Opiate Addiction in Denton, TX
Opiates are medications that affect opiate receptors in the brain and body. While opiates were originally intended to relieve pain, they have long been abused for their abilities to create a euphoric high that is highly addictive. Examples of opiates a person may be addicted to include prescription painkillers, such as morphine, Dilaudid, hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, Demerol, and more. The illegal drug heroin is also an opiate, and is the subject of frequent abuse. When a person suffers from opiate addiction in Denton, there are many approaches a drug rehab center can take to reduce a person's withdrawal symptoms while helping them prevent relapse.
Dangers of Opiate Addiction in Denton
According to a report from The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work entitled "Substance Abuse Trends in Texas," deaths and calls to poison control centers due to heroin abuse in Texas are increasing. Hydrocodone abuse is more prevalent than oxycodone in the state. However, people are now abusing additional opiate medications, such as fentanyl and powerful, new synthetic opioids, such as the drug UR-47700.
Addiction to opioid painkillers is an example of how a legal, prescription medication can still be dangerous. When taken in excess, opiates can cause a person's breathing to slow. If their breathing slows down too much, they cannot get oxygen to their brain. As a result, they can experience brain damage and sometimes slip into a coma. If they do not promptly receive help, they could die due to lack of oxygen. Unfortunately, opiates are medications a person may commonly "mix" with other substances, such as taking painkillers and drinking alcohol or abusing painkillers and benzodiazepines that are prescribed to relieve anxiety. These combinations can and do have deadly effects in Denton and beyond and should be avoided at all costs.
Opiate abuse is an example of how addiction knows no age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Addiction can happen at almost any age. According to the earlier report, those who abuse heroin are more likely to be younger. The average age of a person seeking treatment for heroin abuse in Texas was 34 years old while the average age of a person who died from heroin overdose was 36. This number is younger than 2008's numbers where the average age of a person who died from heroin overdose was 40.
Some drug experts theorize heroin use and overdoses are on the increase due to a greater crackdown on prescription opiates. For example, opiate addiction rehab center admissions had decreased in Texas since their peak in 2009. In addition to this statistic, the amount of prescriptions for the medication buprenorphine, which is used as a way to quit abusing prescription opioids, is on the rise. Ideally, this means more people are getting the help they need to reduce their opiate abuse.
Opiate Addiction Signs and Symptoms
When considering opiate addiction in Denton, it's important to differentiate between opiate tolerance and addiction. For example, some people with chronic pain may take opiates on a daily basis. Over time, they may find they need to take more of an opiate to reduce their symptoms. They have developed a tolerance for the opiate medication, but this does not mean they are addicted to it. Addiction implies a loss of control over the medication. A person will crave the medication and experience withdrawal symptoms when they aren't taking it. They will take more than is prescribed in more frequent durations. They will also often alter the substance as a means to get high faster. This could include crushing and snorting pills or injecting crushed and liquefied pills into their veins.
The symptoms of opiate addiction are not always easy to identify. A person will often withdraw from friends and family to potentially conceal their addiction as well as because their life is highly focused on using drugs. A drug intervention in Denton may be necessary to convince them. Examples of symptoms of opiate abuse include:
- Lack of coordination
- Constricted (small) pupils
- Depression
- Drowsiness
- Euphoria
- Irritability
- Problems with work, school, relationships, and/or finances
- Mood swings, such as being easily prone to anger or sadness
- Slurred speech
- Depression
- Affected motivation
If you recognize the symptoms of opiate addiction, it's important you help a loved one seek treatment programs in Denton for drug addiction. Opiate addiction is unique in that there are several FDA-approved medications that a drug rehab center's professionals can prescribe to help break the addiction.
Examples include buprenorphine and methadone. These medications also target opiate receptors, but do not give off the same euphoric high that heroin or opiate painkillers do. As a result, a person is better equipped to stop using drugs and less likely to overdose. However, taking these medications requires frequent medical monitoring. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.