Drug addiction is an enormous worldwide catastrophe. Opium-based drugs became some of the most common addictive drugs nowadays. Opium-derived drugs are widely accessible and tremendously circulated all over the world. Before discussing opium-based addiction, its nature, and its treatment procedures, it is necessary to learn more about the opium-derived substance first.
Basically, an opiate is a substance that is derived from the sleep-bringing poppy plant. The major variants of opium-derived compounds include codeine, papaverine, heroin, morphine, and thebaine. Amusingly, two of the most popular kinds of opium-derived compounds, morphine and heroine, have identical chemical structures. Due to this feature, heroin can be discovered through urine screening when morphine is being administered to the body. According to medical science, heroin has the potential to be a central nervous system tranquilizer and it has the capability to enter the brain faster when compared to morphine. As a matter of fact, both substances are even used as analgesics and narcotics that provide relaxing effects.
(1) Morphine: Morphine or opiate analgesic drug is the most popular and the most obtainable opium-derived compound in the world today. Morphine is a variant of alkaloid. Morphine is very essential in the field of medicine since it is utilized in the treatment of disorders such as the swelling of the lungs. An oversupply of morphine can produce plenty of troubles to the physical condition of the drug dependent person. The health complications triggered by an oversupply morphine include respiratory depression, pulmonary edema, congestive cardiac failure, respiratory system failure, coma, as well as death.
(2) Codeine: Codeine is slightly similar to morphine, content-wise. Codeine is also considered to be a medication for treating cough, severe and acute pain, bowel syndrome, and diarrhea. Codeine overdose can create several complications such as itching, nausea, euphoria, miosis, dry mouth, vomiting, urinary retention, constipation, hypotension, respiratory complications, and drowsiness.
(3) Papaverine and Thebaine: The structural make-up of thebaine is slightly akin to those of morphine and codeine. Thebaine also goes by the name of paramorphine. This sort of drug is not used alone. Some of the substances that are used with thebaine include naltrexone, naloxone, oxymorphone, oxycodone, nalbuphine, etorphine, and buprenorphine. An oversupply of thebaine is absolutely similar to the side-effects of morphine and codeine.
(4) Heroin: Heroin is referred to as a semi-synthetic sedative. Because the demand for this opiate is very high, heroin enterprise is also one of the fastest growing illegal industries. The most popular means of abusing heroin is the utilization of the substance to the body by means of an injection. Heroin is also known by the trademark name Diamorphine. Dependence to heroin may result to AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases. An oversupply of heroin may initiate acute difficulties like chronic constipation, renal failure, respiratory depression, profound unconsciousness, as well as death.
The lone source of opium-based compounds is the poppy plant. The quality of opium-based compounds is dependent on the moisture content of the poppy plant.
The liquid form of opium-based compounds is called methadone, a substance that is utilized in the removal of toxins from the body of drug dependent people. An oversupply of methadone may cause addiction.
Opium-based drugs have a few beneficial side-effects on the body in situations where they are prescribed by medical experts as pain relievers. When overdosed, opium-based compounds may initiate a few severe troubles. Addiction to opiates may progress to physical and psychiatric dependence. Muscle spasm is a common side-effect that resulted from the constant use of opium-based compounds. Respiratory complications are considered to be some of the side-effects of opiate drugs. The other side-effects of opium-based addiction include cracked lips, skin rashes, hypotension, and constipation. Addiction to opium-derived compounds may damage the central nervous system and it may initiate lethargy and coma. Eventually, a continuous usage of opium-based compounds can cause the death of the person who has drug addiction problems.
The treatment procedures for opium-based addiction may be performed in a residential or a non-residential basis. The full treatment method in both cases is classified into two components: the detox and the advising. Detox includes the riddance of toxic substances from addictive patient's body. In advising, the drug dependent person is motivated to live a better life.
While the patient is experiencing the different treatment procedures, support from his relatives, his loved ones, and the society are extremely necessary.