid misuse and this created an ideal breeding ground for these types of diseases and infections.

In essence, nothing good will come from long-term opioid use.