Loved ones urge you to enter addiction drug rehab. You’re not sure that you have a problem. What are opiates? And what happens when you seek treatment?

What are Opiates?

Substances that drive from the opium poppy are opiates. Examples include morphine, codeine, and heroin. When you take one of these substances, they interact with some receptors in the brain. As a result, you don’t feel pain while the drug’s active.

However, there’s another function that opiates fulfill: dopamine release. Dopamine is the body’s feel-good neurotransmitter that leads to feelings of happiness. Because the drugs create a dopamine glut, you feel euphoric. Not surprisingly, you want to repeat the experience.

The Gradual Descent into Addiction

What are opiates when you talk about recreational abuse? Rather than focusing on different drugs, they’re the same ones. Whereas morphine and codeine have medical uses, heroin doesn’t. That said, drug rehab centers see plenty of chemical dependency cases that involve all three.

Some people receive drugs from friends who no longer need them. Others steal to feed a habit. Besides that, the black market offers opportunities for buying substances. What identifies abuse of the opiates is the fact that you do it for the high.

When Not Getting High Ends up Hurting You

Opiates depress the nervous system. When you quit taking them suddenly, you experience painful withdrawal symptoms. Some say it’s like the nervous system coming back online all at once. Because of the pain, many people keep abusing the substances long after their enjoyment subsides.

You might not even experience the high any longer. However, using opiates keeps the pain in check. It doesn’t have to be this way. Opiate addiction treatment center therapists routinely help good people like you overcome dependency.

Ending an Opiate Addiction with Professional Help

Cold turkey is probably the worst method for quitting opiates. In contrast, working with professionals to overcome dependency offers excellent results. It begins at the detox level. Check into a detoxification facility that helps you stop abusing the drugs.

It takes only about seven days. Within this short time, you go from waking up to withdrawal symptoms to living without them. Treatments might include medication-assisted therapy and massages. You’re now ready for rehab.

Some facilities offer detox and rehab at the same locations. Others do not. Yet whether you need to change centers or stay in the same place, make sure you enroll in the treatment. Care options include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy as a way of developing coping mechanisms that replace dysfunctional behaviors
  • Dialectical behavior therapy that validates emotions and assists you with gaining control over them
  • Group therapy as a tool for peer mentoring and addiction education
  • One-on-one talk therapy that includes life skills training
  • Psychotherapy for program participants with mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety

Family therapy is another modality that can be instrumental in your recovery. It allows loved ones to come in and heal alongside you. Most importantly, you get to make changes to the way you relate to one another. As a result, it’s possible to eliminate triggers.

Don’t wait to get help. What are opiates and their abuse if not a sign of chronic illness you need to overcome? Caring therapists want to assist you today. Make the call now!

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