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Opiate addiction is a horrible experience for the addict and their loved ones. Opiates are known for being one of the most addictive drugs, both psychologically and physically. The state of euphoria that opiates put people into is highly addictive in its own right, but when a person has become addicted to a prescription opiate, tapering off of it is an extremely hard process.

Opiates are derived from opium, which comes from poppies. They may consist of pure opium, synthetic opiates like Oxycontin or close relatives of opium such as morphine. Opiates are dangerous because they require their user to use ever increasing amounts in order to continue feeling its effects. This applies to people seeking a mind altering state and people seeking relief from pain. This builds a tolerance within a person initially and a dependence within the person ultimately.

Once a person is physically dependent on opiates, meaning the natural opioid sensors in their body do not know how to function without continually receiving opiates, quitting is extremely difficult on a number of levels. Not only are the feelings of relief and escape through opiates addictive in their own right, but the withdrawal symptoms that come with quitting or reducing opiate intake are severe, and can include nausea, vomiting, digestion problems, sleep problems, inability to regulate temperature and extreme mood fluctuation.

Detoxing from opiates is something that should be overseen by medical professionals. Do not attempt to quit opiates without medical supervision because the side effects can be very dangerous. Medication that counteracts the effects of opiate withdrawal is necessary in order to detox safely, as well as a medical professional available to assist in the event of seizure, fainting or illness.

Opiate addiction is a devastating condition, but there is hope for opiate addicts. Thousands of people have pushed through the withdrawal from opiates and recovered from their addiction under the care of addiction treatment professionals. If you or someone you care about is struggling with an opiate addiction, do not hesitate to reach out to an addiction treatment specialist that suits your needs.

There is a wide range of opiate drugs, including prescription and street drugs, that a person may abuse. Opiates are highly addictive because of their euphoric and pain reducing effects, but there are few other drugs that produce as unpleasant of withdrawal symptoms as opiates. Many opiate addicts become physically dependent on opiates and continue taking them just to avoid the withdrawal symptoms. Some of these withdrawal symptoms include:

• Sleeplessness. Opiates severely interrupt a person's natural sleep rhythms and can give them endless nights of sleeplessness and insomnia, which in turn contributes to a number of other symptoms.
• Nausea and vomiting. There are opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract that become physically dependent on opiates and aggravate the stomach to the extent of inducing nausea and vomiting when they do not continue to receive opiates.
• Irritability and anxiety. Opiates also throw off a person's brain chemicals as the opioid receptors in the brain become dependent on opiate intake. This can propel a person into a heightened emotional state when they are withdrawing.
• Aches and pains. The entire chemistry of the body is disrupted by opiate dependence and it is common for people to experience muscle spasms, aches and pains through out their body.
• Soft stool. Opiate withdrawal has traumatic impacts on the gastrointestinal tract in the form of diarrhea, constipation, stomach cramps and irregular bowel movements.
• Teary eyes. Opiate withdrawal over activates the tear ducts, causing excessive tear production.
• Dilation of the pupils. This is a well known effect of opiates, but many people do not realize that it can continue into the withdrawal period.
• Chills and goosebumps. Opiate withdrawal affects the skin and a person's ability to regulate their body temperature. Chills, hot flashes, sweats and goosebumps are very common for a person who is withdrawing.
• Nasal drainage. The upper respiratory system is affected by opiate withdrawal, and runny noses and nasal drainage often occur as a result.
• Yawns. Opiate withdrawal cause excessive yawning as the throat muscles attempt to relax and the body attempts to regain its broken sleep rhythm.

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Rapid Opiate Detoxification first emerged in the 1980's. It's purpose was to speed up the recovery time of a hospitalized opiate addict. Initially, it was not administered with anesthesia but other more mild medications that reduced the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal. It became utilized as a procedure across North America and an attractive detoxification option to opiate addicts, but the medical community as well as the addiction treatment community have mixed feelings about it.

The procedure involves heavily sedating the opiate addict and administering an opioid antagonist medication such as naltrexone. This detoxification process takes a few hours and is typically closely monitored by an anesthesiologist and nursing staff. When the procedure is over, some withdrawal symptoms will likely continue, but they are usually minor and can be treated symptomatically.

In the 30 years that Rapid Opiate Detoxification has been an option to patients, it has been sped up and advanced even further into Ultra Rapid Opiate Detoxification, which is the procedure that utilizes anesthesia. Implementing anesthesia into the process also implemented controversy because any procedure involving anesthesia is controversial. Anesthesia has proven to be very dangerous in many situations because when it is administered, it negates a person's natural physical reflexes that can mean the difference between life and death.

However, Rapid Opiate Detoxification and Ultra Rapid Opiate Detoxification have also proven to be a very beneficial option for many people. A number of people keep using opiates even after they have decided to quit them simply because the withdrawal symptoms are so severe. The ingested opiates attach themselves to proteins in the body called opioid receptors and put the person into a euphoric state. However, the build up of opiates in the body leads to a physical dependence on them, and when the body no longer receives them, it goes through withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, mental confusion, constipation and increased heart rate. Typically, opiate withdrawal symptoms are non-life threatening, but there have been cases where withdrawal symptoms were so severe that they have sent people into fatal seizures.