What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat? - Mike Davis
Explore the science of why opioids are addictive and what can be done to reverse the growing rates of addiction and overdose. If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid use in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services operates a helpline (800-662-4357) and has a database of treatment facilities: www.hhs.gov/opioids/
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In the 1980s and 90s, pharmaceutical companies began to market opioid painkillers aggressively, while actively downplaying their addictive potential. The number of prescriptions skyrocketed, and so did cases of addiction, beginning a crisis that continues today. What makes opioids so addictive? Mike Davis explains what we can do to reverse the skyrocketing rates of addiction and overdose.
Lesson by Mike Davis, directed by Good Bad Habits.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid use in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services operates a helpline: 800-662-4357, and has a database of treatment facilities and resources: www.hhs.gov/opioids/
38 minutes ago?
@@Ja-jq7pc hi a human potato
thanks!
@@uxleumas wot
Not sure GOV is the best place to go....
Schools should show this kind of stuff instead of just going “don’t do drugs cause they’re bad”
I second the motion
@Apool K yea but it should be more in depth
@Apool K addiction is a problem, but this shows a more comprehensive view than just "no, bad, don't do it."
for me, they did, through fairly functional programs that were not universally implemented, but still more or less standard for all the bigger schools. I live in Germany, for context.
Yeah, i'm learning stuffs and also could feel the negative effects even though I haven't experienced it
I love how this video is not downplaying opioid addiction as "they're not strong enough to quit", but rather it emphasizes that it's more than a psychological dependence. Your body starts depending on it physiologically, and withdrawal symptoms can actually be very dangerous. We definitely need more than "willpower" to combat opioid addiction, and society seeing it as solely an individual's moral problem and lack of "discipline' is not helping.
exactly! and thank you!
I wonder how bonafide patients who are prescribed opioids manage any side-effect addiction that comes from its use. Do they also fall into the trap?
WEYffles yes!
A heart from TED and I couldn't agree more
Exactly!
I was an opioid addict for years. Overdosed twice. Been clean a bit now. DON'T miss it. Its tough, not everyone makes it out, I lost my best friend of over 20 years to Fentanyl overdose. It becomes a literal habit you base your life around until there is nothing left, and then you keep going. Much love to anyone going through it.
I’m proud of you for making it through that. I lost my mom to opioids and it’s always good to hear stories of people who made it through stuff like that, makes me happy. Hope you’re well!
You got this....trust me jst stop and reach for greatness bro God bless
It's from a flower, accidentally discovered, remains in use for medical use, blame drug companies for fuelling the epidemic, painkiller addiction effects the human body🚩🚬💊💉✅💲
Just think about how sick you were and you'll never want to use again stay strong
How'd you make it through withdrawal?
As a survivor of a opioid addiction, (almost 2 years sober!) thank you for making this. We can all make it if we help eachother
king
Congratulations on your recovery!
How'd you make it through withdrawal?
Congratulations
Wanna get high?
Voice, animation.... Literally everything is perfect
Amazing video
*Did u just predict my comment!?!?* 125th like
Ritika Rajan for real
thought the same
I feel like I want to live in the animation it's so good
Oh boy nothing like getting people addicted for profit then making them pay hundreds of dollars to get rid of their addiction
Agreed. But it's more like many many thousands of dollars for people who end up on long term maintenance meds (e.g Methadone or Suboxone). It's a sick world we live in
✨capitalism✨
It's just like back in 1800's
No one is making anyone do anything. Myopic opinion
Juliet Azcarate so. Do you like communism?
I'm a pharmacist and I'm ashamed that I've never thought about how decreasing tolerance to opioids during withdrawal is in fact deadly to those who try to quit. that made realise that people who try to better themselves and quit actually put themselves at higher risk of dying of overdose due to the new sensitivity of their's bodies that's both frightening and heart breaking 💔
Don't trouble yourself dude. Withdrawing alcoholics are at greater risk of dying than junkies going cold turkey,
@@megafauna8374 your point?
Withdrawal can even cause seizures and heart attacks. People with chronic pain that need to be on high doses of opiates have such a hard time getting prescribed enough, and if their prescriber stops prescribing out of fear of being stripped of their license for prescribing higher doses (even if it is legal, medically advised, and within their right) people that depend on meds will go into Withdrawal. And if they go to a clinic or hospital to get the "antidote" drug that curbs withdrawal, they can then be blacklisted from ever getting their meds again, because they needed the antidote. And since the law in the US for schedule 2 drugs prohibits patients from picking up their prescription even a day early, if the pharmacist misplaces, lost, or never filled a prescription, the person who depends on the drug will go into withdrawal, even in one or two days. Which can kill them. Unless they get the antidote. Which they can then be refused medicine on the basis of it being a withdrawal drug. This is in the United States. The medication filling law is a federal law, but some others change from state to state
Yeah. Pretty messed up. It almost seems like it was designed to be like that
Dude, benzodiazepams are the worst!!!
