Rehab Centers Seeing Rise in Treatment of Opiate Addictions, Is Your Loved One in Harm’s Way?
Nowadays, most anyone can be exposed to the dangers of opiate drugs. Gone are the days when opiate addiction was confined to inner city populations as prescription opiates and heroin make inroads through all sectors of the population.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the year 2009 saw an estimated 23.5 million people affected by some form of substance abuse. Of this number, over 4.7 million struggled with an opiate abuse problem. With new and stronger opiate drugs entering the market everyday since then, these numbers have continued to rise with each passing year.
For these reasons, it’s important to know of the dangers surrounding opiate abuse and whether a loved is at risk of falling prey to opiate addiction’s hold.
For more on opiate addiction treatment options, call our toll-free helpline at 888-646-0635Who Answers?.
The Dangers of Opiate Abuse
Underlying emotional issues can lead to opiate abuse.
Opiates, whether it be heroin, Vicodin or oxycodone, all share a similar chemical makeup with the brain’s neurotransmitter chemicals. When ingested, the brain readily integrates opiates within its chemical environment and in turn reduces its own production rates in the process.
These interactions breed a series of changes that all pave the way for opiate addiction to take shape:
- Rising tolerance levels
- Physical dependence
- Addiction or psychological dependence
In effect, opiate addiction can takes shape in most anyone’s life under the right circumstances.
Risk Factors for Opiate Addiction
Stressful Lifestyle
It’s only natural for people who lead stressful or hectic lifestyles to seek out some form of reprieve in one form or another. Opiates easily fit the bill as their primary effects work to produce feelings of calm and euphoria.
According to the Annals of the New York Academy of Science, high stress levels are a common risk factor for drug abuse and addiction in terms of the likelihood a person will seek out these substances as a way to cope with daily life pressures.
Mental Health Problems
As opiate addiction and mental health issues tend to develop out of growing brain chemical imbalances, these two conditions tend to go hand-in-hand. While ongoing opiate abuse can definitely cause mental health issues to develop, the reverse is also true.
More often than not, underlying emotional or psychological problems become a driving force behind a developing addiction problem. Consequently, people struggling with lingering feelings of depression or anxiety remain at high risk of engaging in opiate abuse practices.
How the Prescription Opiate Epidemic Is Affecting Seniors in Rehab Centers
Unexpected Injuries and Pain Medications
The widespread distribution and use of prescription opiate drugs may well be one of the biggest influences on rising opiate abuse rates over the past decade. Unexpected injuries and accidents create an open door for people who otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to the dangers of opiate abuse.
This means anyone capable of getting a prescription for opiates or accessing these drugs must navigate the treacherous terrain that comes with using opiate drugs.
If you or someone you know struggles with an opiate abuse problem and don’t know where to turn, please don’t hesitate to call our toll-free helpline at 888-646-0635Who Answers? to speak with one of our addiction specialists.
