A quick look at substance use statistics makes one thing clear: opiate use is increasingly common. Today, the United States lives in an opiate and opioid crisis. While opiates provide support for pain management, routine surgery, and other procedures, they are highly addictive. Prescription and street forms of opiate drugs contribute to staggering rates of overdose across the United States. Unfortunately, it’s hard to stop taking opiates without support. Therefore, it’s time to consider opiate addiction treatment programs for help.
If you or someone in your life is using opiates, call San Antonio Recovery Center now. Quitting opiates and opioids cold-turkey can be dangerous. Contact us today at 866.957.7885 to learn more about our opiate addiction rehab center in San Antonio, TX.
What Are Opiates?
Opiates are a drug class derived from the opium poppy. Morphine is the most common hospital-grade opiate used for severe pain after surgery or for end-of-life care. When opiates enter the bloodstream, they stop pain receptors in the brain, relieving acute and chronic pain. They also increase dopamine levels, often causing euphoric feelings.
Opioids are synthetic or semi-synthetic opiates. These include common prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin and illicit drugs like heroin or street fentanyl. Heroin, for example, converts to morphine when it enters the bloodstream, causing a similar effect. Opiates and opioids are injected, injected, or smoked for intense, instant pain relief and euphoria.
How Do Opiates Affect the Body?
Like many addictive drugs, opiates have a short-half life. They enter the bloodstream quickly and leave the body just as fast. They provide strong pain relief that often results in an intense return of pain when they wear off. At the same time, they cause dopamine levels to fluctuate.
Interestingly, studies show dopamine is one of the main chemicals contributing to addiction. When opiates supply the brain with dopamine, it stops making its own, relying on opiates to fulfill daily dopamine levels.
Signs and Symptoms of Opiate Use Disorder
Contrary to popular belief, people from all walks of life live with opiate use disorder. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiates, here are some signs it’s time to get help.
- Mood swings: The short half-life of opiates can cause severe mood changes, including irritability and depression, as well as mania and hyperactivity.
- Acting intoxicated: If someone is acting intoxicated often, increasing alcohol consumption, and showing signs of changes in cognition, they may have an opiate use disorder.
- Disturbed sleep: Like all addictive substances, opiates change a person’s sleep habits. This can vary from person to person but includes insomnia, night terrors, and sleeping during the day.
- Gastrointestinal stress: Opiates can cause the digestive system to slow down, resulting in constipation, nausea, and vomiting.
- Changes in appetite: Opiates may reduce a person’s appetite, cause weight loss, and result in disordered eating habits.
By slowing down the nervous system and blocking pain receptors, opiates change a person’s behavior, priorities, and ability to relate to the world around them.
Opiate Addiction Rehab Center in San Antonio TX
While some can casually use opiates without developing opiate use disorder, it’s highly uncommon. In fact, many people become dependent on opiates and opioids through prescription painkillers. For many people, taking opiates recreationally is often a way to self-soothe and self-medicate for co-occurring disorders.
At San Antonio Recovery Center, we combine alternative and evidenced-based therapies for a holistic approach to addiction recovery. Our services include:
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Residential treatment
- Men’s programs
- Women’s programs
- Women’s sober living homes
- EMDR
- CBT
- Animal-assisted therapy
- Holistic therapy
- Yoga therapy
- Trauma therapy
Our San Antonio based clinic provides comprehensive dual diagnosis to help people get to the root of mental health and addiction triggers. Moreover, we provide a full continuum of care and take more insurance carriers for accessible addiction treatment and recovery.
Begin Opiate Detox Today at San Antonio Recovery Center
If you and your loved ones are ready to learn how holistic opiate rehab at San Antonio Recovery Center can help you, call us now at 866.957.7885 to get started.
