Opiate Addiction and Treatment

Opiate Addiction and Treatment

Introduction

Drug addiction is a chronic disease with exacerbations, multifactorial, and multidimensional which is caused by genetic and environmental factors. It implies an overall health impairment that affects the physical, psychological and social dynamics that is evolving in time and space.

 The addictive process is a chronic, relapsing leading to compulsive seeking behavior of the drug, loss of control of consumption despite the harmful effects of self and phenomena of relapse even after long periods of abstinence. This leads the individual to a progressive disorganization of all social and occupational activities. The different processes involved in addictive phenomena are complex both from a neurobiological point of view of behavior and lead to a variety of manifestations including phenomena such as tolerance, physical addiction, sensitization and compulsive search or craving (Wallace, 2008).

 As opioids are substances that have a high capacity addictive and uncontrolled administration produces a number of changes in the body causes the appearance of a picture of addiction. These processes are developed as a result of the adaptive changes to cellular and molecular level that occur in various neurochemical systems at central nervous system in response to the repeated presence of the drug, and which persist for a long period of time even after that administration of opioid discontinuation (Vega, 2007).

Opioid

An opioid is any agent capable of binding to opioid receptors, which are located mainly in the central nervous system. There are four major classes of opioids: endogenous opioids, which are produced in the body, derived from opium alkaloids such as morphine and codeine; semi-synthetic opioids such as buprenorphine, naloxone, heroin, oxycodone, and finally, opioids produced entirely by chemical synthesis, such as methadone. Methadone has a molecular structure unrelated to that of opium alkaloids. Opium is an extract of medicinal capsules of the poppy. 

Opioid Addiction 

Opioid addiction is a chronic pathological condition, such trend relapsing, which requires a long-term drug treatment and psychosocial interventions of support for the patient. This condition, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a mental illness of long duration, is caused by alterations in brain chemicals. Improper use of opioids leads, over time, the onset of changes in the brain, which interfere with its normal functions (Johnston, 2007).The opioid addiction affects the behavior of individuals, to the point that the personal safety takes a back seat to the need to obtain these substances. The motivation for the detection of opioids does not derive solely from the brain's reaction to the fact that the lack of substance is perceived as a threat to survival, but also by the anxiety caused by the powerful and irrepressible desire for opioids (craving), physical pain and discomfort due to the signs and symptoms of withdrawal.

The addiction often makes repeated use of increasing doses of opioids when they are needed more and more important to achieve the same effect. Among the opioids, which faces the biggest heroin addiction, however; also contain opioids commonly prescribed for pain relief are capable of producing addiction.

Tolerance and Addiction 

Tolerance, physical addiction and psychological addiction are distinct conditions. They are often confused with each other, where, instead, it ...