In the late 90s, pharmaceutical companies convinced healthcare providers that opioid pain relievers were not addictive, prompting healthcare professionals to prescribe them to millions of Americans. However, the more prescriptions the doctors wrote, the more opioids were misused. In 2017, Health and Human Services (HHS) declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency after 42,000 people died from opiate overdose in 2016 alone. To help combat this menace, Innovative Medicine in Lafayette, IN, offers opiate addiction treatment.
Some Facts About the Opioid Crisis
Between 1999 and 2018, around 450,000 people died from an opioid overdose, with data showing that at least 128 people die every day from the same. Over 10 million people misused prescription opioids in 2018 alone. 2 million of those were first time users, with 81,000 experimenting with heroin.
In the same year, data shows that at least 2 million people had an opioid use disorder. Of the 47,600 deaths that resulted from an opioid overdose in 2018, 32,656 deaths were attributed to synthetic opioids, while 15,349 were attributed to heroin.
Is It Time to Seek Opiate Addiction Treatment?
Physical Dependency
Continuous misuse of prescription and nonprescription opioids leads to dependency. When your body gets accustomed to functioning with these drugs, an attempt to stop using can lead to unpleasant effects. To avoid the discomfort and distress that often accompany withdrawal symptoms, many people choose to use more drugs.
When this happens, people find themselves in a vicious cycle that revolves around physical dependency and opiate addiction. Seeking treatment can break this cycle, getting the monkey off your back.
Emotional and Physical Health Deterioration
Regular use and misuse of opioids can interfere with your emotional and physical health. Opioids can affect your behavior, decision-making process, and your reaction towards stressful situations. Opioids can also affect your physical health by slowing down your breathing and leading to further complications, such as a coma, brain damage, and even death. They are also known to cause insomnia, muscle pain, heart problems, and pneumonia.
Opioids misuse can also lead to risky behavior, such as unprotected sex and driving under the influence. Seeking treatment can help improve your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Legal Problems
It is a well-known fact that addiction often leads to legal problems. One of the most common legal issues associated with substance misuse is DUIs. According to national statistics, there were 34.2 million cases of DUI in 2017 alone. Driving under the influence poses a great risk to you and other road users. Other crimes associated with opioid misuse include:
- Possession or distribution of drugs
- Forgery
- Robbery
- Burglary
- Larceny
- Receiving stolen goods
When you find yourself in such legal problems, you may be faced with arrests, fines, jail time, or other legal consequences. Addiction treatment can save you from colliding with law enforcement.
Financial Difficulties
Opiate addiction can be an expensive habit. For example, oxycodone, one of the most common opioid prescriptions, is taken 3 times daily. When bought on the street, it can cost about $3,285 per year. However, since addiction forces you to take higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect, you will need more and more pills each day, increasing the total amount you spend yearly. People addicted to heroin spend even more annually.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the average price of heroin is $152 per gram (20 bags) in the U.S. Heavy users report buying 10-15 bags each day. Therefore, depending on the street price, such people spend between $22,810 and $91,250 annually on heroin. Unless you are wealthy, spending so much money on drugs can quickly deplete your financial resources. Opiate addiction treatment can help you get rid of this expensive habit, safeguarding you from financial ruin.
Relationship Issues
Addiction to opioids affects other people besides the user. It also affects the user’s loved ones, especially their children. The children of people who struggle with opiate addiction are more likely to suffer from poor health, perform poorly in school, engage in unlawful activities, and struggle with addiction later in life.
Additionally, pregnant women who misuse opioids are likely to give birth to newborns that suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, overcoming your addiction problem can allow you to get actively involved in your child’s life, giving you a chance to protect them from further harm.
Loving unconditionally is hard under any circumstances, but you are even more unlikely to form and maintain meaningful, long-term romantic and professional relationships if you struggle with opiate addiction. Overcoming this problem can help you open up and communicate better with your partner, neighbors, colleagues, or classmates, leading to healthy, genuine relationships. Such relationships can come in handy when you are seeking a network of support in your addiction recovery journey.
Career Issues
Although some people who struggle with opiate addiction are high-functioning addicts, others are not as lucky. Addiction has destroyed the stellar careers of many people, dimming the shining star for many, including high-level officials and superstars. Seeking treatment can save your career and personal goals.
We Can Help
Addiction affects almost every aspect of your life, taking out the spark in you and leaving you as a shell of your former self. It affects your emotional and physical well being, preventing you from fulfilling your full potential. Fortunately, we can help. For opiate addiction treatment, contact Innovative Medicine in Lafayette, IN.
