America is currently experiencing an opiate crisis. Originally derived from opium, natural opiates like morphine and heroin are euphoric painkillers. Today, synthetic opiates, known as opioids, have the same effect and are prevalent across the country. Both drugs are highly addictive, and many people may take an opioid, like OxyContin, and switch to heroin because heroin costs less. Others may move to Ketamine and a variety of street drugs when opiates and opioids are difficult to obtain. Both opiates and opioids negatively affect the brain and body. It is challenging to stop taking them without medical support. Relapse is likely without a rehab program. For those struggling with opiate use, opiate addiction treatment can help.

Whether you or someone in your life is struggling with opiate use, our Atlanta Detox Center team can help. We provide comprehensive opiate addiction treatment that helps people begin their road to recovery. Contact our team today by filling out our online form or calling 470-450-2355 to learn more about opiates rehab in Georgia.

Opiate Effects on the Body

Opiates like heroin, morphine, and codeine have a short-half life. They enter the bloodstream quickly, relieving pain and giving users a sense of joy and relaxation. Opiates also leave the bloodstream quickly. This means a person will crash quickly after a dose of heroin, leading users to take opiates more frequently than other drugs.

Common side effects of opiate use include:

  • Mood swings
  • Irritability
  • Mania
  • Depression
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Erratic behavior

Also, changes in appetite quickly decrease a person’s overall health. While on opiates, a person’s reflexes and awareness slow. This is why prescription opioids recommend users not operate machinery or drive. This also slows their digestive system, causes constipation, upset stomach, and changes in digestion and nutrient absorption. As a person builds up a tolerance to opiates, they may increase their alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases the euphoric effects of opiates for a stronger high. This combination causes more gastric distress, dehydration, liver disease, and alcohol poisoning.

Opiates’ Effects on the Brain

Over time, opiates change the brain and tax the body. The more a person uses opiates, the more they will crave them. Smoking opiates damages the lungs while injecting them can cause collapsed veins and increase the risk of diseases, such as Hepatitis C or HIV.

Opiates provide the brain with a rush of pleasure-inducing chemicals. Dopamine, the pleasure chemical, floods the brain when someone smokes or injects opiates. Over time, the brain will stop making its own dopamine and serotonin, another chemical responsible for happiness and motivation. When a person stops taking opiates, the brain believes it cannot survive without another dose. In time, the brain will make its own chemicals again.

While some people may try to quit opiate use at home, withdrawal symptoms can quickly become impossible to tolerate. Detox without medical and psychiatric support can be dangerous and even fatal. When the brain demands more opiates, a person may seek other drugs or overdose. An opiates rehab center can provide a safe space to detox with medical help and psychiatric support.

Begin Opiates Rehab Today at Atlanta Detox Center

Opiate and opioid use affect people from all walks of life. Every day, people across the country struggle with opiate use. If you or someone in your life is using heroin, morphine, codeine, or opioids, you are not alone. The compassionate staff at Atlanta Detox Center are ready to help. Our Georgia-based center treats drug and alcohol addiction alongside co-occurring disorders.

With an emphasis on daily stress reduction and trauma, we help clients rebuild their lives and prepare for an opiate-free lifestyle. If you’re ready to learn more about our programs and start your road to opiate recovery, reach us by completing our online form or calling 470-450-2355 today for more information.

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