Opioid abuse is common – and hard to ignore once you know the signs. Opioid use often starts innocently when narcotic drugs like fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, codeine, or hydrocodone are prescribed by a doctor for acute or chronic pain management.
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of opioid abuse may help you or someone you know get needed help before it is too late. Opioid addiction is treatable with professional intervention and ongoing therapy.
What Are Opioids?
Opiates are derived from the opium poppy plant. They are narcotic depressants that block pain receptors and release dopamine, often making users feel euphoric (“high”) while simultaneously slowing down the body’s physical and mental capabilities. Opioids are intended to treat severe pain under medical supervision, but illicit (non-prescribed) opioids are often easy to obtain. Some opioids are synthetic or semi-synthetic (fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone). No opioid is completely “safe” or without risks, and when taken outside their prescribed use, they carry a high potential for abuse, addiction, and overdose. Taking too many opioids can be deadly as it lowers the heart rate and slows breathing to dangerous levels.
The Dangers of Opioids
For those using opioids, addiction can manifest quickly and unexpectedly, even when used as prescribed by a doctor. Fentanyl is particularly deadly due to its potency – said to be 100x more potent than morphine. New fentanyl users and those who have had a recovery setback often have no (or reduced) drug tolerance and are at greater risk for overdose.
Illicitly obtained opioids are often cut with other substances (like rat poison, baking soda, laundry detergent, and crushed painkillers) to increase dealer profit. The result? Users don’t know what they are taking and can inadvertently experience unintended side effects, leading to dangerous and life-threatening consequences.
Fentanyl is so dangerous that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has launched a One Pill Can Kill campaign to raise awareness to protect American lives.
In 2024, 80,391 deaths were blamed on overdoses, 54,743 of those from opioids. That number could be even higher – but some overdose victims were saved by the timely administration of Narcan (Naloxone). Narcan is a fast-acting, lifesaving treatment that can reverse the effects of an overdose. Narcan is available on Amazon and is often included with opioid prescriptions from pharmacies. As helpful as Narcan is as an emergency intervention, it is not a replacement for detox and rehabilitation.
Identifying Opioid Abuse
Opioid abuse is not restricted to location, race, or social class. That is why it is so important to identify the signs and symptoms of abuse and seek professional help to overcome an opioid addiction.
Signs of Opioid Use
While an opioid user might be feeling euphoric, outsiders will notice that users have:
- Slowed reaction time
- Difficulty concentrating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sleepiness/lethargy
- Compromised motor skills
- Slowed breathing
Many of these effects can impair the user’s ability to drive, work, and care for their families or themselves. In cases of overdose, slowed breathing can progress into hypoxia – resulting in insufficient oxygen circulation and possible death.
Long-Lasting Behavioral Effects
Addiction is felt by those closest to the user. Opioid abuse impacts relationships, professional employment, athletic performance, mood, and the ability to cope with problems.
Opioid users suffer from long-term effects like:
- Difficulty regulating mood or mood swings
- Pervasive feelings of frustration, anger, or depression when unable to engage with opioids or when their effects subside
- Inconsistent workplace attendance or persistently calling in late/using sick days
- Compromised workplace or academic performance
- Self-isolation tendencies and unwillingness to engage in social situations
- Adopting a more secretive lifestyle by locking doors or leaving without providing any information
- Wearing out-of-season clothes
- Compromised self-care and hygiene routines and deterioration of physical health
- Disinterest in previous hobbies or interests
- Sudden and unexpected onset of financial challenges
- If these symptoms are recurring or consistent, now is the time to recommend professional treatment for medical detox and residential treatment.
Pursuing Professional Treatment
Opioid recovery is personal – there is no blanket treatment for opioid addiction. The journey of sobriety may be long, but it is worth the challenge.
Medical detox is the best first step in breaking the cycle of addiction. Therapy, learning relapse prevention strategies, and developing life skills and coping mechanisms are just a few of the services that Buena Vista Recovery offers to patients in recovery. The medical professionals at Buena Vista are knowledgeable in addiction recovery and provide a comprehensive continuum of care, from detoxification through our alumni program.
Buena Vista Recovery is committed to helping you understand opioid use and equip you with a comprehensive recovery plan to overcome the use of these substances and the ways they can impact your life. For more information, call us today at (480) 999-0851.
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