Thank you for making this video. When this video came out, I was in active addiction and was petrified that I was destined to be an addict forever. Thank God I had the motivation I needed to get clean and now I'm almost two years clean. March 7th 2023 will be my two year anniversary. I am so grateful for my life now. I am in a relationship with the man I love, we are currently working on getting a house together and I am 6 months pregnant. After being told that I'd probably never have kids, this is truly a blessing for me and I pray that all my fellow addicts can see the light and make it out. Believe me, I understand how hard it is to kick such a habit but when you get to the other side, you'll see that all your efforts were well worth it.
so so so happy for u, congratulations on ur recovery, I was just wondering how r u doing now, 4 months later? if the question is not to invasive that is
I lost both my parents to the Opioid epidemic when I was a kid. Now I'm currently working to become a Social Worker so that I might be able to help people who are struggling. Videos like this are so important to help people understand the complexity of addiction, thank you Ted Ed
sorry to hear that
Sorry for your loss
rest in peace. so sorry
So sorry for the tragic loss of your parents. You're a very strong person 🌹
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'm sure they would be proud of you
The crisis also affects people like me who deal with intense chronic pain. (I have lupus an autoimmune disease which has affected multiple organs, heart, kidneys, liver, and blood. I also have scoliosis. Doctors often refuse to prescribe pain meds due to the crisis, so I'm often left stuck dealing with it by myself. Most days are incredibly difficult.
How old r u?
Yeah smoke cannabis
Came here to comment this. The real solution to the opioid crisis is to fund research for equally effective painkillers that aren't so addictive or dangerous. The reason opioids are so prevalent is because they fill a real need among the population for powerful painkillers.
Do you take HCQ as a remedy for lupus? If so, how has the recent CoVID19 crisis affected your HCQ availability?
@@gardenhead92 It's not that at all. The addiction and physiological dependence is what makes them prevalent. Once you're hooked, you create potentially unlimited demand & Purdue Pharma supplies to it. A crisis like this does not happen out in the open, not overnight, it was an unknown thing happening to some people initially and took a long time before we realized that it has become a global crisis. I think humanity would have been just alright even without synthetic opiates.
Psychedelics saved me from years of uncontrollable depression, anxiety, smoking, and illicit pills addiction. Imagine carving heavy chains for over a decade and then all of a sudden that burden is gone. Believe it or not, in a couple of years they'll be all over for treatment of mental health related issues.
To be honest, mushrooms are one of the most amazing things on the planet and it is natural, they serve in many ways not only for mental related issues.
Can you help me with a reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. It is very hard to get a reliable source here in New Zealand. Really need!
Yes, Sporeville. I had the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction... Mushrooms definitely made a huge difference to why I'm clean today.
I wish they were readily available in my place. Microdosing was my next plan of care for my husband. He's 59 & has many mental health issues plus probably CTE & a TBI that left him in a coma 8 days. It's too late now I had to get a TPO as he's 6'6 300+ pound homicidal maniac. He's constantly talking about killing someone. He's violent. Anyone reading this Familiar w/ BPD knows if it is common for an obsession with violence.
Is he on Instagram?
I did learn about drugs at school, about becoming "dependent" on drugs, but they did not go into this level of detail to explain why there is a dependence and withdrawal symptoms, nor did I know that relapsing while withdrawing was more dangerous. This was very educational.
It blows my mind that despite the "war on drugs" being a huge failure, a lot of people are still hellbent on blaming the addicts and feel that throwing them in prison is the best thing to do for them. Start treating addiction like a mental illness rather than a crime.
