Explaining What Drugs are Opiates

In the United States, there is a massive opiate epidemic. It’s already taking the lives of thousands of people every year, and millions of people experience secondary effects. If you’re concerned about someone in your life who may have an addiction, you might ask, “What drugs are opiates?” Understanding what opiates are and how they are used is key in recognizing when someone has developed an opioid use disorder. Opiates are some of the most dangerous drugs around because they depress the nervous system. These drugs come in different forms, so it’s important to know what they are and what to look for. The team at Beaches Recovery has long experience treating opiate addiction. We provide thorough and committed treatment so individuals can heal and make a lasting recovery.

What Drugs are Opiates?

It’s important to understand that opiates can come in legal and illegal forms. Opiates come from the opium plant, and many years ago, medical science started using them for pain management. Unfortunately, just as opiates were used as a medication for pain management, they were used recreationally for the euphoric experience they produce. Today, opiates come in many different forms, and most of them are medications. Some familiar forms:

• Heroin: This is one of the most potent opiates and is an illicit drug with no medical purpose.
• Morphine: This opiate is used to manage severe pain.
• Fentanyl: Medical experts use fentanyl to treat terminally ill patients who are not responding to other pain medications. Because of its potency, it is only prescribed in the most extreme cases.
• Oxycodone: This opioid painkiller is frequently used to treat pain after an injury or a surgical procedure.
• Vicodin: This is a brand name for an opioid painkiller used to manage pain over an extended period of time.

What Drugs are Opiates and Medications as Well?

Heroin is really the only form of strictly illegal drug in any form, which means you can’t get a prescription. Many years ago, heroin was used to wean people off morphine. It didn’t take long for professionals to realize that heroin was much more potent, addictive and dangerous than morphine. Today, doctors prescribe other forms of opiates to help treat chronic pain or injuries.

People often get a week’s or month’s worth of medications like Vicodin, oxycodone, or morphine for pain. When chronic pain is evident, these opiate medications may be given as part of a pain management program. This means that every month the person goes and refills a prescription for their pain medications. The longer a person uses these medications, the higher the chance of developing an addiction.

The Progression of Addiction

Knowing what drugs are opiates may help you understand the possibility of addiction, but spotting addiction can be difficult. Addiction is a very cunning illness, and people develop an addiction without even realizing it. An individual will begin abusing their medications by taking more than what’s recommended. A medical prescription also makes it difficult for loved ones to spot addiction, as it’s legal and prescribed. At Beaches Recovery, we provide substance abuse treatment for several drugs, such as:

• Alcohol addiction rehab
• Heroin addiction rehab
• Cocaine addiction rehab
• Benzodiazepine addiction rehab
• Meth addiction rehab
• Marijuana addiction rehab
• Adderall addiction rehab

If addiction has taken control of your life, Beaches Recovery will provide a safe place to recover and regain true happiness. We provide gender-specific programs, which means we have an opiate rehab for women and an opiate rehab for men. Gender-specific treatment is important because men and women struggle with different issues. Through individual and group therapy, you’ll begin to find a better way of living without opiates. Some of our other addiction treatment programs include:

We have a 30-bed facility located in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida. We offer different levels of care for many addictions and co-occurring disorders. We’ll work diligently with your insurance to get you as much care as possible through our residential or outpatient programs. Our goal is to give you the tools you need to succeed in your recovery. Get started on your new life now, call 866.605.0532, or contact us online.