Opium is a narcotic that’s common in a number of drugs. Using drugs that contain this narcotic are addictive. Read on for more information about opiate drugs and the dangers that come along with them. You may also need some information about detox and why it’s the first step to overcoming an opiate addiction.
What Is Opium?
Opium is a narcotic drug that comes from the papaver somniferum plant. More accurately, it’s the seed pods of this plant that yield the narcotic. Traditionally, people slit open the seed pods and let the inside sap dry. The sap dries into a yellowish brown paste that they can scrape off.
It’s this dried paste that contains varied amounts of alkaloids such as codeine and morphine. Many drugs contain these alkaloids. They act as natural painkillers. Unfortunately, they’re also extremely addictive and have severe withdrawal symptoms.
Heroin Addiction
One of the most dangerous and addictive drugs that come from opium is heroin. This drug contains the alkaloid morphine. When people take heroin, it creates a euphoric-like feeling and affects the central nervous system.
Heroin is a Schedule I drug, which makes it one of the most addictive drugs on the street. Unlike morphine and other painkilling drugs, heroin has no acceptable medical use in the United States. People take this drug for the rush that it gives them.
Since heroin has no medical use, there’s no regulation on its manufacturing process. Without regulation, the strength of heroin varies greatly. These varying levels are why the risk of overdose is so great with heroin. The drug has many different street names, including:
- Horse
- Brown sugar
- H
- Smack
- Black tar
Opiate Drugs
Because of its painkilling properties, many prescription drugs contain opium. One example of this is oxycodone, which is a semi-synthetic drug. Doctors prescribe oxycodone as a pain reliever. Just like other opiate drugs, oxycodone is highly addictive.
Another drug that comes from opium is fentanyl. Like oxycodone, it’s a synthetic drug. However, it’s nearly 80 times more potent than other opiate drugs. Because of the potency, people usually receive fentanyl in the form of a patch. Getting the drug in patch form slows the delivery of the drug and helps provide lasting relief for chronic pain.
Methadone is yet another opiate drug. Unlike the others, however, people typically receive it as a treatment for heroin addiction. In fact, methadone has a chemical structure similar to morphine.
Most opiate drugs are highly addictive and cause extreme withdrawal symptoms when people stop using them. That’s why it’s so important to receive professional detox. Receiving help while detoxing creates a strong foundation for addiction recovery.
Start Your Addiction Recovery With Detox at Serenity House Detox & Recovery
All addiction recovery treatment starts with a proper detox. At Serenity House Detox & Recovery, we strive to limit the pain and discomfort that people have with withdrawal symptoms. Our goal is to provide a local detox service you can count on. We offer two detox locations near Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter.
Residents who seek detox services benefit from receiving local help. Our Jupiter location is just 19 miles from Kings Point. Our center near Fort Lauderdale sits roughly 24 miles outside of Miami. Having two convenient locations makes it easy to receive local detox services in Florida.
Serenity House Detox & Recovery is also convenient for those who prefer to travel for detox and get away from triggers and temptations. We are close to the Fort Lauderdale airport.
Detox helps prepare you for addiction recovery and treatment. Serenity House Detox & Recovery offers services for both men and women. Some of the medical drug detox services that we provide include:
- Heroin detox
- Alcohol detox
- Prescription drug detox
- Crack detox
Don’t let an opium/opioid addiction ruin your life or the life of a loved one. Get detox help in Florida with Serenity House Detox & Recovery. Your better life is a phone call away. The number is 866-294-5306.