Drug abuse refers to the use of any substance without your doctor’s authorization. It poses both short-term and long-term effects - getting help sooner rather than later is important. 

What Are Opiates?

Opiates are substances people derive naturally from the opium poppy plant. Doctors usually prescribe opiates as a pain medication. Examples of opiates include morphine, codeine, and opium. 

Opiates are similar to opioids because they have the same effect, and people cannot often distinguish them. However, opioids are substances manufacturers synthesize fully or partially to imitate the effects of opiates. We can say that all opiates are opioids but not all opioids are opiates. Examples of opioids include oxycodone, heroin, methadone, hydrocodone, and more.

What Is Opiate Abuse?

Opiate abuse is the use of opiates without a prescription for recreational purposes or as a coping mechanism. In the United States alone, there are over 10 million people with at least 12 years have misused opioids in the past year. People usually abuse opiates in the following ways:

• Taking an excessive dosage  
• Using another person's dosage  
• Taking the medication for euphoric purposes
• Using it in a way other than how your doctor instructs you.

People tend to abuse opiates a lot because of their calming and pain relief effects. However, opiate abuse is very risky. Its effects can shift from mild to severe in a short time. Moreover, the effects of opiate abuse could be short-term or long-term. Some of the short term effects of opiate abuse include:

• Respiratory depression
• Slowed breathing
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Paranoia
• Lethargy

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Opiate Abuse?

Some of the long term effects of opiate abuse include:

Addiction

Opioids are some of the most addictive drugs, and you can easily get addicted even after you first use them. Moreover, opiates prescription medications are among the most addictive prescription medications. They interfere with the reward system of your brain, which results in intense cravings. There is a high rate of opiate abuse and addiction in the  United States which has caused an opioid epidemic. Moreover, people find it hard to resist the cravings opiate destroy brain cells. The intense cravings increase the risks of a relapse. It will help to understand how to avoid Relapse if you are getting or already have opiate addiction treatment.

Tolerance

The more you abuse opiates the more your body builds tolerance to the drugs. Tolerance means that you will need more substance to experience the calming or pain-relieving effects you desire. A high substance tolerance is dangerous because you will hardly know your limits. Therefore, you are at a high risk of an overdose.

Overdose

People who abuse opiates often are at a higher risk of overdose. You can overdose from opiates abuse if you:

• Take another person's medication 
• Take too much opiates 
• Mix opiates with other substances such as alcohol. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opiate overdose was responsible for the death of almost half a million people between 1999 and 2019.

Risk of Developing Various Long Term Illnesses

Opiates can cause long-term effects such as brain damage, liver damage, suppressed immune system, and depressed central nervous system. You may also develop the following ailments from the use of intravenous opiates HIV, Hepatitis, skin infections like gangrene, blood infections, and heart infections & problems.

Risk of Developing Mental Health Issues

Long term opiate abuse also can cause various mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Research shows a 38% higher risk to develop serious depression among individuals who abuse opiates. 

Strained Family Relationships

Long-term opiate abuse often leads to strained family relationships. It is usually because opiate addiction has affected your family and friends in one way or another. It is important to try and mend these relationships because research shows that family helps in faster and long term recovery.  

Legal Issues

There are legal and illegal opiates. You face various legal risks if you get reported or caught abusing illegal opiates. Furthermore, you face various legal risks if you have opioids without a prescription. Moreover, doctor’s who give out opiate prescriptions illegally face serious professional and legal implications. 

Financial Implications

Drug abuse affects on your financial well-being as well. People addicted to opiates will prioritize their finances on getting the drugs. Addiction is a disease that compels someone to abuse drugs despite their effects. Therefore, you may find that you are actually getting debts to finance your abuse. Financial issues may also cause unrest and conflicts with family members. 

Conclusion

Opiates are highly addictive substances that people derive naturally from the opium poppy plant. They have contributed to the opioid epidemic in America and the rest of the world. Doctors prescribe them because of their pain-relieving effects. However, people also abuse them for the same reasons and calming effects. 

Opiate abuse has some short term and long term effects. Some of the short term effects include constipation, nausea, lethargy, drowsiness, paranoia, and more. The long term effects of opiate abuse include addiction, tolerance, overdose, risk of long term illnesses, risk of mental health issues, stained family relationships, legal, and financial implications. 

In many cases, people deny drug abuse and give various excuses to avoid drug abuse and addiction treatments. You can take various steps to help a loved one get opiate abuse and addiction treatments.

Do You need Opiate Abuse and Addiction Treatment in California?

You can get opiate abuse and addiction treatment at Coastline behavioral Health in Orange county. We offer addiction for various other substances including alcohol, amphetamine, heroin, and more. Our team also helps individuals to address underlying issues such as dual diagnosis, codependency, anxiety, trauma, and more. 

We customize addiction treatment to the needs of our patients.  For example, the treatment programs available for opiate abuse and addiction treatment include opiate detox, inpatient opiate addiction treatment, Outpatient, opiate addiction treatment, Luxury addiction rehab, and executive opiate addiction rehab.

Call us today at (714)841-2260 to get opiate abuse and addiction treatment for yourself or someone you love.