Opiate Addiction and Suboxone treatment at FirstCare Medical Center
The current statistics on opiate addiction in America are staggering. In 2015, an estimated 2 million American adults and adolescents were addicted to prescription pain relievers, and another 591,00 were addicted to heroin. At a recent press conference, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated, “Today we are facing the worst drug crisis in American history, with one American dying of a drug overdose every nine minutes.” In most cases, the culprit is opiates.
Many people know opiate addiction is a problem, but don’t understand what they can do about it. Suboxone is a medication designed to eliminate the biological craving for opiates. Here’s the low-down on what you need to know about the growing opiate addiction epidemic.
What Are Opiates?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opiates, also called opioids, are a class of drugs that interact with opioid receptors in your brain. This causes users of these drugs to experience pain relief and euphoria. Opioids include both illegal drugs, such as heroin, and prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, morphine, and codeine.
What Can I Do About the Opioid Epidemic?
The problem of opioid addiction may seem so large that there’s nothing we, as individuals, can do about it. However, there are several ways you can help.
1. Recognize signs of addiction in friends and family members. These include anxiety, mood swings, runny nose, impaired motor skills, and neglecting responsibilities. If you suspect a loved one is addicted to opiates, encourage them to seek treatment.
2. Handle prescriptions responsibly. Keep opiate prescriptions away from adolescents. If you no longer need a prescription, dispose of it using these guidelines from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
3. Follow your doctor’s instructions. Never take an opiate prescription more often than your doctor recommends. If you’re concerned about becoming addicted to an opiate pain reliever, talk to your doctor about alternative pain medicine.
Opiate abuse and addiction are dangerously growing problems in this country. Knowing a little bit about the problem can help you become part of the solution. Suboxone is a medication designed to eliminate the biological craving for opiates and is available at FirstCare Medical Center. Call today.