Opioid Addiction Explained
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic medical condition that combines physical dependence on opioids with a powerful mental compulsion to keep using. This mental obsession is known as addiction.
Many people develop OUD unintentionally after misusing prescription painkillers. Others start with illicit pills, fentanyl, or heroin and quickly get caught in the cycle of increasing use.
Regular opioid use produces physical dependence at minimum, which often makes stopping very difficult even when someone wants to quit. Opioid detox and/or MAT are usually a necessary first step, but residential treatment is where the real work of recovery begins.
Paradigm Recovery Centers provides proven, evidence-based opioid treatment in Missouri.
What you should know about opioid addiction:
- Opioid addiction is not the person’s fault, but it is their responsibility to seek or accept help.
- Quitting ‘cold turkey’ does not work. Staying drug-free requires a new way of living.
- Opioid addiction changes the brain, it often takes weeks or months to heal.
- There are three core aspects to addiction: Physical, Mental and Spiritual.
- Paradigm Recovery Centers is a holistic opioid treatment program—we treat all 3 core aspects of addiction.
Types of Opioids
Opioids can be natural, processed from the sap of the opium poppy, like opium or heroin. They may be semi-synthetic, like Oxycodone or, or fully synthetic, like fentanyl. Different types of opioids can vary widely in potency, duration of effect and other qualities. But, all controlled opioids cause physical dependence and are potentially addictive. Never underestimate an opioid.
Opioid categories include:
Natural opiates
Pain relievers directly from the opium poppy; effective but can cause tolerance and dependence. Examples: morphine; codeine; opium, heroin.
Semi‑synthetic opioids
Modified from natural opiates to change potency or duration; commonly prescribed and carry misuse risk. Examples: oxycodone; hydrocodone; hydromorphone; oxymorphone.
Fully synthetic opioids
Lab-made drugs that mimic opioids; many are extremely potent and raise overdose risk at low doses. Examples: fentanyl, sufentanil; remifentanil.
Long‑acting replacement opioids
Slow‑acting synthetics used for pain or to stabilize people in treatment; require careful dosing. Examples: methadone; levomethadyl (LAAM).
Partial agonists and mixed agents
Activate opioid receptors less fully or both activate and block, easing cravings with lower overdose risk. Examples: buprenorphine (Suboxone/Subutex); nalbuphine; butorphanol.
Designer opioids
Street or lab‑altered opioids with unpredictable strength and contaminants, causing high overdose risk. Examples: acetylfentanyl; fentanyl analogs.
Other Drugs That Act on Opioid Receptors
Kratom
Kratom, a drug made from contains two compounds (mitragynine and 7‑hydroxymitragynine) that act on opioid receptions in the brain in a different way. They can create opioid-like effects, but are not opioids.
Opioid antagonists
Block opioid receptors to reverse overdose or support abstinence; do not produce opioid effects. Examples: naloxone; naltrexone.
Opioid Detox in Sedalia, MO
Opioid addiction can be a monumental challenge to overcome for many.. High-quality treatment for opioid dependence and addiction is essential. Treatment for opioid addiction usually begins with a medical detox or medication assisted treatment (MAT) program.
Beating the physical dependence on heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone or any other opioid is job #1. Any person who uses opioids regularly for an extended period of time will become dependent. That means, if they stop or cut back suddenly, they will experience physical withdrawal symptoms. No one is immune.
Take opioid dependence and addiction seriously. Don’t wait. Reach out to ask for help and discover options for opioid addiction treatment in Missouri.
How Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Changes Lives
There are good reasons to be hopeful about recovery from opioid addiction. Thousands of people in Missouri addicted to opioids are living drug-free today because they got the addiction treatment they needed.
The key to effective opioid addiction treatment is completing treatment and following recommendations consistently. The only thing the person with an opioid addiction needs to bring to the table is the willingness to change and just a little hope.
Opioid use disorder treatment can change lives by first giving people breathing room between themselves and painkillers, fentanyl, heroin and other opioids. A chance to stop, while getting a safe and comfortable medical detox or MAT to control cravings.
Once physical dependence is addressed, quality dual-diagnosis treatment, like we offer at Paradigm Recovery Centers initiates change by helping addicted people understand their illness, recognize and defuse triggers, change unhelpful thinking and build new, healthy habits.
4 Things Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Can Do for You
Provide a “soft landing” so you can stop using opioids safely with meds for comfort.
Teach how addiction works and build defenses against triggers and urges.
Increase awareness of your thinking so you can replace harmful thoughts.
Empower you with coping skills, routines, and strategies to sustain recovery.
What is Opioid Withdrawal and What Are The Symptoms?
Opioid withdrawal is the intense physical and mental distress you feel when your body stops getting opioids. Symptoms include nausea, aches, sweating, anxiety, insomnia, and powerful cravings that make quitting very hard.
Physical Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal
Sweating
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal cramps
Muscle aches
Bone aches
Runny nose
Tearing
Yawning
Fever
Chills
Dilated pupils
Increased heart rate
High blood pressure
Insomnia
Headache
Fatigue
Anxiety
Panic
Irritability
Agitation
Mood swings
Depression
Cravings
Restlessness
Difficulty concentrating
Hopelessness
Obsessive drug thoughts
Heightened stress response
Sleeplessness
Emotional numbness
Mental Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal
How Can You Stop Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms?
Unfortunately, there are no easy home remedies for effectively relieving opioid withdrawal. This is one of the reasons home opioid detoxes and quitting cold turkey are discouraged. Trying to detox off opioids at home causes needless suffering and potential medical danger and it rarely works.
What About Detoxing Off Opioids At Home?
The worst thing about home detoxes may be that they usually don’t stick. People go through needless suffering only to pick up and use again. Without proper treatment, most people pick up again due to withdrawal or cravings. You can’t out-muscle opioid addiction with willpower. You have to outsmart it.
Why Addiction Treatment with a Medical Detox or MAT is the Answer
Medical detox eases withdrawal with monitored care and medications for comfort. Medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) uses meds like buprenorphine (Suboxone) to reduce cravings and stabilize you so you can engage safely in therapy and recovery.
Opioid Addiction and Health Damage
Opioid misuse harms the body in many ways and can become life‑threatening. The effects range from immediate overdose risks to long‑term organ, hormonal, and infectious problems, and they often worsen with injection or high‑potency drugs like fentanyl. Make no mistake, using only pharmaceutical grade opioids does not protect you from most of these consequences.
- Respiratory depression and overdose risk leading to brain injury or death
- Increased risk of infections from injection: abscesses, endocarditis, HIV, hepatitis C
- Chronic constipation, bowel dysfunction, and risk of bowel obstruction
- Liver damage, especially when opioids combine with acetaminophen or alcohol
- Hormonal disruption: low testosterone, menstrual changes, sexual dysfunction
- Immune system weakening and slower recovery from illness
- Cognitive impairment, memory problems, and mood disorders (depression, anxiety)
- Cardiovascular stress and irregular heart rhythms with some synthetic opioids
- Physical dependence, severe withdrawal, and persistent cravings that impede recovery
- Higher likelihood of accidental injury, risky behavior, and reduced overall life expectancy
Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Missouri
At Paradigm Recovery Centers we provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment for people with opioid use disorders. Our team pairs clinical oversight, medication‑assisted treatment when appropriate, and trauma‑informed therapy to stabilize health and reduce withdrawal and cravings.
We build individualized plans that restore daily routines, teach coping skills, and address triggers so you can move toward lasting recovery.
If you or a loved one want to talk, our admissions coordinators will answer questions and outline next steps. Call (660) 460-5750 or tell us how we can help using this form.
