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Drug addiction is a serious issue, in which every second spent addicted to drugs exposes the addict's body to harmful chemicals, resulting in health damage and all too often leading to overdose and death. Nothing is gained by waiting to seek help. It is never worth waiting for a perfect time, because all too often it never comes. The chances of your loved one receiving the help they deserve and desperately need is greatly increased upon calling our interventionists, while waiting to take action can result in tragedy and life missed.

Oftentimes we fear upsetting the addict and chasing them away. This thinking prevents us from taking action, and thus postpones the help the addict is in need of. However, the reality of it is this: most people addicted to drugs are silently crying for help. They live in a world of fear and pain and continually use drugs as an escape mechanism from their seemingly bitter reality.

In addition to relieving pain, opioid drugs can affect regions of the brain that mediate what we perceive as pleasure, resulting in the initial euphoria that many opioids produce. They can also produce drowsiness, cause constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, depress breathing. Taking a large single dose could cause severe respiratory depression or be fatal.

Opioids are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic or pain relieving properties. Many studies have shown that properly managed medical use of opioid analgesic drugs is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction, which is defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use. Taken exactly as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain effectively.

Chronic use of opioids can result in tolerance to the drugs so that higher doses must be taken to obtain the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence - the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and involuntary leg movements.

At Rinascita Wellness Center, we use Suboxone therapy to treat narcotic addiction. Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication. Buprenorphine is similar to other opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin; however, it produces less euphoric ("high") effects and therefore may be easier to stop taking. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin