How Opioid Addiction Occurs

 

How Opioid Addiction Occurs and the Symptoms of Opiate Use

So, what are the signs that somebody is an opioid user? If a loved one is abusing their medication, or has developed an addiction, here are some changes in behavior to look out for:

  • Poor hygiene
  • Bizarre sleeping patterns (always tired, rarely sleeps or sleeps at odd hours or in excessive amounts)
  • Stops exercising or practicing healthy behaviors
  • Poor finances
  • Comes in late to work or school or misses family obligations
  • Isolates themselves from others
  • Euphoria and numbing of the body when taking the drug (aka “the high”)
  • Drug cravings
  • Confusion
  • Insomnia
  • Chills
  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea
  • Slowed Shallow breathing
  • Gastrointestinal problems (stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation)
  • Tremors

How Long Does It Take to Get Hooked on Opiates?

Opiates prescribed for medical use such as oxycodone, codeine, meperidine and fentanyl are regarded as opioids that are both effective painkillers and very addictive. Yet because these drugs are prescribed by doctors, there is a common belief that these drugs are far less addictive than say street drugs like heroin. This is unfortunately not the case.

  • Genetics — The inherited likelihood of developing an addiction or abusing drugs
  • Environmental — Living in an area with high crime, being in toxic relationships, or having an unstable living situation
  • Psychological — Having mental disorders that are associated with a likelihood of developing an addiction such as personality disorders, bipolar disorders, adjustment disorders, anxiety, and depression

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