Opioids Are The Most Harmful Of All Illicit Drugs Essay

According to the Diagnostic Statistic Manual 5 (DSM-5) substance use disorder is when the individual has a dependency on alcohol or drug, followed by penetrating craving and antisocial behavior to acquire the substance. The terms substance abuse and substance dependence refer to substance use disorder, which has been separated into three classifications as follows

There have been several news coverages on TV and social network about drug overdose of different cases recently and they have risen people’s concern about the problems of drug abuse national-wide. The drug abuse and opioid epidemic is not a new problem to the American society, actually it has been a serious problem for many years. So what is the situation of drug epidemic now, and how can we find effective ways to deal with this problem? A few writers who ponder this question are Nora D. Volkow, Dan Nolan and Chris Amico.

Analysis: Opioids are a class of drug that are medically used as very effective painkillers, like fentanyl and morphine, however, they are highly addictive and produce a feeling of euphoria (“Opioids”). This combination leads do a lot of abuse and dependency, where people take more than prescribed in order to feel better. People start off taking the opioid painkillers in order to not feel pain as prescribed by their doctors. Then, they end up getting addicted to them. There are also illicit opioids, such as heroin, that are also highly addictive and also lead to dependency and death (“Opioids”). These illicit versions are taken for recreational reasons, and are also often mixed with other drugs. The combination of taking an unregulated drug in conjunction with other drugs leads to a lot of overdoses.

Opioids are a class of drugs used to help an individual’s pain perception. They include prescriptive and nonprescriptive medications: morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and fentanyl. Heroin is also an opioid, but it is a classified Schedule 1 illegal drug.

Weeks before my 12th birthday, I went to an emergency center thinking that I had an ear infection. Sitting in a hospital bed, I recall panicking, as I realized I could not move my legs. 2 years and a vast multitude of tests later, doctors were able to determine that I have an autonomic nervous system condition called Dysautonomia. Now, at 19 years of age, my doctor has just signed the paperwork so that I can become a medical marijuana card holder. After years of dealing with the dilemma that is prescription opioids, I have found myself opting for medical marijuana instead, and for good reason. Without a doubt, medical marijuana is a better alternative to prescription opioids in terms of overdoses, negative side effects, and psychoactive properties.

Opiates are derived by opium. Opium is a gummy substance collected from the seed of the opium poppy. This

Opioids are classified as opium like compounds; some (ex. codeine and morphine) exist naturally in opium, which is a gummy substance derived from the seedpod of the opium poppy, indigenous to Southern Asia. Other opioids are of the synthetic category, such as methadone or fentanyl (opioidaddictionsource.com). Though the use of prescription opioids may be well intended, due to their effect on the brain chemistry, it is fairly common for one to become addicted to them; America is amidst a raging prescription opioid epidemic, in fact.

Opioids are drugs that come from opium. Opium is the dried latex which comes from the opium poppy seed. These drugs create an euphoric effect on the brain. They attach to receptors in the brain to release opium. There are four classes of opioids. Endogenous opioids which the body release on its own at moments of joy. Opium alkaloid, semi-synthetic opioids, and fully-synthetic opioid which are all human made chemically in labs.

The opioid epidemic in America continues to grow at an alarming rate with no end in sight. All narcotics are derived from the opium poppy plant and then manufactured into different forms of drugs such as morphine, heroin, and other pharmaceutical and synthetic opioid drugs sold on the market for pain. Opium derived drugs block and suppress pain by binding to and stimulating the natural receptor sites for endorphins found in the central nervous system of a user’s brain. Patients who are prescribed narcotic drugs can quickly become addicted to the drugs because their body’s will stop producing endorphins and instead

Opioids are prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone just to name a few. Opioids are

The United States is currently in the grips of an opioid addiction epidemic, in fact, in 2014 drug overdoses became the number one cause of accidental death in the United States, beating out both car accidents and gun violence (Opioid Epidemic, 2016). Of those drug overdoses, 60% involved an opioid. An opioid is defined as natural or synthetic chemicals that bind to receptors in your brain or body (Kirby, 2016). Opioids are typically prescribed to address severe or long term pain. Although they do a lot of good, when misused they can have deleterious effects on the health of an individual and are highly addictive.

Pain is a common symptom that is associated with numerous medical issues, including musculoskeletal problems that physical therapist see on a day to day basis. There are several different ways to treat pain and one of them is to provide a means of releasing opioids in the body to alter the pain experience. In fact, there are three different types of opioids: naturally occurring (endogenous or exogenous substances such as natural endorphins or poppy), semisynthetic (exogenous substances that contain both natural and synthetic agents), and synthetic agents (man-made substances used to mimic the effect of natural substances) used to decrease the symptom of pain.1

Opioids are highly addictive and dangerous drugs, but have some medicinal use. The most common clinical use of opioid narcotics is as an analgesic to relieve pain (Fleckenstein, Hanson, & Venturelli, 2015, p. 276.). Opioid narcotics are used for pain relief. Once consumed, opioids activate receptors that are controlled by endorphins (Fleckenstein, et al., 2015, p. 277.). Endorphins are proteins that are released into the brain when one

Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain. Using them continuously and abusing can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms. They come in different forms such as tablets, capsules and even liquid.

Opiates, otherwise known as narcotics, derive from the properties of Afghanistan grown Opium plants (Papaver somniferum) which are otherwise known as poppy seed plants. They exude a crystalline liquid from the capsules of the poppy (Calkins, 2016) Opium has been used to treat pain relief for thousands of years, although they have shifted towards dancing on a line of danger and misuse. The Opium in opiates exerts its stimulative action in a twofold direction, of the body and then the mind (Calkins, 2016). Opiates bind to opiate receptors present in the spinal cord, gastrointestinal tract and the brain in order to reduce the perception and reaction to pain, as well as increased the tolerance of pain (Miller, 2017). Opium, by pharmaceutical classification, is stimulant and exhilarating and tonic, which can be intensified through stimulation into a drug. (Calkins, 2016). While equally as addictive and both considered class 1 drugs, natural opiates are slightly healthier for the body and brain instead of synthetic, manmade opioids (Miller, 2017). http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/narcotic-pain-medications#1