Nah, rather than being afraid getting into prison, its more likely that those drug addict is just to lazy to seek therapy, too afraid to experience the discomfort of the withdrawal symptom or they still want to experience pleasure from taking opiates
Yes and no... Even thought addiction by itself shouldn't be charged, addicts end up arrested anyway even in countries that do not charge them for their addiction. I'm in Italy, in my country addicts that commit small crimes are often given one chance to go to a rehab community where they can detox, instead of being thrown into jail.... They often escape from it in a few days and end up back to where they were....
yes thank you . your exactly right. this is coming from somone who is opioid dependent on legal pain killers. i get treated like a criminal for just taking my meds the right way and still running into these problems of tolerance withdrawl and then im judged and looked at like a criminal addict by some of the medical community that gives me these drugs. what hypocrisy
@Anessen depression changes your brain but its still a mental illness
Catch 22, think about it, people buying heroine are also funding high level criminals, often involved in funding wars, modern day slavery and radicalised cults, even within the western sphere, people like you side with the addicts, but families can become impoverished over night if heroine users move into the area, as their property is now fair game for heroine addicts to fund their habits, personally experienced this myself, in the 80's and 90s and even now in the 2000s. So when your trying to raise a family, they are literally the scourge of your life and neighbourhood, not to mention, the pushers have no moral sense and will push heroine onto your kids as soon as they are aware enough about these things. Sorry to say you have the callous compassion of someone isolated from these problems. Hope you know better now, not preaching just saying, its messier and much more complicated and multipronged as you may think, opiate addiction is a terrible affliction for the person and for entire communities in general because even if you are not an addict, inevitably the issues of having addicts in your area will interfere and impoverish and endanger those around you.
It's almost like the people who got away with causing this opioid epidemic should be held accountable or something. Idk, just a thought.
They deserve capitol punishment tbh
AModerateChub guillotine the ruling class
They are to an extent many pharmaceutical companies have gone bankrupt from massive fines. Insys for example.
AModerateChub Eat the poor, problem solved
@@computerguy1372 Companies going bankrupt isn't the same as people dying tho, still doesn't seem like enough. Also the people who own large companies usually have shares in lots of other companies, so it's not like they're losing all their wealth anyways
This scared the mess out of me. Thank you. I honestly didn’t know the whole story on opioids, and I hope this video saves at least 1 life.
I am part way into day 2 because the VA wants everyone to get the Covid shots, and I refuse. I am going cold turkey at 63 years of age, it’s very rough. I have been on Oxy for 13 years for herniated discs, along with an assortment of the VA’s drugs. I will try to let you know how I do.
@@davidallen2026 How did it go?
Very very dangerous to cold turkey opioids, especially by yourself.
I had IV morphine available to me once after a fairly major surgery. I remember hitting that button and I could FEEL that stuff going through me. I distinctly remember thinking "Oh, this is why people get addicted to this stuff."
You forgot to mention a few things: 1) because the world still criminalizes being addicted to drugs, millions of people refuse to seek treatment for their addiction because they are afraid of going to jail. 2) the perception that addiction = weakness was in large part due to the drug companies that got people addicted. They lobbied Congress hard to say that it was strength of will, not their drug, that got people addicted. 3) You mentioned that addiction often is accompanied by other mental illness, but it's often that mental illness causes addiction. Opioids aren't the primary cause of opioid addiction. It's largely a social phenomenon. People who are depressed, or lonely, or traumatized take opioids often as a means of self-medicating. Giving people care before hand can prevent opioid addiction in addition to treating it.
Exactly! Great video about the physical dependence of opioids... but that physical dependence is not their sole reason they're addictive. Such a shame the psychological addiction was not addressed :(
"Often mental illness causes addiction." I very much challenge this statement. In the hospital, I've come across many variable circumstances of opioid dependence and addiction. What you find is that opioids can have a profound effect on not just physiological processes, but cognitive behavior. One of the things we do for people post-surgery is provide them with some form of analgesic so that they can get out of bed early and promote a faster recovery. These analgesics don't just kill the pain, they help augment the person's mental capacity to think they can get through recovery. There's been a fair amount of circumstances where a patient was given just one dose of opioids and they immediately became addicted to the substance because of their cognitive dependence. I very much believe that what was stated in the video is more correct than what you put forth in your 3rd key. "Addiction is often accompanied by other mental illness." It isn't a chicken or the egg situation, it's more of a contributing factors = result situation. Mental illness is one of those contributing factors, so is opioid use to begin with.
Cuddly Jon preach
Kyle mental illness does not lead to an addiction. Someone can me psychologically healthy and still get hooked onto things.
