Opiates and Benzos – High Risk

Health professionals in Savannah, Ga have to pay special attention to opiate addiction due the fact we have a military base in the middle of town and another one close by in Fort Stewart. Opiate addiction is not only a problem with wounded soldiers, though, it’s a common problem among all parts of society. Opiates used with other drugs create even more risk. One really dangerous mixture is benzodiazepines and opiates. This is from a NPR article.

When actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an overdose in February, the New York City medical examiner ruled that his death was the result of “acute mixed drug intoxication.” Heroin, cocaine and a widely prescribed class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, or benzos, were found in his system.

When someone begins taking opiates or benzos, they seem harmless, because the drugs generate a sense of peace and well-being. What these drugs can do, though, to those who become addicted, is impair judgment. If someone who’s addicted to opiates finds out that benzos can enhance the opiates and give them the euphoria they first experienced with opiates, the person will likely start mixing the drugs with little rational thought or caution. This creates a synergistic effect where the combination-effect is greater than just the sum of the two drugs. If you add alcohol to this mix, overdose risk goes through the roof.

The danger of using drugs that alter the way we think and feel is that a certain percentage are susceptible to addiction. Once a person is addicted, rational judgment is damaged to the point the person makes what appears from the outside to be insane choices. In the addict’s world, though, the choices make sense, because they are focused on maintaining a physical dependence and driven by a psychological craving for the effects of the drugs. This combination overwhelms will power and rationality, even in otherwise strong willed people. It’s baffling to loved ones who have known the addicted person as someone who is smart and disciplined and willful in other areas of life — to see the loved one act insanely when it comes to drugs is perplexing and maddeningly frustrating.

Recovery is about removing the drugs safely, because the withdrawal can be horrible from these drugs, then beginning the long process of allowing the brain and emotions and relationships to heal. The addicted person should be treated like a sick person who needs professional, medical help — they are at serious risk, especially when they combine these drugs.