Anyone who is experiencing pain will cry for its immediate removal, regardless of whether the pain source is physical or mental. Since the 1990s in the U.S, prescriptions for opioids have risen precipitously for post-surgery and pain management. It has become the most prescribed class of medication, leading to the current countrywide opioid crisis.
State of the Opioid Crisis in Alabama
Alabama suffers from the highest per capita number of opioid prescriptions of any state, with a reported rate of 1.2 prescriptions for every resident in 2015. Between 2006 and 2014, Alabama’s drug overdose rate increased by 82%. The greatest number of prescription pain pills received by a pharmacy was located in Tuscaloosa County, according to a Drug Enforcement Agency report.
This increase in prescriptions for powerful pain killers has contributed to the increased number of people dying of opioid overdoses over the past several years. Between 2012 and 2014, 88 people died of drug overdoses in Tuscaloosa County. Opioid help in Tuscaloosa County AL is sorely needed to reverse this trend.
Understanding How Opioids Work
Natural receptors for opioids are located in brain cells. Filling the receptors results in the release of dopamine, a chemical that makes people feel good. The body maintains a balance between empty and filled receptors by providing naturally generated opioid-like chemicals to keep a person from feeling too good or too bad. Examples of this are endorphins that are generated through activities like exercise and sex.
Overdose with opioid molecules saturate the receptors and cause feelings of euphoria, but also result in a decrease in sensitivity to opioids over time. As a result, a continuous increase in the amount of opioids is needed to achieve the same effect. When the body reaches a point where it cannot manufacture enough natural opioid to fulfill that need, it depends on external sources of opioids to feel normal. This process can occur with pain-killing opioid drugs such as oxycodone, methadone, percoset, hydrocodone, fentanyl and heroin.
Meeting the Need
Opioid help in Tuscaloosa County AL is offered at a number of clinics. Some centers accept insurance. Treatment plans are comprehensive, with a focus on recovery from dependence and addiction. Options include medication-assisted treatments with agents like buprenorphine and naloxone. Other options are detox, counseling or a combination of these approaches. Business Name is a treatment center that offers help with opioid-dependency and addiction.
