Opium addiction and treatment

Opium is extracted from the white sap of the fruits of the poppy plant. This juice is dried until they turn brown, and at this stage it becomes what is known as raw opium.

Raw opium consists of quite a number of chemical compounds, the most important of which are: heroin, morphine, codeine, papaverine, teppine, narcotine, etc. These compounds primarily target the central nervous system and the smooth muscles of the body, causing many harmful effects on the body.

Opium can be taken in a number of ways, which include:
Smoking (most common)
Emulsification (putting a piece of opium in the mouth and absorbing it gradually until completely dissolved).
Dissolve a little opium in some distilled water, and inject the mixture into a vein or under the skin.
Add opium to a beverage or food, such as tea, coffee, or cake, etc.

What are the overt symptoms that arise when taking opioids?
Feeling of sluggishness, weakness, and fatigue.
Fading feelings, detachment from the outside world, inability to cope with the surrounding influences.
Low body temperature.
A constant feeling of nausea and vomiting.
Loss of appetite.
Significant decrease in body weight in a short time.
Chronic constipation due to slowed bowel movement.
Narrowing of the pupils.
Congestion and redness of the eye.
Profuse sweating.
Paleness of the face.
Tendency to revolt and nervousness.
The appearance of a rash with itchy skin.
Prolonging the sexual process and delaying ejaculation, so a good number of people resort to it for this purpose, but unfortunately, this effect is temporary. Once the body becomes accustomed to opium, the problems of erectile dysfunction and lack of sexual desire begin to appear.
What are the health damage caused by opioid addiction?
Arrhythmia .
Reduction of Blood pressure .
Increased susceptibility to diabetes.
Infection with nervous and muscular disorders.
Menstrual disorders in women.
In the case of opium ingestion, the chances of contracting HIV or C virus increase due to the use of contaminated syringes.
Pneumonia.
Damage to brain cells.

Opium carries negative effects on the level of sexual competence in the long term, as it causes a lack of sexual desire, as well as a decrease in the level of testosterone (the male hormone) in the body, and an increase in the possibility of exposure to problems of erectile dysfunction.

What are the withdrawal symptoms that a patient might experience when stopping opioid use?
Muscle pain affecting the entire body.
Runny nose.
Accelerated heart rate.
The eye tears.
Insomnia and sleep disturbances.
Constant nausea and vomiting.
stomachache .
Headache .
Nervousness and craving for a dose of the drug.

How is opioid addiction treated?

Treatment of opioid addiction should take place in a specialized treatment center, so that the treatment is carried out under the supervision of a specialized medical team qualified to deal with such cases, as the treatment strategy consists of the following stages:

Evaluating the patient psychologically and physically, through a number of examinations and tests aimed at developing the best treatment plan that suits the patient’s condition.
Expel the drug from the patient’s body, and deal with the withdrawal symptoms and alleviate them as much as possible by giving the patient some medications that help him pass this stage.
Subject the patient to psychological treatment and rehabilitation on the psychological and behavioral level, using individual psychological therapy sessions, or by joining him in one of the specialized support groups.
Follow-up of the patient after reaching the stage of recovery, in order to avoid a relapse that pushes him back into addiction.
Read also in detail
Steps and stages of addiction treatment in Turkey

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