The word opiate refers to a class of drugs which are derived from opium. Opium is a powerful sedative and narcotic which can provide relief from severe pain, but it can also become very addictive. Opioid is a word which refers to natural and synthetic substances used for pain-relief which communicate with your brain and nervous system. Opiates and opioids create pleasurable feelings while inhibiting your perception of pain.
For those reasons, these types of drugs can be incredibly addictive.
Because opiates and opioids create and change processes which you have no control over, you can become addicted unconsciously and automatically. The addict takes more of a particular drug because the withdrawal is so uncomfortable and negative, and the drug provides euphoric, happy, positive feelings.
Classically, the cold turkey method has been used for treating addiction. This doesn’t always work. It is also incredibly difficult on the person going through withdrawal.
In some US states and around the world, medical marijuana is being prescribed for opiate withdrawal. Marijuana offers much of the pain-relief and happy feelings delivered by opiates and opioids, but not the dangerous addictive properties. The American Medical Association, the Journal of Pain and other respected health authorities point to research which shows chronic pain sufferers dramatically reduce the amount of opioids they use for relief from pain when they are taking medical marijuana.
Kratom is also showing great promise. As stated above, withdrawal from opioids can be very severe, it won’t kill you, but it has awful symptoms. Kratom also interacts with the brain in the same way and with the same nerve receptor as opioids. The difference is that kratom convinces the brain that it is getting opioids. This allows the user to focus on recovery from the addiction without having to go through the awful side effects that come with withdrawal. Kratom gives those addicted to opioids relief while they concentrate on recovery. To find out more kratom, visit our website.
As more US states and jurisdictions and other countries legalize marijuana, or at least medical marijuana, this alternative treatment to prescription pain-relief and opiate withdrawal continues to show promise. Kratom is already legal, but it faces some challenges because we have less information on it. Although it has been used for thousands of years, it is not until recently that people outside of the plant’s indigenous home have begun to see the real value of kratom in the opioid crisis.
