Warner Park Recovery Center – Woodland Hills Mental Health
Warner Park Recovery Center – Woodland Hills Mental Health
Signs, Symptoms, Disorders We Treat + More
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Opiates are naturally derived substances from the opium poppy plant — including morphine, codeine, and heroin — while opioids is the broader term that encompasses both natural opiates and fully or partially synthetic drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and methadone, all of which bind to opioid receptors in the brain and body to block pain and produce feelings of euphoria and deep relaxation. Opioids are among the most physically addictive substances known, as repeated use causes the brain to downregulate its natural pain-relieving and reward systems, creating intense physical dependence that makes stopping without medical support extremely difficult and potentially dangerous due to severe withdrawal symptoms. The United States is in the grip of an ongoing opioid epidemic — the CDC estimates that opioids were involved in over 80,000 overdose deaths in 2021 alone — driven largely by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is 50–100 times more potent than morphine and has contaminated much of the illicit drug supply.
Many opioids are manufactured and prescribed as supervised painkillers in forms such as pills, tablets, and skin patches, while others are sold illegally as powders that can be smoked, snorted, or injected, with Heroin most commonly injected and powerful synthetics like Fentanyl used similarly. Opioid use typically creates intense calm and relaxation as pain and anxiety fade, and stronger doses can cause heavy drowsiness or a semiconscious “nod,” followed by a prolonged comedown marked by mental fog, physical heaviness, and emotional detachment.
Due to their powerful pain relief and euphoric effects, opioids are widely abused and highly dangerous, accounting for nearly 70% of U.S. overdose deaths in 2018, with most involving synthetic drugs—fueling what is known as the Opioid epidemic. In that year alone, over 11 million Americans reported misusing prescription painkillers, and drugs like Heroin can dangerously slow breathing and heart rate, making overdose a constant risk—especially without medical supervision—leading to coma, vomiting, oxygen deprivation (hypoxia), permanent brain damage, or death.
Opioid withdrawal can range from deeply uncomfortable to medically dangerous, sometimes causing heart failure, seizures, coma, or severe muscle spasms, which is why many people detox under professional supervision by gradually tapering doses to reduce shock to the body and mind. Symptoms can begin within hours of last use and include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, depression, agitation, muscle aches, sweating, tearing, fever-like feelings, and intense cravings; they typically peak within 1–3 days and ease after about a week or more, though some individuals develop Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, where lingering symptoms persist for months or even years.
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, seeking professional help as soon as possible is essential, as quitting “cold turkey” without medical support can increase the risk of severe complications, relapse, or overdose; treatment programs provide compassionate, nonjudgmental care focused on recovery and long-term wellness. Warner Park Recovery offers comprehensive, individualized drug treatment programs tailored to each person’s unique needs, helping patients get sober, remain sober, and build a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Opiates are substances derived naturally from the opium poppy plant, including morphine, codeine, and heroin. Opioids is the broader term that encompasses both natural opiates and synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs — such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and methadone — that are manufactured in a laboratory to act on the same opioid receptors in the brain and body. In common usage, “opioids” has largely replaced “opiates” as the standard clinical term because it captures the full range of substances in this class, including the synthetic compounds that now account for the majority of overdose deaths in the United States.
The classic signs of opioid overdose are a triad of symptoms: pinpoint (extremely small) pupils, unconsciousness or unresponsiveness, and slow, shallow, or stopped breathing — sometimes accompanied by blue or grayish coloring of the lips or fingertips (cyanosis), gurgling or choking sounds, and limpness of the body. An opioid overdose is a medical emergency that requires immediate action: call 911 right away, administer naloxone (Narcan) if available — it can be given as a nasal spray or injection and can rapidly reverse the overdose — place the person in the recovery position if they are breathing, and stay with them until emergency services arrive. Naloxone is widely available at pharmacies without a prescription in California.
Three medications are FDA-approved for opioid use disorder and have strong evidence bases: Methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist dispensed daily through licensed opioid treatment programs that reduces cravings and withdrawal without producing euphoria at therapeutic doses; Buprenorphine (Suboxone), a partial opioid agonist available in office-based settings that reduces cravings and withdrawal and has a ceiling effect that limits overdose risk; and Naltrexone (Vivitrol), an opioid antagonist that blocks opioid effects entirely and is administered as a monthly injection, making it an option well-suited to people who are fully detoxed and highly motivated. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) with any of these medications, combined with behavioral therapy, produces significantly better outcomes than behavioral therapy alone.
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