Recovery is possible when there is an addiction present to opiates. The only vice that outranks opiate addiction is an alcohol addiction in terms of pre-existing drug problems. Opiate addictions have become a growing trend in the United States especially as opiates are being used more often as painkillers. It is an analgesic that depresses the central nervous system and comes from the opium poppy. The most commonly abused opioid isn’t a prescription painkiller though.
Statistics About Opiate Addiction Recovery
1. Opiate addiction cost Americans over $484 billion annually.
2. Opiate use and addiction is linked to at least 50 percent of the major crimes in the United States.
3. Half of the suspects that are arrested for violent crimes are under the influence of opiates when arrested.
4. In 2002 data, over 90,000 people sought treatment at hospitals for heroin related issues.
5. It is estimated that 3.7 million people have used heroin at least once in their lives.
6. The current number of people who admit that they are abusing opiates right now: 117,000.
7. An estimated 314,000 Americans used heroin in the past year.
8. 605,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.
9. Opiate addictions account for 20% of the total treatment admissions that occur at substance abuse treatment facilities.
10. Only 11.2% of the people who need treatment will actually receive it at a facility which specializes in their specific addiction.
11. People between the ages of 20-29 are the most likely to be addicted to opiates.
12. 90% of opiate addicts will relapse within the first year after completing a traditional treatment program.
13. The World Health Organization estimates that 2 million Americans are addicted to prescription opiates at some level.
14. Opiate dependency is estimated to affect nearly 10% of modern-day medical practitioners.
15. The number of people who have used a prescription opiate for a non-medical reason at least once: 50 million.
16. 1 in 12 high school seniors reported a nonmedical use of opiates within the last year.
17. 1 in 20 high school seniors reported abusing OxyContin.
18. The total number of opiate prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacies in the United States rose from 76 million in 1991 to 210 million in 2010.
19. It takes 14 years before an opiate user admits himself or herself into a treatment program.
20. Young adults ages 12 to 17 report that the #1 way in which they access opiate drugs is through family members or friends.
21. One study suggests that addiction will inevitably occur within 12 weeks of continuous use of opiates.
22. The average life of an opiate abuser is 10 years after the first use if they do not enter into recovery.
23. The majority of people who attempt to solve an opiate addiction on their own will relapse in less than 30 days.
24. Up to 90% of those who use methadone to try to overcome an opiate addiction end up relapsing within the first year.
Facts About Opioid Abuse
Heroin is the most abused opioid. Opioids are so addictive because They have an ability to attach to specific receptors within the brain and spinal cord. These block the transmissions of pain and a natural side effect of this is a feeling of euphoria. The mind takes great pleasure in the ability to not feel any pain, even if for a short amount of time. This causes pleasant side effects, such as feeling content and sleepy. It’s commonly described as a “warm, fuzzy feeling.”
What is unique about opiates is that they can also be used to relieve severe coughs. Cold medicines with codeine in them are a popular prescription when a dry, severe cough cannot be relieved by anything else. Many opiates work quickly to relieve pain, but heroin acts the most rapidly and this is why it is the most abused. Heroin was actually initially used to cure morphine addictions and when it is injected through an IV, the effects can be felt in less than 10 seconds.
The brain actually converts heroin into morphine and because it enters the brain so rapidly, it can become rather addictive. This is why recovery can be so difficult, especially when there are high levels of opiates that are being abused. Anyone can overcome these negative effects, however, if given enough time and support. That’s what these opiate addiction recovery statistics are able to prove.
Addiction and Recovery
Use opiates as a needed painkiller on a temporary basis is not a bad thing. It can help people recover from a surgery with a minimal amount of pain or make a traumatic injury bearable.
It’s when the opiate use has to continue for a prolonged period of time that issues begin to arise. Addictions may happen within 3 months, which is why some doctors will stop prescribing opiate medications for prolonged pain treatment to prevent this from happening. Because addiction is so prevalent in the world and especially in the United States today, it is safe to say that this addiction has hit crisis levels.
The issue is that many people who take opiates will underestimate the power that these painkillers actually have on their lives. Whether it is from heroin or it is from something they get from their doctor because of an injury, opiates are very powerful. The pull of addiction can last for up to 90 days after being sober, which is much longer than other substances that are routinely abused.
The problem that opiates have, and especially strong ones like heroin, is that the withdrawal effects can being to occur just hours after the last dose. They might reach peak intensity about 48 hours after that last dose, but the symptoms are powerful and dangerous for that 3 day period. Fevers, muscle cramps, body aches, and hot flashes are just part of the cycle. Because they begin so quickly after a dose is taken, it causes resistances to form in order for the same contented feelings to exist. This is why treatment is such a challenge.
Recovery can be had, however, when comprehensive supports are in place. Treatment specific centers that focus on group therapy and prolong individual therapy tend to have the highest success rates. As with any addiction, however, the person who is craving opiates must want to change in order for real change to occur. If that is not present, then no opiate addiction recovery program is going to work.