What Is Opioid Addiction?
Opioid dependence is one of the drug abuse or substance use disorders that is characterized by the compulsion to use prescription opioids even if they are not medically necessary. People who engage in opioid misuse mostly have access to these opioid drugs or medicine through medication-assisted treatment, allowing them to continuously depend on opioid use and eventually develop opioid cravings.
While prescription opioid medicine is not necessarily harmful in moderated dosages, opioid abuse can affect one's brain or mental health state, develop symptoms, and may severely impact one's brain chemistry. People may need thorough screening and a combination of behavioral therapies for their opioid use disorder as recommended by their health care providers and as approved by national institutes of health.