The opioid crisis in America has been building for years and affects men and women from all walks of life. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdoses kill about 130 people every day. Between 1999 and 2017, the opioid crisis, or the heroin crisis, in America claimed over 700,000 lives. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that roughly 10.3 million people misused prescription opioids in 2018. The addictive nature of prescription painkillers that contain opioids can cripple your ability to stop abusing the drugs. Cost and loss of access to painkiller prescriptions drive people to use heroin as well. This illegal narcotic satisfies the opioid addiction but exposes people to the criminal underworld.
Help put a stop to the opioid crisis in America by talking to experts at the opioid addiction treatment center in Oregon for friends or family.
The Opioid Crisis and You
No one intends to become an opioid addict. The process might have begun for you or a loved one after a bad injury or surgery. Opioid abuse sometimes starts after a doctor prescribes opioid painkillers. You take the pills as directed in the beginning but then begin to feel dependent on drugs. Opioids influence brain chemical interactions that make you feel good and reduce pain. As a result, you might long to feel the drug’s effect all of the time. This desire forms the first step toward addiction.
Because doctors want to limit your use of prescription painkillers, they often stop renewing prescriptions. Without a prescription to fulfill your cravings for the pleasurable effects of opioids, you might turn to the black market. Consequently, you might obtain stolen prescription pills or buy heroin. This illegal narcotic is cheap, and the steady supply can easily feed your addiction. As a result, a heroin crisis has emerged in America.
Opioid Addiction Risk Factors
As many have discovered during the opioid crisis, daily pressures can push you toward dependence on opioid drugs. Risk factors for opioid abuse include job loss, mental health problems, and a family history of addiction. Stressful life conditions, like poverty or ongoing conflict with family members, might make you more likely to suffer from addiction, too.
Due to the relationship between mental health challenges and addiction, Sunstone Recovery approaches your problem from multiple angles. We create addiction therapy programs in Bend, OR, based on your unique needs. We strive to discover why you’re vulnerable to the destructive effects of opioids. As you gain better insights into the reasons for your addiction, you can learn ways to overcome it.
Youth acts as a risk factor, as well. CDC statistics for 2016 identified 18- to 25-year-olds as the largest group of non-medical prescription opioid users. Opioid use starts most often when adults are under age 26. Consequently, this group is a large part of the heroin crisis. The heroin crisis is killing many young people in America. Young people prone to risk-taking or thrill-seeking behavior, sometimes, have peers involved in crime. Contact with criminals worsens the chance of trying opioids outside of medical supervision.
Although the opioid crisis in America affects both men and women, women face a somewhat higher risk. Women experience chronic pain more than men and, therefore, doctors might prescribe them prescription painkillers. As a result, they might have opioid prescriptions for more extended periods than men.
Get Help With Opioid Addiction
Addiction to narcotics is hazardous to your health, relationships, and America. Whether you or someone you know is using prescription pills or heroin, the deadly risk of overdose is constant. The use of opioids bought on the street or pills labeled as Vicodin, Demerol, or Lortab contributes to many overdose deaths.
Sunstone Recovery provides a place to receive outpatient support for substance abuse. We have an intensive outpatient treatment program in Bend, OR, that gives you a choice of family therapy, group counseling, or individual therapy. We will work with you to develop the best approach to addiction therapy for your situation.
A helping hand is waiting to lift you out of your addiction troubles. Overcoming your addiction during the opioid crisis is possible. Contact Sunstone Recovery to regain control of your life. Call our experts confidentially at 855.833.9199 to learn how to recover from addiction.
