(This is a 5-part series that will be dripped out periodically throughout the next few months. It is my hope that if you or someone close to you has an opioid problem, my story will help you understand what to expect from opioid addiction into recovery.)
Drug addiction doesn’t discriminate. It is easy to become addicted and very difficult to get help and recover.
What were opioids invented for?
For centuries, opioids have been used as medicines to manage or treat pain. Natural opioids (sometimes referred to as opiates), such as morphine, are derived from the opium poppy plant, while synthetic opioids like methadone and fentanyl are made entirely in a laboratory. — Congressional Research Project 2022