Morphine is an opioid pain reliever that is used to relieve pain. It is available in different forms: pills, injection... It is often used by doctors to treat very intense pain in the short and long term. Being a very powerful substance to relieve very intense pain and, in addition, generating excessive euphoria and relaxation make it possible to become a potentially addictive substance. In this Psychology-Online article, we show symptoms, treatment and consequences of morphine addiction.
Index
- Morphine addiction symptoms
- Consequences of morphine addiction
- Morphine withdrawal symptoms
- Treatment for morphine addiction
Morphine addiction symptoms.
At the beginning of the addiction, the symptoms are not very noticeable, but over time they become more visible. We can divide the symptoms of morphine addiction in three categories: physical, psychological and behavioral.
Physical symptoms
These symptoms affect the body, either internally (constipation or fainting) or externally (skin rashes).
The most common physical symptoms are:
- Small spots on the skin, rashes.
- Excessive fatigue
- Excessive drowsiness (that does not go away).
- Muscle contractions
- Sudden and unexplained decrease in appetite.
- Difficulty breathing.
Psychological or emotional symptoms
It is difficult to identify these symptoms because in some cases they can be confused with other psychological disorders, such as the Depression. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Increased paranoia.
- Depression.
- Sudden mood swings.
- Anxiety.
- Great emotional instability.
Behavioral symptoms
Over time, people with morphine addiction show abrupt and unexplained behavioral changes. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Excessively reserved behavior, hiding things, long and inexplicable absences ...
- Get away from friends or family.
- Avoid social situations, especially if family or friends attend those events.
- Decreased interest in activities that were previously very rewarding.
- Great discussions with family or friends.
Consequences of morphine addiction.
The occasional use of morphine does not usually have any side effects, but prolonged use can present both physical and mental consequences.
The most common side effect of long-term morphine use is constipation and other digestive disturbances. Other consequences are:
- Complete loss of muscle tone.
- Heart attack.
- Extreme confusion
- Eat.
Loss of muscle tone or confusion may go away when the person stops taking morphine, but other consequences such as cardiac arrest can have an impact on the person's life, although they no longer consume.
Morphine withdrawal symptoms.
When morphine is consumed over a long period of time, the body begins to develop a dependency. This dependence is dangerous because the body deludes itself into believing that it needs morphine to function properly. Unfortunately, this type of dependency makes it difficult to stop using morphine.
Morphine withdrawal symptoms occur when an individual stops using the addictive substance. In the case of morphine, symptoms can last from a few days to several weeks, as the body learns to readjust to life without morphine.
Some of the most common symptoms of morphine withdrawal They are:
- Difficulty maintaining an adequate body temperature, ranging from fever to chills.
- Crying eyes.
- Runny nose.
- Restless legs or a feeling of restlessness.
- Severe muscle aches
- Very unstable mood.
- Accelerated heart.
- Intense stomach pain.
- Nausea with vomiting.
The severity of withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person. Some people have only mild flu, while others have withdrawal symptoms so severe that they need medical attention.
Due to the complexity of the manifestation of withdrawal symptoms, it is recommended that the person stop consumption of morphine under the supervision of a doctor who will monitor the symptoms and make sure there are no problems.
Morphine addiction treatment.
1. Detoxification
The first step in treatment to quit morphine is detoxification. The duration of this process depends on how long the person's consumption lasted, ranging from approximately days to three weeks.
It is recommended that this process be supervised by a doctor who makes the least possible symptoms and that, therefore, the process is as less complicated as possible within the circumstances.
Many people rely on methadone as a support drug for the detoxification process. Methadone is known to help reduce withdrawal symptoms associated with the use of an opiate, such as morphine, by replacing that substance. Over time, the dose of methadone is reduced until the person completely cleanses their body of morphine.
There are times when methadone cannot be used during the detoxification process because of a previous addiction to methadone or an allergy. In those cases, the use of another substance should be considered.
2. Rehabilitation
After the detoxification process, something essential is that the person begins to rebuild their new life (without substance use).
Rehabilitation focuses on overcoming morphine addiction. It can be done internally (the person enters a center) or externally (they go to a center at certain times of the day).
In this process, the person receives individual therapy sessions (behavioral), support groups, etc. The goal of these sessions is to provide the person with strategies to help them lead a drug-free life.
Some people find it very difficult to lead a normal life after being addicted. For this reason, after completing the rehabilitation program, some people need to have certain therapy sessions that serve as a reminder of their new lifestyle.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Morphine addiction: symptoms, treatment and consequences, we recommend that you enter our category of Addictions.
