What to Know About Fentanyl Addiction in MA
Fentanyl is an opioid painkiller that works similarly to other opioids, such as morphine and heroin. However, the intensity of the drug and the way that drug dealers abuse it to foster addiction, make it an even greater threat to public health. In the battle against fentanyl addiction, the most powerful resource we can all share is knowledge.
How Fentanyl Addiction Works
People who are addicted to fentanyl aren’t simply seeking pleasurable experiences; repeat fentanyl exposure changes the way the brain works on a physiological level. It hijacks neuroreceptors in the brain that control sensations of pain and pleasure, as the brain gradually accommodates for the absence of the drug.
Once a person becomes addicted, their brain does not produce the compounds that normally regulate these neuroreceptors and they become entirely dependent on fentanyl. In this state, using the drug doesn’t necessarily do much more than enable normal brain function.
How People Become Addicted to Fentanyl
Many people who have witnessed the suffering caused by addiction, often return to the idea that addiction was the person’s choice. However, people growing addicted to opioids through no choice of their own is the foundation of the opioid crisis. Doctors began prescribing opioid painkillers more liberally after the 1990s due to inaccurate studies that the medical establishment published, and this drove a wave of addiction. Fentanyl is even the basis for some popular drugs, such as Sublimaze®. Actiq® and Duragesic®.
Furthermore, authorities have tied many fentanyl overdoses around the country to drug dealers lacing other, weaker drugs with the compound in a deliberate attempt to foster addiction.
Even if a person makes the mistake of abusing fentanyl, they still deserve compassion. Anyone who’s ever been addicted to this drug will surely tell you that no one wants to be an addict. However, the effect that opioids have on the brain makes it extremely hard to get sober. In less than a day, the absence of the drug in a dependent brain brings the onset of an extremely painful period of withdrawals.
The Process of Fentanyl Detox and Withdrawals
Without fentanyl, the addicted brain will be unable to regulate sensations of pain, pleasure, and normal bodily function for up to a month. During this stage, the intensity of fentanyl withdrawals can cause severe fatigue, muscle aches, uncontrollable sweating, and more. Left untreated it’s even possible for hallucinations, heart palpitations, and anxiety attacks to occur. During this potentially month-long state of agony, all that a person knows is that relapsing can give them some respite from the pain. However, this relapse often leads to a fatal overdose. Making sure that you get clean safely and successfully starts with reaching out to medical professionals for fentanyl detox services in MA.