Fentanyl currently dominates overdose clusters. Over 150 people per day die from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Unfortunately, those deaths continue to increase due to fentanyl’s unique properties and current distribution. Here is an overview of why fentanyl is so lethal.
When Painkillers Become Dangerous by Drew Pinksy – Home of the very best in recovery books and unique giftsIf you are concerned about a loved one’s use of pain medications, you need to read this book, When Painkillers Become Dangerous! Whether prescribed by a physician as OxyContin or purchased on the street as “hillbilly heroin,” painkilling drugs are extremely effective in eliminating physical, emotional, and psychological distress.
Addiction | AA 12 Step Book | My 12 Step Store
If you’re thinking about quitting alcohol or drugs, this comprehensive workbook can help you get on track and reach your goals. The Addiction Workbook starts you on your journey by explaining the facts about addiction.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid originally intended to act as a painkiller. Doctors primarily use it in surgery.
However, the drug offers a unique chemical structure that allows it to be easily modified. Illicit drug dealers can increase its potency and lace it with other street drugs. It is commonly mixed with heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine into pill form. This end product resembles its source drugs, and many users buy these pills without realizing they contain fentanyl.
Dealers and manufacturers also create pure fentanyl derivatives and claim them as another drug. For example, many distribute fentanyl and claim it’s heroin. This situation led to a common trend in emergency rooms where alleged heroin doses are actually fentanyl. Many of these patients show zero heroin in their systems.
The Addiction Recovery Skills Workbook | My 12 Step Store
If you struggle with addiction, seeking treatment is a powerful, positive first step toward eventual recovery. But gaining an understanding of the causes of addiction—such as feelings of helplessness or loss of control—is also crucial for recovery.
The Lethal Properties of Fentanyl
This confusion becomes dangerous due to fentanyl’s strength. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. People think they are getting one drug but actually receive fentanyl–making overdose easy.
The overdoses link to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which illegal drug markets distribute for its heroin-like effects. Dealers and manufacturers add it to other drugs to increase potency and make them more addictive and powerful. Due to its potency, dealers can traffic fewer drugs while also meeting their buyers’ expectations.
However, buyers can’t detect fentanyl by sight, taste or smell. The only way to detect it is by using test strips. If users can find the strips, they are inexpensive and offer results within five minutes. But these tests can’t detect fentanyl-like drugs, like carfentanil, so they are not a safety guarantee. Making these strips more available is part of many fentanyl overdose prevention plans.
The Addictive PersonalityLove This: The Addictive Personality
Solutions for the fentanyl crisis mainly rest in increasing access to recovery options. Opioid agonists, like methadone and buprenorphine, can reduce opioid symptoms and cravings when someone becomes addicted. Also, naloxone reverses an overdose by blocking opioid effects, including those arising from fentanyl.
Therapist’s Guide to Addiction Medicine – Home of the very best in recovery books and unique gifts
Throughout his three plus decades as an addiction medicine specialist, Dr. Barry Solof has observed that many well-meaning therapists and counselors working in the field seem to know relatively little about the biological and medical aspects of addiction.
The Basic Library NA – Home of the very best in recovery books and unique gifts
A box set of our five basic recovery books in softcover: Basic Text, Just for Today, It Works, Living Clean, and Guiding Principles. Please note that an additional 10% will automatically be taken off total cost of merchandise at checkout.
Opioid recovery is not an easy journey, and support makes staying sober easier. Visit my12stepstore.com for resources and gifts that help you with each step