There is a lot of misinformation/myths out there when it comes to drugs and opioid addiction. It doesn’t help that most of the stuff we know comes from high school health classes that taught us outdated science from the 1970s.

Over the years, I have had to listen to all kinds of random things about drug addiction, heroin, opioids, and whatnot. It always blows my mind when I find out that people read all this on the internet and think it’s true without doing any further research into the subject. I can’t listen to it anymore. I think it’s time to separate fact from fiction with actual research. I have rounded up some of the most common opioid addiction myths to help set the story straight. Keep reading to learn more.

Myths About Opioid Addiction #1: You Can Get Addicted to Heroin Instantly

It takes one hit, and you’re a goner. Man, I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I have heard that one. People think they can scare a kid straight when they say things like this. But what it does instead is make first-time users think that they have crossed that fine line and there is no way back. This pushes them to use it even more. It’s just the way it tends to go. Anyone who takes it far enough to experiment will find any excuse to continue to do so.

But the truth is that using heroin once does not make you an addict instantly. It’s chronic use that creates the addiction. That doesn’t mean that you should go out and try it. It doesn’t mean you can use it recreationally either because that is also repeated use, and it’s not possible.

It means that even if you have used it once or a couple of times, you need to get treatment before it becomes a severe problem. One more thing, first-time users can overdose; in fact, they are more likely to die from overdose because they have zero tolerance in their bodies. 

Myths About Opioid Addiction #2: Opioid Addicts Can Stop if They Want To

This one is personal. One of the biggest and cruelest misconceptions about opioid use is that addicts don’t have the willpower to stop using. That they are too lazy or too weak. All they must do is muster up the strength, and they’ll be able to stop. This is so wrong.

Opioid addiction is a medical disease that needs lifelong management, which is why it is now known as opioid use disorder (OUD). Opioids like heroin literally change the way the brain functions, altering not just the pain pathways but also the reward system. Check out my article about Opioids and shocking statistics.

When you take opioids, it causes the release of dopamine (known as the happy hormone), which gives us that euphoric feeling. Now our brain is programmed to do whatever it can to trigger that same dopamine release. Your body becomes dependent on these drugs and needs them to function physically. This is why opioid users keep using. If they stop without management or maintenance, they get sick, “dope sick.” Trust me, there is nothing worse. Especially if it isn’t a choice and you are forced to detox in “finishing school.”

Myths About Opioid Addiction #3: Only Street Drugs like Heroin Are Addictive

Prescription opioids come from a doctor, so they must be safe, right? Wrong! Prescription opioids are still opioids, and they are dangerous. Repeated use of anything can cause an addiction. Prescription drugs still affect the same parts of the brain that heroin does and mess with our brain chemistry the same way. Do you want to know a scary statistic? 80% of heroin users started with prescription opioids.

FYI, prescription opioids are not always the best medication for pain. Another addiction myth. There are many non-opioid effect drugs out there that can help, not to mention alternative therapies, that won’t turn you into an addict. Always ask your doctor why they are prescribing a particular medication because some quacks out there are a little too free with their prescription pad.

Myths About Opioid Addiction #4: You Can Immediately Find the Addict in a Crowd

Everyone has this idea of an opioid or heroin addict. You see it on TV and in the movies all the time. It’s the skinny, Joe Dirt looking person, the one you would describe as a crackhead or a junkie with messy hair and a crazy look in their eyes (I am rolling my eyes as I write this). Other stereotypes assume it is someone younger, from a lower-income family, or a certain skin color.

Anyone can be an opioid addict. It could be a coworker, a neighbor, a friend, or a family member, and you would NEVER know. There is no question that mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and depression are on the rise, and many people turn to prescription opioids for relief. I was 4 years into an active IV heroin addiction and still working two jobs and going to college, and nobody really knew… Until they knew.

But opioids only provide short-term relief, and before you know it, they are taking pills just in case, buying backups, and asking around for some pain meds. It’s a slippery slope, and the truth is anyone can slide down it, and I mean anyone. Addiction is not biased or prejudiced.

Myths About Opioid Addiction #5: Rehab Doesn’t Help. You Will Relapse

Well, this one is half true, and it’s a hard pill to swallow because you can relapse after going through rehab once. That is because heroin addiction is different from a sugar craving. It physically changes you. Remember, addiction is a disease. It is so hard for opioid addicts to just stop. The withdrawal symptoms are so severe that it feels like the only way to survive is to use it again.

But there is still hope! Every rehab program isn’t the same. If one isn’t working for you, there is another. In fact, there are thousands out there. Finding the right professional help and a long-term treatment plan can get you closer to recovering from opioid addiction. This can include medication, behavioral therapy, group therapy, and one-on-one management.

Yes, there is always a chance you might relapse, but with the proper treatment, that chance becomes much smaller.

Wrapping Up

These are just some of the myths out there, and I am sure you have heard many more. I would love to know what other things you have heard, so send them my way. I’ll do some research, and who knows, I might even make part 2 of this blog post. Before I end this, I have to say that opioid addiction has such a bad rap. It makes it so hard for people to sympathize with someone stuck in its vicious cycle.

But just like you won’t look down on a diabetic or someone with asthma for their health problems, you shouldn’t look down on someone with an addiction. Most of us suffering from SUD hate ourselves. Often, it’s for something that someone else did to us or because we carry a discomfort within that we need to escape, and even though it isn’t our fault, we had no control over whatever it was. We blame ourselves. The sad thing is that if someone took the time to ask… Yes, we have made some mistakes, but who hasn’t?

Don’t Believe Myths About Opioid Addiction Just Ask Somebody

I am here to tell you and to keep telling you that change is not only possible, it’s inevitable. If I can do it after the severity of a twenty-plus year hard-core using and selling heroin addiction, then ANYONE can do it. I am here to help you along your way. Like my Pop always told me when I called him from the hole in “finishing school,” “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, kid. You just gotta get to it and you will. You’ll find your way.” He was right. I found my light, and you will find yours. Keep your head up and know that you are valued and you are loved. Thanks for reading!

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If this post resonated with you or you have questions, please comment below or reach out to me in the forums, or you can email me at support@samanthabushika.com. If you are struggling and need help that is not an emergency, please shoot me a comment or an email. I will do everything I can to help you on your journey back to being your best and highest self. If you are young and thinking about using drugs, I beg you on my hands and knees, DO NOT DO IT! Trust me on this. I spent my life in prison on the installment plan, and there is no going back for me.

Honestly, at this point, I can’t even believe I am still standing. Shoot me an email, and we can set up a time to talk because I promise you it is not even close to worth the temporary false sense of relief. It’s all make-believe. You are a big reason why I am here doing what I’m doing. Believe that. Please like, subscribe, comment, follow, and share because everyone helps me keep providing content and support for all of you. I’m here, and I do what I can because I care. Also, be sure to register below for our growing community and check out our forums. Start a thread and just see what happens.

Check out one of my posts by clicking on the title:

Integrating My Shadow: How it Helped Me Love My Life

How I beat my Lifelong Addiction to Using and Selling Heroin, Using the Law of Attraction Part 2

My Supernatural Experience

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“Your best days are ahead of you. The movie starts when the guy gets sober and puts his life back together; it doesn’t end there.”

-Bucky Sinister

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I am strong. I am courageous. I will conquer. I will overcome.

This one just makes me stand a little taller. Lol.