Many drugs are available for use. Narcotics are one of the drugs that can cause severe problems if misused. When these drugs are used without prescription or overused, they can cause serious complications.
What Are Narcotics?
Narcotics are a type of drug that doctors often prescribe as painkillers for chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, etc) or after surgery. They are also known as opioids or opiates. These drugs are available in different forms such as tablets, capsules, powder, lollipops, syrups, or liquids. When misused or overdosed, these are potentially addictive and harmful to the body.
Types of Narcotics
Narcotics or opioids are classified based upon their origin:
Natural opioids: These are derived from opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, plant.
Synthetic opioids: These are synthesized in the laboratory.
Semi-synthetic opioids: These drugs are manufactured using naturally occurring opium products.
Some Common Narcotics
These are some of the most common narcotics that people use as painkillers:
- Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Tramadol
Narcotics Use and Abuse
The use of narcotics is safe as per your doctor’s prescription for a limited time because they effectively relieve pain during chronic health conditions. According to the National Institute of Health, these drugs bind to the pain receptors, opioid receptors, to block pain signals.
But, if you use them for recreational purposes or overdose, it is abuse. In such situations, your body health may suffer side-effects of the drug. As per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report in 2011, drug overdose was the primary cause of death. About 75% of the drug-related deaths in the United States were due to opioids. Therefore, narcotics are only safe for a limited time.
Narcotics, owning to their possible harmful effects, are classified as legal and illegal. Doctors prescribe legal narcotics and you should use them as per the doctor’s prescription. Some of the legal opinoids are codeine, morphine, fentanyl, etc. Illegal narcotics are not common as medication because they are harmful to the body. Heroin and opium are illegal opinoids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports reveal that heroin use has increased in the last two decades among every age group in the United States.
Narcotics Addiction
Narcotics abuse that leads to addiction is common in the United States. These are highly addictive drugs. Either you use prescription drugs or heroin, you can develop an addiction to it if used for the long-term. According to the CDC estimate, there were about 60,000+ deaths due to opinoid misuse and addiction in the United States.
Narcotics bind to the pain receptors in the brain and trigger the release of dopamine (a chemical messenger that creates feeling of pleasure). This dopamine release creates a delightful response in the person’s brain. Anyone who uses opinoids may experience euphoria (a state of intense happiness). This makes them addicted to narcotics. When someone is dependent on these drugs, they will face opioids withdrawal symptoms after abandoning their use. Some of the common opioids withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Sweats
- Hypertension (High blood pressure)
- Fever
- Faster heartbeat
- Suicidal thoughts
- Insomnia (Sleeplessness)
- Drug cravings
- Vomiting
- Depression
So, if you go through withdrawal symptoms after stopping the drug intake, then know that have addition to the drug. In this case, medication and consultancy from healthcare professionals can help you to switch to a healthy lifestyle again.
Narcotics Use is Slowly Tapering Off
The National Survey on Drug Use revealed that about 116 people died each day due to narcotics in 2016 only. Moreover, 11.5 million people abused the opioids that doctors prescribed. About 2.1 million people were diagnosed with an opioids use disorder. In addition to this, at least 21-29% of patients misuse the opioids prescribed for chronic diseases. In a 2015 CDC Analysis, it was found that people who misuse the prescribed opioids have 40% more chances of being addicted to heroin.
This abuse and addiction to narcotics have caused an opioid epidemic in the United States. Due to this, thousands of people die each year, and the death toll is continuously rising. Narcotics are responsible for slowing down the Central Nervous System, which affects the breathing rate and heart rate. This, in the long run, will affect mental health and can cause death. Hence, due to the overuse and addictive nature of these drugs, their use is slowly tapering off. Doctors are mostly prescribing other drugs for pain relief instead of opinoids.
If you ever feel drug abuse symptoms, misuse, or addiction, immediately consultant a doctor or pharmacist for the therapy and treatment before it is too late.
