According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 130 people living in the United States died due to an opioid overdose. Currently, the United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis, leaving many medical professionals and patients eager to learn more about what they can do in order to help put an end to the opioid epidemic.
While there is work that still needs to be done, our team at UAB Medical West Baccus & Baccus Health Center want to bring awareness to opioid addiction to hopefully try and make a difference in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
What Is Opioid Addiction?
Opioid addiction occurs when a person become physically and mentally dependent on opioids, which are commonly found in pain medication and illegal drugs. To date, more than one in four Americans who take a prescription opioid for an extended perior end up with an addiction to opioids. As a result, work is continually being done to try and prevent an addiction to opioids from occurring in the first place.
Some of the most popular opioids include:
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Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Demerol
- Methadone
Can You Recognize the Signs of Opioid Addiction?
One of the first steps in getting help for an opioid addiction is recognizing the signs that there is a problem, such as:
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You are using the medication to combat anxiety.
- You are using the medication more than it is prescribed.
- You are needing a higher does of the medication in order to feel the effect you did the first time you started taking it.
- You are willing to do anything to get more medication.
If any of these statements sound familiar, it might be time to speak with a professional who can help you through the withdrawals and fears that can be associated with overcoming an opioid addiction, so that you can get your quality of life back.
What Can Be Done to Prevent Opioid Addiction?
Although a number of steps have been taken to put an end to opioid addiction, there is still more work that needs to be done.
While physicians can work on utilizing other treatment methods for conditions that don’t call for the need of opioid prescriptions, patients can make sure they are only taking medication as directed, and pharmacists can assist in making sure a number of medications containing opioids are not being given to one single patient.
Fortunately, work is being done in order to make new, less addictive medications available so that patients can get the help they need from a medication without the worry of potentially addicted.
Know someone struggling with an opioid addiction? You don’t have to fight it on your own. Contact the team at UAB Medical West Baccus & Baccus Health Center today to learn how we can help you in the fight against opioid addiction.