What Drugs are Opiates and How to Avoid Addiction

In the United States, there is a massive opiate epidemic, and it’s taking the lives of thousands of people every year. If you’re concerned about someone in your life who may have an addiction, you might ask, What drugs are opiates. 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.

What Drugs are Opiates?

When wondering, “What drugs are opiates?”, it’s important to understand that they can come in legal and illegal forms. Opiates come from the opium plant, and many years ago medical science started using it for pain management. In some eastern countries, opium has been a drug to give a person a euphoric experience. Today, opiates come in many different forms, and most of them are medications, and here are some forms:

Heroin
Morphine
Fentanyl
Oxycodone
Vicodin

What Drugs are Opiates and Medications as Well?

Heroin is really the only form of the drug that is strictly illegal 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.

Most times, people get a week 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 an addiction, as it’s legal and prescribed.

If addiction has taken control of your life, Beaches Recovery will provide a safe place to recover and regain some true happiness. We provide gender-specific programs, which means we have an opiate rehab for women as well as 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.

We have a 30-bed facility located in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida. We offer different levels of care for many addictions and co-occuring 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. The number is 866-605-0532.