@@CuddlyJon I don't seem to understand the essence of your argument, and there seems to be a misunderstanding of my argument. There is undeniable evidence that things like ACEs exposure, traumatic experiences, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other variables can cause addiction. Yes, opioids are what people get addicted to, and yes, they are A cause, but people can also use marijuana, alcohol, LSD, etc. In fact, marijuana is often used to help people get off of opioids. So no, opioids aren't the PRIMARY cause of addiction. If you want to argue that, that opioids sink their hooks in people causing addiction, you'd have to explain why non-opioid drugs and non-drug therapies can treat this addiction using different brain mechanisms, and why environmental factors are such strong predictors of addiction beyond genetic and biological factors. While we should be very skeptical of mice studies, there was one done regarding drug addiction where instead of locking mice up in a cage and giving them a choice between water laced with drugs and regular water, they created a social environment for mice to live in, and gave them the option to choose drug laced water and regular water. Almost no mouse chose the drug laced water, suggesting that the deprivation of social needs is an essential factor that mediates the relationship between drugs and drug addiction. This is a complex conversation to have, but I can provide citations to scholarly literature if you're interested.
What did I do to get this amazing animation? The color, style, fluidity, and informative/intuitive nature, literally everything is so beautiful.
CozyJosey got high?
Hey your profile picture is from princess mononoke
Achshelanu Drori why do you assume just people who are high can feel appreciation for art? I feel appreciation very deeply & I am made of Ecstasy & the most beautiful starts. You don’t need drugs to be a deep thinker babe.
@@lancealot141 I think she meant how she worded the first sentence
I just lost my younger brother who is 17 to a relapse of opioid. This video really helped me and I will continue to share the knowledge I’ve learned from this video! Thank you!
I was prescribed dihydrocodeine 48 hours ago for horrendous toothache. I've gone from being worried about toothache and in pain to being wide awake yet relaxed and in no pain. Even after this short time I feel like I look forward to taking my medication. As soon as my dental issue is cleared I won't take any unnecessary painkillers but it's frightening how quickly I have grown to look forward to my daily doses, and also how much of a positive impact it's had on my outlook and state of mind.
My great grandmother became addicted to morphine after she got it during a surgery. It got so bad my great grandfather volunteered to administrate it himself and during months he would inject it to her, except he was slowly diluting the mixing week after week without her noticing. After a while she was completely cured :)
That's actually really sweet, my great aunt jonie was a morphine addict with a similar situation where her brother would come to her house and administer it for her, unfortunately he was not actually trying to help her quit.
Smart man. I'm glad he understood the importance of titration.
It must've been a very slow process with very slow drops in dosage. Tapering is feasible with a weaker opiate like morphine for sure, but it can be tricky to continuously administer drugs that give you a "rush" and then not feel that rush because you're not increasing the dosage. I'm really glad to hear that it worked though :)
It’s astonishing that we have so many people in the world who are incredibly intelligent and gifted and yet there is still barely any relief for these people who unfortunately become addicted. It’s sad that just because these people are seen as “addicts” they get almost no sympathy and compassion from the people who can help the most.
That is true, I would probably think an alcoholic was mean now that I think about it. Edit: Oh my god, this comment literally got liked in less that one minute after it was posted! Wow!
liam kelley I majored in neuroscience and pharmacology in the hopes that I could somehow help addicts. Psychedelics and ibogaine I believe may be part of the key to future treatment. It is probably possible to find analogs of these drugs and design them specifically for this purpose
Naltrexone has been FDA approved since 1994 for opioid and alcohol abuse disorders, yet most docs have barely heard about it, or confuse it with Antabuse. My limited experience has been w/AUD, & using the The Sinclair Method, or TSM, I've witnessed firsthand success w/Naltrexone. When used according to TSM, it has a documented track record of 78% success rate with AUD. Look it up. One Little Pill documentary & other Ted Talks about it w/ Claudia Christian from Babylon 5.
Obviously you’ve never been to NA/AA. Plenty of compassionate help and free.
MauiGirl 888 not much help from society as a whole. AA is a pretty niche and extreme methodology of getting clean and it’s not the right fit for everyone.
I'd like to point out one thing; I live in Canada which has a much more progressive attitude towards opioid addiction, and in my experience most facilities that prescribe maintenance medications do that and nothing else. I have a doctor give me scripts for suboxone but there is no therapy to be found. This is something that needs to seriously change if we can expect people to have the strength and will to continue fighting.
My best friend was addicted to opioids. A couple of years ago he was just taking a couple now and then. Last year he was taking 30 in one sitting just to feel okay. In November he was weaning off of them. He passed away over Christmas. We still don’t know the specifics, but it looks like it was the increased risk of overdose after coming off them as displayed in this graphic. Please, people, don’t even get started on these things.
