Addiction is something that thousands of Americans struggle with every single day. One of the most widespread epidemics of addiction in the United States is opioid addiction. Artificial endorphins are created by opioid drugs, which alters your brain. Besides blocking pain, these endorphins will make you feel better. Continuous overuse of opioids will cause your brain to rely on these artificial endorphins. Once your brain begins to rely on opioids for this feeling of euphoria, it may stop producing endorphins on its own. The longer you take opioids, the more likely this is to happen. Drug tolerance also often causes users to require more opioids over time. There are many symptoms, forms, and terms that come with addiction. Read on to learn more about drug addiction facts and the difference between drug tolerance and drug addiction. Hope Centers of Central Florida are top drug treatment centers in the Orlando area. Call us today for a consultation.
Drug Tolerance Vs Dependence and Addiction
When over time, your body gets used to the effects of a drug, it is called drug tolerance. You may need to take a higher dose of the drug as this happen in order to receive the same effect. You will need higher doses as you take opioids over time in order to receive the same pain relief. If you cease to use an opioid for a period of time, you tolerance will begin to fade, meaning that if you start to take the drug again, you most likely will not require the same higher dose as you did before. That dosage may be too much for the body to handle. If you cease to take a medication, and then resume, you should talk to your doctor about the dosage. When the way your body works changes because you’ve taken a drug for a long time, it is called drug dependence. These changes in your body cause you to have withdrawal, symptoms when you stop using the drug in question. These symptoms of withdrawal are able to be either mild or severe, and can include sweating, nausea or vomiting, chills, diarrhea, shaking, pain, depression, insomnia, and fatigue. If you have been regularly taking a prescription opioid for a long period of time, you can work with your doctor to avoid withdrawal symptoms through gradually lowering your dose over time until you no longer rely on the medicine.
Drug Addiction Facts About Tolerance Versus Addiction
While drug tolerance and dependence are relatively normal parts of taking any opioid drug for a long time, and you can be tolerant to, or dependent on, a drug and not yet be addicted to it, addiction is not normal. Addiction is a disease, and you can recognize this when it feels like your mind and body can only function when you take the drug, and your cravings for the drug affects your daily life, job, and relationships. Addiction is a dangerous disease, and we at Hope Centers of Central Florida fight this disease with top-rated drug treatment centers.
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There are many drug addiction facts and differences between tolerance and addiction. Hope Centers of Central Florida offer top drug treatment centers in Orlando. Call us today for a consultation.
