As harmless as they may seem at the outset, opiate addictions have a way of sneaking up on unknowing participants, gradually taking over their ability to choose and act of their own volition. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as of 2012, opiate addictions involving prescription pain pills affected an estimated 2.1 Americans with 467,000 more addicted to heroin.

Opiate addiction can affect people using opiates for treatment purposes as well as those who use recreationally. As with most every other experience in life, hindsight is indeed 20/20 when it comes to “trying out” opiates.

For those considering opiates as a treatment remedy or as a recreational pursuit, here are some things you might want to know beforehand to avoid the slippery slope of opiate addiction –

We can help you overcome opiate addiction. Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? toll free for help finding treatment.

Rising Tolerance Levels

The brain houses its own opioid system. This system produces many of the same effects as opiate drugs. With repeated opiate use, the brain automatically reduces the amount of opiates it produces.

These interactions drive a person to ingest larger doses of opiates to achieve the same effects. Tolerance levels will continue to rise for as long as he or she keeps using the drug. This mechanism also accounts for the high number of overdose incidents associated with opiate abuse.

Denial & Lies

Opiate addiction is a long-term problem that puts your life in danger. Treatment can help you overcome.

No matter how much integrity a person has prior to addiction, denial and lies become a way of life once opiate addiction takes hold. Denial, the hallmark of addiction, stems from opiate’s ability to “rewire” the area of the brain that regulates a person’s motivations and priorities.

The need to lie to others works to protect the addict’s lifestyle as well as his or her sense of self-respect. Ultimately, lying to self and others becomes a way of life that gradually isolates the addict as well as his or her way of life.

Enablers

The people the addict turns to the most become just as much a part of the problem as the addict himself, regardless of whether they use drugs or not. While spouses, parents and friends may only want what’s best for you, it’s the ones too close to the situation that often become the addict’s biggest enablers.

In the event a person does seek out needed treatment help, those who fit the enabler category will likewise need some form of treatment as well, be it family therapy or counseling. We can help you get the treatment you need. Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? toll free.

Desperation

Heroin and prescription pain pill addicts require a continuous stream of money to maintain an ongoing supply of drugs. In effect, the more you use the more you’ll use in the near future as tolerance levels continue to rise.

After a certain point, the addict becomes so desperate for that next “fix” that he or she will rob, steal and even assault another person in order to feed the addiction.

Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? toll free for help finding the best treatment for you.

There’s No Going Back

Opiate addictions carry an extraordinarily high relapse rate. This means, someone who’s been drug-free for 10 years remains susceptible to the lure of the “high.” For this reason, someone in recovery cannot do drugs or alcohol in any shape or form without risking a serious relapse episode.