Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic Overdose Prevention

A person addicted to opioids — or any substance — is much more likely to recover if the family doesn’t ignore the issue. If you think your loved one may be addicted to opioids, talk with their healthcare professional right away. It’s common not to talk about your concerns because you fear that your relationship or family will fall apart. You may convince yourself that you’d know it was time for action if your loved one’s addiction was truly serious. Even healthcare professionals may overlook common signs of opioid misuse if they feel they know the person and don’t look for signs in an objective way.

Psychological signs of OUD

This pattern can interfere with and cause problems in their daily life. According to a 2011 study in the medical journal Cell, itching occurs because opioids activate special “itch-specific” receptors in the spinal cord. While opioids can cause allergic reactions, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to opioids are rare.

Signs of Opioid Abuse

Log in or create an account for a personalized experience based on your selected interests. Signs of opioid abuse may be hard to see clearly, especially in someone you love. This is how much a person experiences rapid and intense mood swings they may find difficult to manage. People with OUD often develop ongoing psychological problems caused or worsened by opioids.

Opioid Side Effects

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Aftercare or continuing care can support ongoing recovery management following more formalized inpatient and outpatient programs. Aftercare can include sober living facilities, ongoing therapy, attending meetings run by 12-Step programs, and more. Along with the aforementioned opioids, the drug class includes several additional substances such as fentanyl and heroin. Addiction is a condition where something that started as pleasurable now feels like something you can’t live without.

• People with OUD can find and access support and effective treatment in multiple ways.
• This euphoria can even occur in people using opioids as prescribed by their doctor.
• Prescribers previously registered with a DATA Waiver will receive a new DEA registration certificate reflecting this change without further action.
• To treat those with opioid use disorder, it is crucial to expand access to evidence-based treatments, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
• Drug overdose is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
• It’s harmless when given to someone not experiencing an overdose.

Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen environmental literacy and ensure that our response to climate change is informed by science. The words “tolerance,” “dependence,” and “addiction” are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. Commonly used opioids include oxycodone (found in OxyContin), tramadol, and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). People struggling with addiction usually deny they have a problem and hesitate to seek treatment. An intervention presents a loved one with a structured opportunity to make changes before things get even worse and can motivate someone to seek or accept help.

In 2019, 1.6 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with OUD and, in 2018, nearly 50,000 people—around 130 people per day—died from overdoses involving opioids. Ask yourself some questions about your loved one’s personal risk of opioid use disorder and the changes you’ve seen. Reach out to your loved one’s healthcare professional if your answers point toward a possible addiction. The healthcare professional is an important partner if you decide it’s time to take action. Effective treatments for OUD include several medications, counseling, and behavioral therapy. These treatments help people with OUD to stop using opioids, get through withdrawal, and manage opioid cravings.

Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations, and, for some people, the drug use becomes more frequent. For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines signs of opioid addiction or receive them from others who have prescriptions. Opioids are highly addictive, and opioid abuse has become a national crisis in the United States. Another problem with increased opioid misuse is that it can also lead to more heroin use.

This article will review the signs of opioid abuse, the effects and dangers it can cause, as well as how it can be treated and prevented. When taken as directed for a limited time, opioids are not likely to lead to addiction. But taking them for a long time and not following directions raises the risk of misuse and opioid use disorder. Is your family member or friend using opioid medicines in a harmful way? It may not be easy to tell, especially in the early stages of addiction. Or maybe you have a feeling that your loved one is misusing opioids, even if you’re not sure.

Learn more and find support

Fentanyl’s powerful pull comes from both the potent, rapid euphoria people feel while on the drug and the devastating symptoms of withdrawal. Researchers have now zeroed in on brain circuits responsible for these two forces of fentanyl addiction. Researchers have now identified two neural pathways behind this addiction. When misusing a prescription opioid, a person can swallow the medicine in its normal form. Sometimes people crush pills or open capsules, dissolve the powder in water, and inject the liquid into a vein. Substance use disorders — including opioid use disorder — are treatable.