Some time back, I lost a friend to a relapse overdose, and this video helped me understand a bit more of why that happened. Thank you for consistently making great videos.
sorry m8
I hope that YOU are doing well. You are NOT ALONE! Be safe 🤗
@@glennbrown3426 not alone in what? Understanding something that wasn’t well-understood to them before?
@@papasscooperiaworker3649 really? Wow. Bye
Years of experience to simplify it, once you take opioids your body stops creating endorphins (you can eat a meal and enjoy it, hear a song and vibe to it) according to pub med it can take 2 years for a person to create the same endorphins prior to use after stopping meaning they are expected to sit in that much more misery. Now, if they had chronic conditions prior to use and already had an endorphin deficiency they could never be "normal" so it served a purpose. Why live in misery when relief exists, Id choose to live with relief or die that way - why exist suffering. Pain patient vs addict... they both would suffer just the same in the end.
Now I understood in a right way why addicted people crave despite their efforts to stop
As someone who used to have issues, I would love to see more people see this. If there was an opioid that didn't cause overdose, and you could buy it at the store, it would literally be one of the easiest drug habits to maintain. It's the withdrawal that causes people to go mad. That's when people act irrational. It's not like stimulants where it makes people act erratic. Opioids are a weird situation.
Its insidious. Once an addict always an addict, even when you stop. It made me understand the saying. "I don't like the drugs but the drugs like me"
@@mj68874 don't say things like that, i'm trying to quit :(
@@tunturikuningas5393 best of luck boss !
@@tunturikuningas5393 best of luck!!(●'◡'●)
I'm an ex addict and this video is well done with info and matching animation to inform people who have no idea how withdrawal actually works.
Does anyone else have tears strolling down their eyes watching this? This heartache is real. To watch people you love go through it and break down because of it is soul-crushing. The number one thing you can do is be there for people who have to choose between their job and their health.
As a former addict and mental health patient you forgot a huge issue. Opiods give you a false sense of well-being which to a mental health patient is priceless. That's the hardest part of recovery
You just put something into words that I have been trying to explain to people around me for years. Thank you for this, that's exactly it. It gives you a false sense of well-being and safety, something many addicts have never had.
Damn.. Truth has been spoken.
As a pharmacy student this was so interesting to learn! I’d learned briefly about morphine and opioids in lectures but not about how they cause addiction. Thanks for the video Ted- Ed! ❤️👍🏽👍🏽
Reshme Subramaniam wow, really, these days? Absolute failure of our university system
That's actually messed up that they don't even teach you the truth about drugs that they're gonna have you legally dealing to people.. they would probably run out of pharmacy students if so.
It is vitally important you do much more research on this topic. The opioid group of drugs have such a mixed history because they are both fantastically useful and perilously dangerous. That’s why there’s such been so much development to make a "safe" opioid: nothing else comes close for pain relief, both acute and chronic. But every new synthesis has suffered the same result, if not also carrying worse side effects.
@@watchm4ker Occam's razor
@@genericx2347 Applied how?
I often share/show this video when I do community talks on the crisis. It's really great. Thanks for doing this, Mike.
If anyone reads this comment who is currently struggling with addiction, please know that your addiction doesn't define you. You are loved. You are important. Those of us who are not fighting addiction have no idea how difficult having an addiction really is; please be patient with us as we are learning to be more compassionate.
Thank you Kamla! I wish there were more people like you. Peace 💗
Thank you❤
It has been scientifically established that dopamine does not create pleasure, it is endorphins and opioids themselves that cause pleasure; what dopamine does is, it motivates you to do activities that are pleasurable or to avoid things that will be painful. When you have an uncontrollable chocolate craving, that is dopamine in action, but when you eat and enjoy that chocolate, that is endorphins (and not dopamine) in action. People who suffer from depression suffer from low levels of dopamine, and thus a lack of motivation to do things that bring joy or avoid things that bring pain. Awesome video nonetheless!
Why do depressed not find any enjoyment doing things they found joy in before? What you said makes no sense.
@@PeaceOfMake but he does make sense. Dopamine is a motivation and craving chemical, not a feel good one. In people who are clinically depressed, their motivation is so low, some could barely get out of bed. Depression causes chemical and sometimes even structural changes to the brain
@@zoeydeu2261 One of the symptoms of depression is anhedonia, meaning you don't find pleasure in activities you found enjoyable before. Motivation plays zero part in that.
Low serotonin levels cause depression.
@@larrytate1657 yep. one of the most used meds for depression treatment is literally called Sertraline.
