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Monday, May 14, 2007 |
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Morphine |
Brief Description :
Morphine, the principal active agent in opium, is a powerful opioid analgesic drug. Like other opiates, morphine acts directly on the central nervous system to relieve pain, and at synapses of the arcuate nucleus, in particular.
Effects :
Side effects include impairment of mental performance, euphoria, drowsiness, lethargy, and blurred vision. It also decreases hunger, inhibits the cough reflex, and produces constipation.
Addiction :
Morphine is usually highly addictive when compared to other substances, and tolerance and physical and psychological dependence develop quickly.
Morphine Addiction
Morphine is highly addictive. Tolerance (the need for higher and higher doses to maintain the same effect) and physical and psychological addiction to Morphine develop quickly. Withdrawal from Morphine causes nausea, tearing, yawning, chills, and sweating lasting up to three days. Morphine crosses the placental barrier, and babies born to Morphine-using mothers go through Morphine withdrawal.
Addictive drugs, such as Morphine activate the brain's reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave Morphine and to focus his or her activities around the taking of Morphine. The ability of Morphine to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and its ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce a Morphine addiction. Morphine also reduces a person's level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.
Morphine was first used medicinally as a painkiller and, erroneously, as a cure for opium addiction. Morphine quickly replaced opium as a cure-all recommended by doctors and as a recreational drug and was readily available from drugstores or through the mail. Substitution of Morphine addiction for alcohol addiction was considered beneficial by some physicians because alcohol is more destructive to the body and is more likely to trigger antisocial behavior. Morphine was used during the American Civil War as a surgical anesthetic and was sent home with many wounded soldiers for relief of pain. At the end of the war, over 400,000 people had the "army disease", Morphine addiction. The Franco-Prussian War in Europe had a similar effect.
Morphine Detox
Self detoxification from Morphine can be extremely dangerous. Morphine addiction withdrawal can cause physical and emotional trauma including stroke, heart attack, and even death. Methadone is often used to ease the pain from Morphine addiction withdrawal. The outcome from methadone treatment typically ends with the individual acquiring an addiction to methadone, and continued Morphine use with out detoxification from either substance.
Home or out-patient Morphine detox rarely succeeds in breaking the cycle of Morphine addiction. The addict can expect a long list of Morphine addiction withdrawal symptoms to occur as they attempt their Morphine detox. The worst case scenario for Morphine detoxification is an additional addiction to depressants; this is known as a "mixed addiction". It has been found the best way to get off, and stay off, Morphine is to go cold-turkey (ending use abruptly without the aid of other drugs or medications) at an in-patient drug rehabilitation center. Inpatient drug rehab centers help to keep the addict away from the normal stresses of living as well as the routines of their Morphine addiction. The environment of recovery is crucial, since there are many factors that greatly inhibit the addicts'; ability for a successful recovery. |
posted by
dannzfay @
Monday, May 14, 2007
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