In the opioid epidemic, many people feel unsure about which drugs this epidemic includes. After all, the term “opioid” proves confusing when alongside the term “opiates.” What is the difference between opioids vs opiates? What provides a possible end to this substance abuse and, hopefully one day, the heroin drug crisis?
The Difference Between Opioids vs Opiates
If you talk to any of the available PA heroin addiction treatment centers, you quickly realize something about the difference between opioids vs opiates. That is, the difference matters so little when it comes to risks, effects, treatment, and recovery. The drugs in these categories act the same in your body and provide the same life-damaging results.
To quickly sum up the difference between opioids vs opiates, consider where these drugs come from. Opiates include drugs that come from opium of the poppy plant, a source of a natural high. People have used opiates throughout history, long before drug companies made prescription medication. So opiates include natural painkilling drugs like morphine.
Opioids are human-made drugs that mimic opiates. Drug companies realized the power of opiates and harnessed that power by creating chemicals that act like the naturally occurring versions in your body and brain. So these drugs provide the same pain relief, euphoric high and addiction power as morphine or other naturally occurring opiates.
How Opioids and Opiates Ruin Your Life
Using opioids or opiates after surgery or injury does not mean you will suffer addiction. That is, unless you overuse these helpful medications. Dependence starts quickly and quietly, simply by taking the prescription too long, using too much or not spacing your doses as you should.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the damages of abusing opioids and opiates affects far too many American families each year. These damages come from real life risk, not just the financial, legal, career, school and relationship problems you suffer. In fact, death rates from this epidemic rise each year. In 2017, more than 47,600 people died of an overdose from common opioids and opiates, including:
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Methadone
- Hydrocodone
- Oxycodone
Pennsylvania Opioid or Opiate Treatment Provides the Urgent Help You Need
When you find yourself dependent on these drugs, it does not matter whether you started this dependence through opioids vs opiates. What matters is only getting the help you need from drug rehabs in PA. Such rehabs offer a range of programs, including:
- Medically supervised detox
- Medication management
- Residential rehab treatment
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- Partial hospitalization
- Outpatient programs
- Aftercare
The key takeaway from all of this consideration of opioids vs opiates is that the differences between these classes of drugs matter little. They both ruin your life in addiction and require quality treatment for lasting recovery. Otherwise, you risk increasing life damage and potential overdose death. When you find yourself or a loved one struggling with either of these drug types, call for the Pennsylvania rehab treatment you need.