Jesus christ how good is the animation.. the ending almost brought a tear to my eye.
The video was absolutely perfect! Just enough of pharmacology for it to make sense for the lay man without it being overwhelming using one of the best, most precise animation I've ever seen. It did a great job touching up on all the important points while keeping it short and interesting. Thank you!
This video is just the start, but it has already saved lives.
Cool video, but I noticed in one of the animations at 5:44 you showed Xanax as being an opioid. Xanax is a benzodiazepine, a different but also incredibly addictive class of drugs that have been spiking in popularity recently. Conflating the two is dangerous, as they pose very different health risks (both during use and withdrawals; benzo withdrawals can be lethal).
Benzodiazepines make a very similar story - everyone knows someone who takes them, often not seeing the problem in time. Doctors are happy to prescribe them, theyre even easier to get than opioids. And they are developing physical dependence too - not as quickly as opioids but equally life-threatening and hard to fight against. For example one of the withdrawal symptomes is seizures, even in case of people, who never had attacks before. Alcohol is another example, yet because of its cultural importance it is widely tolerated. Noone is sentencing alcohol possesion and distribution while its negative impact on the global society is enormous.
He was just talking about drugs that are introduced to you through family members and lead to a road of opioid addiction. I get your point but codeine and valium were both easily accessible for me and the valium made it stronger, but I preferred valium until I needed opioids.. so even though they’re entirely different drugs, they’re very similar, just how addictive they are. Coming off opioids is painful, not fun and I get sick sometimes even though I’m on methadone, valium tapering was my first drug to come off but slowly got addicted to the nod as I came off that
Opioids are a literal lifesaver for those with chronic pain. Nearly all of whom take as prescribed yet are now treated like junkies looking to get high. Also, there needs to be a distinction between addiction and physical dependence.
I chose to I chose to remove myself from opioids used for chronic pain from an on-the-job injury. My life has been severely impacted bye the lack of pain relief. CBD is of some help as are anti-inflammatories, but for those who are severely disabled and in a lot of pain they aren't enough. So the quality of life is severely depressed without some sort of decent pain relief. What really pisses me off about programs like this as they fail to address one of the chief contributors to the opioid crisis. The insurance companies. Especially for car accidents and on-the-job injuries, palming off the patients to opioids rather than fixing the injuries I feel was a major contributor to the crisis.
Donald Chronic passion?
Donald oh okay.
I agree, and this is exactly why I am NOT for getting rid of opioids! There are so many people who need them to manage chronic pain. Whether we like it or not, opioids tend to be the most effective, and since there isn't really any chronic pain remedies that are as or even more effective, then they need to stick around. I'm sorry. Disagree if you guys want, but I'm sticking by that. I do think, however, there doctors can change the way they prescribe them. Starting off with low dosages and gradually weaning them off once they either don't need them or don't need them as much. I think there can be compromises somewhere because all I hear about is all the people who got addicted to them and died. You hardly hear about how the pain killers may have given someone who has chronic pain their life back.
yeah sure but y'all have to keep in mind that for a lot of people, it's not a life saver but rather a life destroyer
The biggest problem with opioids is that they work so well. And not just for physical pain relief. When you're in the depths of despair the calmness and euphoria gets you through the day in a positive way. It's hard the see the negativity in that when the alternative is despair and trauma.
Not everyone has an addictive personality. I got a little too much pain killer once after surgery and felt nauseous and almost passed out in the recovery room. The fear of nausea is the thing that keeps me from taking too much of anything, alcohol...etc. It's a feeling I simply cannot stand.
