Opiates and the Brain

I’ve written some about the effects of different drugs, such as opiates, on the brain. I’m not a doctor or a scientist, and I haven’t even played one of them on tv, but there are articles explaining the chemical reactions in the brain and how scientists believe opiate addiction develops — these articles are worth reading to gain a better understanding of opiates and the brain. Opiates affect the brain differently than marijuana, alcohol, cocaine or hallucinogens, but the chemical reactions all make sense when you learn what parts of the brain the different drugs manipulate.  Most people I talk to aren’t that interested in the science of addiction, but it’s really fascinating once you start understanding the chemical process. It’s also terrifying, because the brain is literally being rewired. In the case of opiates, a serious addiction can develop that destroys those who don’t seek help. Scientists don’t know everything yet, but they’re learning a great deal about how this rewiring can take a long time to reverse itself.

What the science of addiction tells us is that addiction is real. It’s not debatable when the facts are revealed. Those of us who’ve worked in the field of addiction treatment have never doubted the reality of addiction — all you have to do is witness opiate withdrawal, or what’s called the DTs with alcohol withdrawal, one time to know that addiction is a physical reality. When I worked as a counselor in 80s at an inpatient facility, opiate addicts hardly ever made it past detox because withdrawals were too painful. Now, with the help of better detox protocols, opiate addicts have a better chance of getting into long-term recovery. As I’ve written before, opiates come in different forms, from synthetic opiates prescribed by physicians to heroin bought from a drug dealer. Addiction and the effects on the brain and body are the same, though, except for the risk of getting something on the street that is potentially more dangerous than pharmaceutical drugs  — you don’t know what they’re cutting the heroin with, although drug dealers don’t want to kill their customers. The greatest danger buying on the street is getting heroin that is more potent than what is usually taken, then taking the same amount, then overdosing.

Here are some links to learn about opiates and the effects on the brain:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/
http://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-disorders/addiction/articles/2012/opiates/
http://www.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall00/DrugAddiction/Opiates.html
http://www.naabt.org/faq_answers.cfm?ID=6