Describe the public health issue of opioid addiction. Do not use information from random non-government websites.
Try to answer the following questions and incorporate the answers into your writing (but do not list the questions in the paper).
• Based on your research findings what did you find most problematic about the issue of opioid addiction?
• What do public health experts think of the impact of Covid-19 on opioid addiction?
• Is there a post-pandemic plan to re-focus on opioid addiction?
• Based on your research what Social Determinants of Health seem to be associated with Opioid Addiction or substance abuse in general?
• Overall how do you feel about what you have learned about the topic of Social Determinants of Health and how has this learning helped you better understand public health issues?
Use APA formatting (APA 7th. Edition), Times New Roman font size 12, double-spaced with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 10 Pages (this page count excludes title and references pages).
It should contain a title, introduction, discussion, conclusion, and references. Review the attachment ” APA Titles” in this folder to help you understand what each section should contain.
Please review the grading rubric for the reflection paper on the syllabus. Use no less than 10 appropriate references, remember to use in-text citations using APA formatting, and have all sources cited in the references list.
Opioid use — even short term — can lead to addiction and, too often, overdose. Find out how short-term pain relief leads to life-threatening problems.
Anyone who takes opioids is at risk of developing addiction. Your personal history and the length of time you use opioids play a role, but it’s impossible to predict who’s vulnerable to eventual dependence on and abuse of these drugs. Legal or illegal, stolen and shared, these drugs are responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. today.
Addiction is a condition in which something that started as pleasurable now feels like something you can’t live without. Doctors define drug addiction as an irresistible craving for a drug, out-of-control and compulsive use of the drug, and continued use of the drug despite repeated, harmful consequences. Opioids are highly addictive, in large part because they activate powerful reward centers in your brain.
Opioids trigger the release of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Endorphins muffle your perception of pain and boost feelings of pleasure, creating a temporary but powerful sense of well-being. When an opioid dose wears off, you may find yourself wanting those good feelings back, as soon as possible. This is the first milestone on the path toward potential addiction.
When you take opioids repeatedly over time, your body slows its production of endorphins. The same dose of opioids stops triggering such a strong flood of good feelings. This is called tolerance. One reason opioid addiction is so common is that people who develop tolerance may feel driven to increase their doses so they can keep feeling good.
Because doctors today are acutely aware of opioid risks, it’s often difficult to get your doctor to increase your dose, or even renew your prescription. Some opioid users who believe they need an increased supply turn, at this point, to illegally obtained opioids or heroin. Some illegally obtained drugs, such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora), are laced with contaminants, or much more powerful opioids. Because of the potency of fentanyl, this particular combination has been associated with a significant number of deaths in those using heroin.
If you’re taking opioids and you’ve developed tolerance, ask your doctor for help. There are other, safe choices available to help you make a change and continue feeling well. Don’t stop opioid medications without a doctor’s help. Quitting these drugs abruptly can cause severe side effects, including pain worse than it was before you started taking opioids. Your doctor can help you taper off opioids slowly and safely.
Opioids are most addictive when you take them using methods different from what was prescribed, such as crushing a pill so that it can be snorted or injected. This life-threatening practice is even more dangerous if the pill is a long- or extended-acting formulation. Rapidly delivering all the medicine to your body can cause an accidental overdose. Taking more than your prescribed dose of opioid medication, or more often than prescribed, also increases your risk of addiction.
The length of time you use prescribed opioids also plays a role. Researchers have found that taking opioid medications for more than a few days increases your risk of long-term use, which increases your risk of addiction. The odds you’ll still be on opioids a year after starting a short course increase after only five days on opioids.
A number of additional factors — genetic, psychological and environmental — play a role in addiction, which can happen quickly or after many years of opioid use.