Signs of Opioid Addiction: Everything You Need to Know
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Learn More About Ripple Ranch Recovery Center
Our team is standing by to discuss your situation and options. Your call is fully confidential, and no obligation is required.
Understanding Opioid Addiction
When searching for the signs of opioid addiction, we first must learn more about opioids. Opioids are substances doctors prescribe to treat pain. Oxycodone and morphine are some examples of prescription opioids.
Opioid addiction, also known as opioid use disorder (OUD), is the compulsive use of opioids even when they are no longer needed. Often, people start using opioids for legitimate reasons, such as pain management.
However, opioids can derive intense pleasure, leading to unhealthy cravings and losing control over its use. Opioid addiction affects over 16 million people worldwide, 2.1 million in the United States, and there are over 120,000 deaths every year due to opioid use.1
Table of Contents
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Distinguishing Signs of Opioid Addiction
- Physical Changes: One of the signs of opioid addiction is a change in a person’s physiology. Opioid use may cause constricted pupils, sudden weight loss, poor motor skills, and profuse sweating. A person may also experience physiological changes like nausea and diarrhea due to withdrawal.
- Behavioral Changes: People dependent on opioids may begin to exclude themselves from social activities and hobbies that were once important to them. They may also prefer isolating themselves from friends and families and spending time alone or with others with an opioid addiction.
- Prolonged and Unhealthy Use: Another sign of opioid addiction is prolonged and unhealthy use. People using the substance may find it difficult to stop even when it harms their health, safety, finances, or relationships.
- Uncontrollable Cravings: Uncontrollable cravings are one of the signs of opioid addiction. Opioid use may trigger the excessive release of dopamine in the brain, creating a strong sense of euphoria or pleasure. Despite the awareness of the negative impact, the compulsion to satisfy cravings can override sound decision-making.
- Increased Tolerance for Opioids: Due to the prolonged consumption of opioids, a person may need higher doses of opioids to achieve the same effects, leading to severe addiction. As tolerance increases, recommended dosages for pain relief become less effective, causing people to increase dosages to regain the desired effects.
How Choice of Opioids Can Affect Signs of Opioid Addiction
Potency
Mode of Administration
Duration of Action
Physical and Psychological Effects of Opioid Addiction
How Physical and Psychological Effects Vary Depending on Prescription or Illicit Opioids
Prescription Opioids
- Physical Effects: Prescription opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine may lead to the same physical effects as illicit opioids. They may cause physical dependence, respiratory issues, or depression. However, because they are often taken as prescribed and under the guidance of a healthcare provider, their signs and effects may develop more slowly compared to illicit use.
- Psychological Effects: Just like illicit opioids, the psychological effects of prescription opioids may include mood swings and impaired decision-making. However, those who start with a legitimate prescription may be less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors associated with illicit drug use.
Illicit Opioids
- Higher Risk of Overdose: Illicit opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, can be more potent than prescription opioids. Potency, in this case, means a higher risk of overdose and eventual death.
- Risk of Infectious Diseases: The intravenous administration of illicit opioids can be associated with a higher risk of contracting diseases like HIV/AIDS. People who have an opioid addiction often share needles with other people without regard for their safety and health. According to a United Nations report, more than 1.4 and 1.2 million people with opioid addiction were living with HIV and hepatitis C, respectively.2
- Legal Consequences: All over the world, it is illegal to use and possess illicit opioids like heroin or fentanyl. Possession of these drugs may lead to criminal charges and eventually imprisonment. About 1.16 million Americans are arrested annually for selling or possessing illegal substances.3
Signs of Opioid Addiction in Adolescents, Adults and Elderly People
Signs of Opioid Addiction in Adolescents
- Change in behavior
- Social isolation and withdrawal
- Decline in academic performance
- Poor personal hygiene and disinterest in grooming
- Unexplainable weight changes
- Irritability and mood swings
Signs of Opioid Addiction in Adults
- Decline in work performance
- Conflicts at the workplace
- Unexplainable financial difficulties
- Unnecessary legal issue
- Decline in physical appearance
- Insomnia and hypersomnia
Signs of Opioid Addiction in Elderly People
- Worsening of existing medical condition
- Loss of independence
- Decline in cognitive function
- Early death
- Isolation
- Increased risk of fall
How Healthcare Professionals Diagnose Signs of Opioid Addiction
Assessments
Interviews
Physical Examination
Laboratory Tests
Role of Harm Reduction Strategies in Addressing Opioid Addiction
Integration of Harm Reduction Strategies Into the Treatment of Opioid Addiction
Integration of Harm Reduction Strategies Into the Treatment of Opioid Addiction
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Medications such as naltrexone, also known as opiate antagonist, methadone, or buprenorphine, help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. MAT helps stabilize patients, reducing the risk of overdose and improving overall health.
- Distribution of Naloxone: Naloxone is a medication that helps to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids in the body. As a harm reduction strategy, naloxone should be distributed and made available to persons with opioid addiction to reduce the risk of overdose. However, distribution should only be done after educating people on the use and administration of the drug.
- Needle Exchange Programs: Providing sterile needles and syringes helps reduce the risk of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. The aim of needle exchange programs is to offer services within treatment centers and prevent the spread of blood-borne infections among those who administer opioids intravenously.
- Supervised Consumption Services: As a harm reduction strategy, it offers a safe and supervised environment for people to use opioids to prevent addiction or overdose. It is also a means for people who have previously gotten treatment for opioid addiction to access opioids in supervised quantities, preventing relapse.
- Education and Counseling: Our professionals at Ripple Ranch integrate this strategy into individual and group sessions to address treatment and relapse prevention activities. The harm-reduction strategy aims to provide education on the safer use of opioids and the risks associated with unhealthy use.
How Regional and Demographic Variations Affect the Signs of Opioid Addiction
- Availability and accessibility to opioids
- Urban v. Rural disparities when it comes to getting treatment
- Mild law enforcement practices
- Cultural attitudes toward substance use
- Age and generational differences
- Race and ethnicity
- Gender variations
- Childhood trauma
Recovery and Treatment Process at Ripple Ranch
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Medical Detoxification
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Group and individual therapy
- Education and Counseling
- Holistic wellness approaches like yoga and meditation
- Aftercare and Transitional support
Ripple Ranch’s Mission
- Alcoholism
- Substance Use Disorders
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Kleptomania
- Compulsive Gambling
- Bipolar Disorder
- Personality disorders
Our Services at Ripple Ranch
- Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Art therapy
- Meditation
- Nutritional Support and counseling
- SMART recovery
- Psychoeducational Groups
- Yoga
- Trauma-focused therapies
Contact Us Today
Are you or a loved one struggling with opioid addiction? Reach out to Ripple Ranch today. We focus on creating a supportive environment for every individual.
Resources
- 1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/
- 2https://www.unodc.org/unodc/frontpage/2022/June/unodc-world-drug-report-2022-highlights-trends-on-cannabis-post-legalization--environmental-impacts-of-illicit-drugs--and-drug-use-among-women-and-youth.html
- 3https://drugabusestatistics.org/drug-related-crime-statistics/
- 4https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8218967/