Opioid Use Disorder > Fact Sheets > Yale Medicine

Stressful events, loss of economic stability, and relationship issues can increase the risk of relapse. Opioid addiction is similar to other chronic relapsing conditions; signs and symptoms can be severe, and treatment adherence is often problematic. A person may need a treatment approach that addresses both mental health and substance use disorders opioid addiction treatment if both conditions are occurring together. The person’s environment and access to supportive family members and friends can also play important roles. Some patients will need to repeat therapy and may relapse many times before achieving long-term success. Practitioners may try different approaches for patients who continually relapse.

• Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug changes the way your brain feels pleasure.
• Additionally, methadone may treat withdrawal symptoms and cravings better than buprenorphine for patients who use fentanyl.
• If you need opioids for severe pain, work with your healthcare professional to take the lowest dose possible, for the shortest time needed, exactly as prescribed.
• With over 16 million affected globally and 2.1 million in the United States, the course emphasizes the urgency of identifying and promptly treating persistent opioid use and misuse.
• While methadone and buprenorphine can produce feelings of euphoria in people who do not otherwise take opioids, they do not cause euphoric effects in people with OUD, who have developed a tolerance to opioids.
• Taking an opioid for a day or two is not a problem for most people, but some studies show that even the first dose can have physiological effects that can make someone vulnerable to opioid use disorder.

Over 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl seized by law enforcement in 2023

• The medication Narcan (naloxone) is used in an emergency when someone has overdosed on opioids.
• In addition, women have a unique set of risk factors for opioid use disorder.

If you suspect someone has overdosed, the most important step to take is to call 911 so he or she can receive immediate medical attention. Naloxone is a medicine that can treat an opioid overdose when given right away. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs. Naloxone is available as an injectable (needle) solution and nasal sprays (NARCAN® Nasal Spray and KLOXXADO®). Opioid dependence and addiction are products of many biological, environmental, genetic, and psychosocial factors.[3] Most opioids in use are prescribed, but many are also obtained illegally. After a relatively brief period, many patients taking opioids demonstrate opioid dependence.

Three waves of opioid overdose deaths

Misuse of prescription opioids and heroin affects more than 2 million Americans and an estimated 15 million people worldwide each year. New York Recovery Alliance is a harm reduction program that utilizes a peer-based approach to organizing its services. The program is run by and for people impacted by substance use disorder and It reflects the principle of « nothing for us without » us in caring for people who use drugs. But the full portrait of the death toll from street drugs remains grim.

• Your medical history won’t necessarily prevent you from getting pain medication, but it can prompt your care team to offer additional safeguards to help lower your risk of OUD.
• Some clinicians attempt to discontinue medications for OUD after 1 year of treatment.
• Approximately 50% of babies develop neonatal abstinence syndrome when exposed to opioids while in the uterus.
• At this stage, the drugs disrupt the signals in your brain that control your judgement and decision-making skills.
• People often use these words interchangeably, but use disorder is the term preferred by the American Psychiatric Society.

The heart plays a hidden role in our mental health

This is because it’s easy to miscalculate and use doses that they previously tolerated. But these doses lead to overdose due to loss of tolerance from a break in opioid use. Treatment for OUD often requires continuing care to be effective, as OUD is a chronic condition with the potential for both recovery and relapse. Researchers estimate that genetic factors are responsible for 40% to 60% of the vulnerability to any substance use disorder. If you have a first-degree relative (biological sibling or parent) with OUD, you’re more likely to develop it as well. Seeking medical care as soon as you have signs and symptoms of OUD is essential.

Treatment options

Risk factors for developing opioid use disorder

• When prescription instructions are carefully followed, the chances of becoming addicted are decreased.
• Opioid addiction is characterized by a powerful, compulsive urge to use opioid drugs, even when they are no longer required medically.
• Often, symptoms or problems are neglected, and regular health maintenance, such as checkups, colonoscopies, mammograms, etc., are not done.
• Use of hallucinogens can produce different signs and symptoms, depending on the drug.

Preventing Opioid Overdose