I was recently hospitalized for gallbladder attacks and for the week I was in the hospital awaiting/recovering from surgery I was on morphine. For the week after I was released from the hospital, I was prescribed opioids as I recovered. Thanks to having some great, careful doctors fully aware of the dangers of opioids who made sure I was aware of the dangers of opioids and carefully monitored my intake, I had no problems coming off of the medication as I recovered, but even from such a brief and controlled experience with the drug it's INCREDIBLY EASY to see how one could get addicted to it just from the initial effects alone, especially a particularly at-risk individual. It feels like your brain having the pleasant feeling chemicals squeezed out of it into the rest of the body. The result was this very pleasant inability to think clearly.... including a dramatic and immediate decrease in anxiety. For someone with a mood disorder like me that includes major anxiety, that feeling was particularly tempting to chase despite it also destroying my ability to think too deeply in positive ways and putting a hamper on my abilities as a content creator. While I at no point used my prescription incorrectly or made any effort to pursue getting opioids illicitly, I used every last pill I'd been given before stopping, even when the pain was starting to lessen to the point where over-the-counter painkillers or other pain relief methods would have gotten the job done. And that's someone using this drug correctly over the course of just TWO WEEKS. I don't say any of this to make excuses, and I am DEFINITELY not encouraging anxiety patients self-medicate this way. I tell this story because I think it's important to stress two things: 1. As hokey as all those 90s anti-drug PSAs seem, awareness of the dangers of drug addiction really does make a difference both for clinicians and patients. I was fully aware how an opioid addiction can absolutely destroy one's life and knew no "high" was worth the cost to my brain or my life. (I half-joked about how I'm too cheap and lazy to find a drug dealer. Why spend my hard-earned money being an opioid addict when I can spend it on VIDEO GAMES???) 2. Another big factor to combat drug addiction that society is still not putting enough effort into - as the video briefly mentions - is giving people access to good mental healthcare. For many people who become addicts, it's their attempt to find a solution to an underlying mental health struggle. When you've been struggling with bad psychotherapy long enough, self-medicating becomes extremely tempting. While you might think the potential side effects of opioids would be enough to put someone off of that idea, the potential side effects of many psychotherapy drugs can also be detrimental and there's little telling if the drugs will actually work. The mental healthcare options where I live are absolutely abysmal. When I was hospitalized for a physical ailment as opposed to my experience being hospitalized for mental health issues when I was younger it was like NIGHT AND DAY. It amazed me how the doctors and nurses caring for my physical wellbeing seemed to legitimately care more about my mental health as I went through the crisis than the people whose entire job it was supposed to be to support my mental wellbeing. People often make poor long-term choices that give them instant gratification - like taking opioids outside of doctor's orders - out of a mix of ignorance and a lack of hope for a better solution. While there will always be people who just want the cheap thrill of a drug high, one thing we can do to combat opioid addiction is understand who our most at-risk people are and HELP THEM.
damn for my gallbladder attack they just gave me Toradol and pepcid, it worked alright enough though.
@@TheRach995 Yeah, this was after several rounds of antiacids and whatnot. A stone got caught in the duct and so nothing would help anymore besides removing the whole thing. Happens sometimes, but not always, so they tend to not want to remove it unless they've tried everything else.
So beneficial ❤❤
One addition is lacking in this footage, some sentences need the addition 'in the USA'. No commercial has been shown in Europe for these drugs
Erik Hardiek docs still prescribed
That is because there is one perticular family behind opioid crises in USA and they are going to make even more money now because they have patent for drug for treatment of opoid addiction. It is intresting why this video doesent cover something about them.
Jimmy upadhyay it's TED, they are not allowed to shake the donor class boat. I don't think Sackler have a patent on nalaxone.
I highly recommend watching the film "Requiem For A Dream" relating this drug crisis in USA. (But beware, it may be disturbing even for some adults)
Doctors still prescribe them like crazy in both Europe and the US so I’m not sure what your point is
the animation is absolutely beautiful. every emotion can actually be felt through the screen. so powerful!
I watched this video cause my brother is struggling with an addiction. That's has completely destroyed his life. We currently can't afford rehab so as many families in here in Africa. But am grateful for this video that has taught me so much
This is exactly why I do not take pain meds from my family. I say I don’t want to get addicted even if I’m in pain, most scoff at me and say I won’t get addicted. This definitely helped me keep my stance on not taking other people’s pills, thank you
The Sweetie Oh yes you will get addicted, physically! That is what happened to me. I had to continue because of the physical addiction & the feeling of withdrawals were unbearable. The withdrawals make you want to jump out of a window & die. If I were you, I wouldn't touch them. Do they make you feel good & make your whole pain go away? Heck yes! But is it worth it? No.
the other problem is, once you do take opioids, the amount of happiness you feel is just elevated to another level. everything else in your life will feel dull in comparison. it will be hard to enjoy life when it’s like you’ll never get an experience that amazing again.
NEVER take prescription-grade medication without qualified advice to do so, and always make sure they are obtained from reliable pharmacies, be they local or mail-order. All drugs have side effects. All medication has complications and dosage factors. If someone is offering you painkillers that aren’t over-the-counter aspirin or Tylenol derivatives, refuse. Addiction isn’t the only risk, and the people offering them to you may not even know themselves how reliable, or how dangerous, their drugs are. Opioids are dangerous enough when properly prescribed, and from nominally reliable, regulated suppliers.
