Opioid Addiction Crisis in the US: Tackling the Powerful Allure

Abstract

Opioid Addiction in the United States Opioid addiction is a serious health concern that stirs hot debates across the globe. Young and old engage in opioid use and become addicts due to its activation of powerful reward centers on human brain leading to health complications and deaths in the long run. Paying close attention in the United States of America, it is certain that this nation experiences an epidemic of drug overdose deaths that reports an upward tread year after the other as confirmed by (Phillips, Ford & Bonnie, 2017). Unfortunately, both the young and adults serve as major victims posing threat to the future of the incoming generation. Within this essay, the author aims at analyzing why opioid use is very addictive leading many Americans vulnerable to health-related complication borrowing from a credible public text “Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic” authored by (Phillips, Ford & Bonnie, 2017). Although opioids are medically used for pain relief, they include illegal drugs like heroin among other power pain relievers available for prescriptions which upon use trigger release of endorphins that muffle users’ perception of pain boosting pleasure feeling that creates a temporary but powerful sense of well-being that activates opioid addictions in the users’ body. One may wish to understand what opioid is and why it becomes a health threat among its users most especially in the United States. According to Phillips, Ford & Bonnie, (2017), opioids represents a broad group of pain relievers that work by interacting with opioid receptors in human cells. What does this imply? Opioids trigger opioid receptors in human cells to produce morphine-like effects that boost the feeling of pleasure and create a temporary but powerful sense of well-being thus making them very addictive among users. Opioids are medically directed to pain relief most especially anesthesia among others including suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy, cough suppression and opioid overdose reversals. Unfortunately, since opioids includes a broad category of power pain relievers like methadone, morphine, codeine and illegal drugs like heroin available by prescription, their use trigger pleasure than cure among users leading to their overdose and misuse among many Americans (Phillips, Ford & Bonnie, 2017). It is the feel-good urge triggered by the release of endorphins that makes many opioid users experience the need to use more opioids when such drugs wears off which becomes an addictive behavior that proves a challenge to abandon leading to both short and long-term effects among many Americans. Unfortunately tolerance becomes the most adverse effect of opioid use with time as the users body slows the production of endorphins that triggers the fell-good experience leading such users to increase their opioid intake to keep the good feeling which leads to opioid overdose deaths that claims most American (Phillips, Ford & Bonnie, 2017). Phillips, Ford & Bonnie (2017), directs their message to all Americans having confirmed that America nation experiences an epidemic of drug overdose deaths with opioid overdose claiming a significant percentage of the vulnerable Americans. Speaking directly to the most vulnerable population, this public text associates the economically depressed areas within America as potential triggers of opioid use and tolerance as the occupants try to forget their worries through opioid use pleasures. Unfortunately, such tolerance leads to more evil than good as such users’ body lower production of endorphins which triggers the pleasure feeling of using such a drug leading to an overdose to boost realization of such relief. It is the inability...