Morphine Addiction Help

Morphine addiction does not just affect one person, one family, or even one community. Morphine addiction is a national concern because just in America alone, citizens spend close to $500 billion on morphine addiction when you factor in healthcare costs, crime and criminal justice costs, accidents and lost employment.

Prescription Abuse Statistics

As with many prescription medications, finding the correct dosage takes experimentation and time. Even if a person is under a physician’s care, it takes diligence to ensure that a person does not cross the line from medically necessary treatment to abuse. When reporting use and abuse findings about morphine, these statistics usually reflect the larger category of all prescribed medications. Some of the statistics are alarming:

• The increase of people who use prescribed pain relievers, including morphine, is on the rise. In 2006, over 5 million people were using prescribed pain relievers; an increase of half a million from the previous years. If predictive statistics hold the trend, this number of users is expected to increase significantly.
• While the rate of teen users has slightly decreased over the years, of the teen users who are using prescribed medications that are NOT prescribed for them, almost 60 percent indicate that they obtained the drugs from friends or from an unknowing relative.
• About twice as much is spent on medical and worker compensation claims for employed drug abusers versus their drug-free colleagues.
• While not restricted to just morphine abuse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that as many as 22 percent of car crashes involved drivers who have been using drugs.

Morphine Specific Abuse Statistics

While prescription medications have startling abuse statistics, the following statistics are directly connected to morphine addiction:

• The increase of emergency room visits due to heroin has increased as much as 15 percent.
• Morphine was ranked as the number 3 cause for emergency room admissions; the first was alcohol and drug combination, followed by cocaine abuse.
• Persons who were injecting opiates averaged 14 years of use before entering treatment for the first time.

Get Help for Morphine Addiction

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Morphine was first identified in 1803, but its use was not that widespread until the development of the hypodermic needle in 1853. The principal ingredient in opium, morphine acts on the central nervous system to relieve pain. However, morphine is extremely addictive. In fact, during the American Civil War, over 400,000 soldiers became addicted.

Common Uses of Morphine

While morphine was initially used as a cure for opium addiction, it was scientifically proven not to be an effective method of treatment. However, it was and still is used for severe pain, cough suppression and sometimes before surgery. In addition to relieving pain, morphine has been prescribed to relieve fear and anxiety by producing a sense of euphoria.

Failure to Read the Signs of Morphine Abuse

Unfortunately, the signs of morphine abuse are “vague” enough to be associated with other, less threatening conditions. Sweating, chills, dizziness and drowsiness are often attributed to the flu. Rash, hives and itching are initially investigated for contact dermatitis or some allergy. Constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, fluid retention and dry mouth are associated with stomach or digestive issues. Stress can also explain other symptoms such as light-headedness, tingling sensations, headaches, fluctuation in blood pressure and insomnia.

Physical Signs of Morphine Abuse

However, if a person experiences any of the following symptoms, morphine abuse may be the reason:

• Blurred vision, double vision, involuntary movement of the eyeball or “pinpoint” pupils
• Slurred speech, fainting/faintness or uncoordinated muscle movements
• Tremors or seizures
• Needle marks (if injecting drugs)
• Memory loss

Behavioral Signs of Morphine Abuse

Because the physical indicators of morphine abuse are sometimes hard to identify, physicians often look for some of the following behavioral signs:

• Prescription abuse: needing refills too often for alleged lost or stolen prescription
• Multiple providers: seeking prescriptions from different healthcare providers
• Changes in social behavior with friends, colleagues and family members
• Changes in mood or behaviors, including signs of lying or stealing

Emotional Signs of Morphine Abuse

Emotional indicators of morphine abuse are another “vague” area that may be attributed to another health issue, such as anxiety, depression, irritability and apprehension. However, if a person is demonstrating any of the following emotional signs, you should check for morphine abuse:

• Hallucinations
• Exaggerated sense of well-being
• Abnormal thinking
• Extreme agitation

Get Help for Morphine Abuse

Recovering from morphine with proper medical supervision and support services is possible. If you or someone you know is addicted to morphine, call our toll free number today at (877) 259-5633. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about morphine addiction treatment. We are here to help.