Due to the overall use, addiction and overdose fatalities, the opioid problem in America can definitely be called an epidemic. That epidemic didn’t just appear out of the blue. Many factors have contributed to its creation. Explore the history of the opioid epidemic and discover how it became such an enormous problem in the United States and around the world.
What are Opioid Drugs, Exactly?
The word “opiate” describes any drug that comes from opium. Opium, in turn, comes from the poppy plant. Examples of opiate drugs can include heroin, OxyContin, fentanyl and codeine.
Opiates have been around for at least 5,000 years. Ancient Sumerians called opium the joy plant, and Egyptians traded it across the Mediterranean Sea. Even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote about the potential healing powers of opium.
The Scope of the Opioid Epidemic
Calling the opiate problem in America an epidemic is not hyperbolic. Opioid addiction is a serious issue, and it’s larger than many people realize.
To start, Americans consume far more opioid drugs per capita than any other nation. Opiates are responsible for millions of addictions, not to mention more than 50,000 annual drug overdose fatalities. In fact, opiates are one reason why the life expectancy for Americans is going down, rather than up like in the past.
Opiates as Wonder Drugs
The start of the epidemic goes back to around 1898. That’s when Bayer Company started making a commercial version of opium that we now know as heroin. At first, people considered heroin a wonder drug. It could stop pain almost instantly, and patients could inject it for a rapid intake.
Individuals widely used heroin, and other opiates, at the beginning of the 20th century. Prescriptions weren’t necessary, and there was no worry about the drug’s risks. It wasn’t until 1924 that heroin became illegal.
Increasingly Powerful Opioid Prescription Drugs
Although opium is clearly nothing new, the epidemic itself is a far newer phenomenon. Part of the problem came with the increasing strength of opiate prescription drugs. In the 1970s, drug companies started making opioids like Percocet and Vicodin available to patients. By 1994, doctors were prescribing long-term use drugs like OxyContin.
With the long-term use of stronger opiates, the risk for addiction increased. That risk still exists today.
The Over-Prescription of Opiates in America
Part of the epidemic is the sheer number of prescriptions that doctors write in this country. Just the mention of painful symptoms at a doctor’s office and patients can get a prescription for powerful, addictive drugs. Even taking prescriptions as a doctor recommends could lead to an addiction. Once that happens, any opiates will do: Even heroin.
What Next? Solving the Opioid Epidemic
On a larger scale, solutions to the opiate epidemic might mean fewer prescriptions and more medical supervision. On an individual scale,
is a necessity and may include:
- Behavioral therapy
- Group counseling
- Experiential therapy
- Inpatient and/or outpatient care
- Holistic therapies
- Dual diagnosis care
You may not be able to end all opioid use, but you can end your own addiction. At Pinnacle Peak Recovery in Scottsdale, Arizona, you can access the tools you need to recover from an opiate addiction. Call 866-377-4761 to start living the life you deserve.