Assignment One

Have you or someone you know ever used opioids? If you or someone you know has taken opioids before, did you know of the potential harm of them? Doctors who prescribe opioids frequently add to the increasingly growing rate of addiction and overdoses in America. Opioid addiction in America is not something new, the first outbreak of opioid addiction started after the American Civil War when people were treated with morphine. (McGeachy)

 Opioids are drugs prescribed to help reduce chronic pain. They work by sending a pain relief message to the brain receptors. The most commonly known ones are Morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. Of all of the types of opioids listed above Fentanyl is by far the most dangerous and destructive one. In comparison with the others, this opioid is rarely prescribed by doctors, it's commonly bought illegally and put in other drugs to increase the high.

Fentanyl is one of the most common, hazardous, and monstrous opioids out there. Fentanyl is a lab-grown opioid and is prevalent because of how affordable it is to make. It is also very widespread because of how little is needed to soothe pain as it's a very heavily concentrated substance. It takes such a small amount of Fentanyl that it commonly goes unnoticed in drinks, pills, and much more leading to a very high increase in overdoses a year. (Today I Found out…) Fentanyl is also used before big surgery to make the patient drowsy, Doctors should shy away from using Fentanyl and use an alternate sedative, especially for those who are at high risk for addiction. These drugs are useful but in moderation and doctors need to be careful of how often they prescribe them.

Here is a list of different types of opioids that can be dangerous. The most commonly known basic opioids are Morphine, oxycodone, codeine, and Vicodin. These basic opioids are all made from the poppy plant and provide the comfort of pain relief. (Oesterle) These basic opioids can cause slowing of the heart rate and breathing when taken in large quantities, this creates the feeling of a high and can lead to addiction and overdose. (Oesterle) Basic opioids like Morphine and Codeine are useful in helping soothe chronic pain but should be taken in small quantities otherwise they can lead to very harmful ways of living. To help prevent addiction and overdose there should be an extensive warning given when doctors prescribe these medications and there should be a psych evaluation done to determine if the patient is at high risk for addiction.

Everyone knows opioids are bad but not everyone knows why they are so bad. Each year thousands fall victim to opioid overdoses and thousands more to opioid addiction. The complications these drugs cause can lead to death like heart failure, lung failure, and kidney failure as well as many others. We need to be mindful of the consequences of using these types of medications. When and if doctors prescribe opioids, they need to make sure that patients are made aware of the consequences of taking opioids long-term can be on their bodies and health. One who is prescribed Opioids even for a valid medical condition can become chemically dependent on the drug, which can be far more dangerous than addiction caused by physical effects. When someone is chemically dependent on a drug their body needs it to function correctly therefore it is significantly harder to get help to stop the addiction than if someone had an addiction because of the high they get or the pain relief. Between 2019 and 2020 the death rate from opioids in America jumped from 49,860 to 68,630. (Vankar) Since 2020 the death rate from opioids has increased to 80,411 in 2022. (Vankar)

My Nana’s struggle with opioids was a long and costly war both mentally and physically. She experienced excruciating pain due to colliding disks in her back. She started taking Oxycodone around 2010, and at first, it was good; however, she became addicted and started abusing the medication. Over the years she developed heart and lung failure partly due to her opioid addiction. It wasn't until mid-2023 that it became really bad, one night she came very close to overdosing. After that, we were in charge of her medications making sure she only took what she truly needed. In January 2024 her body gave in to the damage caused by her hideous addiction, and she sadly lost the battle at the age of 68. Seeing my Nana slowly destroy herself over opioids made me very aware that something needs to be done, and people need to know that there is hope for recovery regardless of which opioid they are addicted to. My Nana passed because of how addicting and harsh opioids can be. If her doctors had properly educated her on the consequences of opioids, she probably wouldn't have taken them, and had they properly evaluated her they would have found that she was at a very high risk for addiction, and they could have found a different course of action. Through my writing I want to be a voice for those who are struggling with opioid use and those who have lost someone to opioid use. If you have made it this far and still question “what's the point” ask the thousands of people who have lost someone close to opioid addiction what they think about it.

Work Cited: 

Davis, Mike. “What Causes Opioid Addiction, and Why Is It so Tough to Combat? - Mike Davis.” Bing, Microsoft, 7 May 2020, www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=ted%2Btalk%2Bopioid%2Bepidemic&mid=FBCCD8DE51C772557DD9FBCCD8DE51C772557DD9&FORM=VIRE.

  McGeachy, Jake. “How War and Addiction Are Related.” TikTok, www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFLuL6c6/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2024. 

Oesterle, Tyler s. “What Are Opioids and Why Are They Dangerous?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 Aug. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prescription-drug-abuse/expert-answers/what-are-opioids/faq-20381270#:~:text=Vivien%20Williams:%20Fentanyl%20is%20a%20powerful. 

“Today I Found out I Lost the 3ed Family Member In 2.5 Years to Fentanyl Overdose .” TikTok, 30 July 2024, www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFLaE9AD/. 

Vankar, Preeti. “Opioid Overdose Deaths Number U.S. 2022.” Statista, 28 Mar. 2024, www.statista.com/statistics/798347/number-of-opioid-overdose-deaths-in-the-us/.