u003ciu003eToday, we’re going to talk about opioids and opioid use disorders. u003c/iu003ernrnAre you struggling with opioid use disorder?rnrnIf you answer yes to two or more of these questions that I will ask. Perhaps it is appropriate for you to talk to a medical or mental health professional.rnu003culu003ern tu003cliu003eAre you using a larger dose over a larger period of time?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eDo you want to cut back on your opioid use, but you can’t?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eAre you spending a lot of your time thinking about, finding, using, and recovering from opioids?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eDo you have really strong cravings to use?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eIs your opioid use having negative effects on your work, school and home life?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eDo you continue to use opioids after social and interpersonal issues arise?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eHave you been reducing or altogether stopping your typical social, job, or recreational activities?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eAre you putting yourself in physically dangerous situations?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eIs your opioid use causing physical or psychological problems?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eHave you developed a tolerance for opioids? The occurrence of needing more and more of a substance to achieve the same results.u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eOr do you experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop using opioids, which then leads you to using more opioids to avoid those withdrawal symptoms.u003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernThere are a lot of different names that opioids can appear as. There are their prescription names that you may have heard of, such as Percocet or Vicodin or fentanyl. There are also non-prescription names such as heroin, H, oxy, or Percs.rnrnThese words all relate to opioid use disorders. Whether it comes through a prescription or nonprescription methods.rnrnNow, you may be wondering, do I have an addiction or a physical dependence on opioids. A dependence, your body adapts to the drug and may need more to achieve the desired effect. And if you stop using it, there are physical and mental symptoms.rnrnPhysical dependence doesn’t always mean you’re struggling with addiction. But there is a close relationship and it can be difficult to tell the difference. If you are wondering if you have a physical dependence or an addiction because of your opioid use, it is an important conversation to have with your medical or mental health professionals.rnrnu003cemu003eIn the next lesson we will review the physical effects of opioid use.u003c/emu003ernrnThank you for choosing The Recovery Village. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or substance abuse and would like to find out more about the programs we offer, please reach out to us directly at u003ca href=u0022tel:855-387-3291u0022u003e855-387-3291u003c/au003e.
