How opioids affect the body

Opioids are powerful substances that switch on opioid receptors. Opioid receptors are located throughout our whole body, especially within the brain. When these receptors are switched on, the body’s ability to feel pain is lessened or blocked, and the person using the opioids might feel euphoric (high), warm, or just really good.  For this reason, physicians often prescribe opioids to patients experiencing chronic pain.

Opioids are also powerfully addictive.  While they can cause experiences of euphoria in a person’s brain or body, these will diminish over time as the brain and body adapts. The person will need to take a higher dose of the opioid in order to feel the same euphoric state as before. The more they take, the more they become dependent, eventually leading to an opioid addiction.

An overdose happens when someone takes more of a drug than their body can handle. In an opioid overdose, the breathing center in the brainstem is affected, and breathing slows or stops. When this happens, oxygen cannot travel to the brain and heart. Without enough oxygen, and without help, the overdosing person could die.