Opiate Articles, Blogs and Resources

What are Opiates?

Opiates for pain managementOpioids are a collection of potent narcotics derived from the poppy plant, and that consists of opium or a natural or synthetic derivative of opium. Normally, opioids are used to induce sleep or relieve pain since they work as a depressant in the central nervous system.

Opiates work in the body by connecting to opioid receptors, which are located in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract. In doing so, opiates are able to prevent the release of pain messages and can change the way a person encounters pain.

Opioids also stimulate the neurotransmitters in the brain’s reward system, the results are euphoric like effects. All medicines that are opiate-based must be prescribed by a physician. Usually, these prescriptions are provided with purposes of controlling pain and alleviating the effects of pain.

Due to the fact that the pain-relieving effects of opioids are short-lived and a strong euphoric experience is encountered, the concern of developing an addiction is greatly increased. Opiates can be derived naturally, or they can be man-made.

Naturally occurring opioids include Morphine, Codeine, heroin and opium. Synthetic opioids, which are man-made drugs that simulate opiates, include medications such as Hydromorphone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Hydrocodone, Methadone, Demerol, Darvon, and Vicodin.

These are some of the most common types of natural and synthetic opioids:

  • Codeine
  • Morphine
  • Oxycodone
  • Percocet
  • OxyContin,
  • Percodan
  • Hydromorphone
  • Palladone
  • Dilaudid
  • Hydrocodone
  • Lorcet
  • Forten
  • Vicodin
  • Heroin
  • Methadone

Opioids are accessible in many forms, including capsules, pills, tablets, and liquids. Typically, opiates are ground and snorted or inhaled, swallowed, or injected when used recreationally.

Opiates do offer a lot of benefits as they can provide relief to pain, and therefore enhancing the quality of life for a person enduring bodily illnesses. However, they can quickly be misused. All kinds of opiates and opioids can be addictive, some with greater potential for addiction than others. 

Please continue reading below to see our latest blog posts on opioids. Under the “Substance Abuse Navigation” menu, you can click on the drop-down arrow to see evergreen, general information on abusing opiates.

State of the Opioid Epidemic 2021

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Woman Athlete Jogging Running on Trail in Woods Contributor: Staff at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center For more than two decades, the United States has been in the midst of an opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 1999-2019, opioid overdoses were responsible for almost 500,000 deaths in the U.S. [1]. Today, as the nation begins to emerge [...]
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Fentanyl & Death in Our Youth

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Woman sitting watching the sunset Drug use is increasing in adolescents and young adults [1]. There are a variety of drugs that are growing in popularity. One of them is fentanyl. Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50x more powerful than heroin [2]. Fentanyl and Opioid Addiction Opioids are highly addictive drugs that can have devastating emotional and physical health [...]
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Pain & Addiction to Oxycontin

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Man holding his back from chronic pain America has an opioid problem. Opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of death in the United States [1]. There are several different kinds of opioids. Some are prescription drugs, like Oxycontin, and others, like heroin, are street drugs. Prescription opioids like oxycontin are used for pain management. While it’s good that scientists have [...]
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Why Fentanyl is so Addictive & Deadly

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Nature Railroad Tracks into Stormy Clouds In the United States, synthetic opioid drugs are the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths [1], with over 36,000 people dying from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2019 [2]. One of the most addictive and deadly synthetic opioids is a drug called fentanyl. According to a report by the National Institute on Drug [...]
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The Silent Suffering behind Hydromorphone Addiction

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Group in the city Prescription opioid drug abuse is a serious and widespread problem, with approximately 15 million people suffering from opioid addiction around the world [1]. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every single day, 44 people die from a prescription opioid painkiller overdose [2]. One commonly abused prescription opioid [...]
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