The National Institute on Drug Abuse states, “Taken as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain safely and effectively.” However, abusing these drugs can be extremely dangerous. In fact, prescription drug abuse is one of the most serious and severe substance abuse issues affecting our nation today.

Opioid Overdose Deaths

“The consequences of this abuse have been devastating and are on the rise. For example, the number of unintentional overdose deaths from prescription pain relievers has soared in the United States, more than quadrupling since 1999” (NIDA).

This issue occurs often as the result of high dose opioid abuse that leads to respiratory depression, brain damage, coma, and death. It is one of the most dangerous and deadly side effects of opioid drug abuse, and those who misuse these drugs put themselves at serious risk.

What’s more, a person is even more likely to overdose on opioids after going through withdrawal, according to the National Library of Medicine. This is because many individuals try to quit without the proper treatment and instead relapse back to drug use, which leads them to taking a high dose of the drug that their body can no longer handle. Overdose is a serious and likely result of prescription narcotic abuse, and the possibility of this serious occurrence is growing steadily higher every year.

Addiction

Opioids are addictive drugs, and abusing them can lead to this side effect. Because the drugs cause euphoria, which the brain begins to crave over time, a person can easily become heavily addicted to narcotics after misusing them for only a short while. Once addiction takes hold, it will be much harder for a person to quit their opioid use and, in addition, they will be likely to experience many issues in their life such as:

• Job loss
• Relationship and family problems
• Issues in school
• Financial problems
• Legal issues
• Severe health effects

Heroin Use

According to the NIDA, “Nearly half” of the individuals surveyed in recent studies reported the use of prescription opioids before making the switch to heroin. “Some individuals reported taking up heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription opioids.”

This epidemic is serious and becoming more and more problematic as time goes on with the relative ease of obtaining heroin and the dangers of misusing any and all opioid drugs.

The Dangers of Prescription Narcotic Abuse

Many individuals believe that abusing these drugs will not cause the kinds of long-term issues caused by other kinds of substance abuse, nor do they understand the seriousness of misusing a substance that is meant to be taken by prescription only. It is not often realized how dangerous a prescription opioid can be when taken in a way that is not recommended by a doctor.

Even so, you can make a change to your life now and start to reverse these dangerous effects. Before you experience more issues associated with your prescription opioid abuse, call 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) today, and make a change to your life. We can help you find a treatment program that fits your needs and answer any other questions you may have about prescription opioids and the risks associated with their misuse.