NEVER, take anyone's pills if they weren't prescribed to you. It's very dangerous.
It only takes one pill, one breath, to get you addicted. Your life will change forever, stay strong and don’t listen to them saying you won’t, people have no idea how intense it truly is.
I needed this. My mother is addicted. She got into a terrible car crash before I was born and it ruined her spine and back muscles. She was prescribed a form of Oxycodone to combat the pain. She tried to stop about a year ago for only a week or two. But couldn’t handle it. It was the most terrifying experience I’ll ever be witness to. Please to anyone who will listen if *anyone* tries to get you to take these drugs. Don’t! I love my mother but it is very difficult to live with the dependence on this medicine.
the whole concept of "willpower" being something noble is rooted in organized religion and has no place for the 21st century. this video is so well produced and informative.
I love how they talked about the history, then went on to explain what it is, then it’s effects on people, and near the end went on to talk about how we can fix/ help this issue. Great transitions. It’s was very informative and didn’t once make it seem as if these people were lost cause druggies.
I hope anyone suffering from any addiction gets the help they need. Even if they have no friends or family, I care about them and hope they know that addiction is not something to be ashamed of either. Admitting to an addiction and finding the help you need is noble:(
Why is everything from this. Channel so very perfect
Cause they do their research and do a really good job to explain, I wish these guys ran schools or something 😔
Exactly. I think the same every time. The animation, choice of topic, narration, detail etc. Just amazing. I literally tell my friend to just follow them cuz I bore them with constantly sharing everything from here
@@legendsofmyself the one thing is how random this channel
Angie, they are taking the money from you without you knowing it that's why.
@@astrologyfit how?
As an opiate addict in recovery, I try to continue to learn about the disease that afflicts me and many others. I remember the many relapses, and how each time I relapsed, it took a shorter amount of time to become physically addicted again. The last time I relapsed I only used probably 3 or 4 times over a week... and sure enough after the last time I started feeling withdrawal. When I started using I could use for two weeks straight and walk away with minimal withdrawal feelings, so it really shows how the drugs change the brain chemistry over time to be more dependent on them. Thank God for methadone, it's the only reason I'm still alive. Opiates are just so addictive.. they are really far more addictive than any other drug.
Kevin Jenkins do You really think methadone help You lol wait for the years past ,listen i am on methadone for 19 years and i know what this drug Will do to your body ,this it's the worst drugs ever to detox , subuxone it's the same ...if You are in high dose for long time You Will regret been on this poison the day you decide to get off methadone,the whitdraws are worst then any opioids and last for months or Even a year or Two ,i am in 16 mg and i can't sleep at all,SO good luck and get out of this demond soon or You Will love a miserable life after use this for a long time ok.
Methadone it's the most addicted drug and the worst whitdraws and the worst to detox.
Australian here. My doctors told me straight after a few months, i'm addicted, there wasn't a choice by that time. I suffer chronic pain and nerve damage from a work injury and am on opioids daily just to deal and let me live a semi-normal life. It's not a choice for me, and while we haven't gone as hard as the US in banning opioids, they have made it harder for me to get my normal medications every month. FYI - I take a combination of Jurnista, Dantrolene, Lyrica, Diazepam and Ketamine. Add in more for depression, sleep issues etc. I've dropped my doses a bit a year or so ago, but couldn't come down on my Jurnista or Ketamine.
Methadone saved my life. Been sober for 5 years because of it
Logan K I love you! i’m proud of you!
Same I ve been sober for 8 yrs because of Methadone
Huzzah you! You are AMAZING!
Me and my husband are going on 3 years because of methadone
Oooooooo
not the drug is the problem, the environment is. when someone already has problems, be it financial or social, they are at way higher risk to get addicted than people who have a nice environment, job, friends and family. This was also shown with Vietnam war veterans, those that took drugs during war, could easily get off the addiction when they came back to their family. I think it was even one of the Ted-ed videos that addressed this.
@Dominotik Ivan Tulovskiy Yes and no, life sucks when you can’t afford anything or hate your life so addiction is an escape. But life sucks either way right? However, if you had a billion dollars who do you think would fair better the billion dollar man with addiction or the homeless man? Breaking Bad, the tv show about a man making meth for his cancer health care bills was not born from no where.
It can be both.
@Dominotik Ivan Tulovskiy maybe they didn't have enough sources but produced it anyway. I also think that this is only true for normal doses, once someone got on a higher does, it will be way harder to get off, even with the perfect environment.
I agree with this. My boyfriend was an alcoholic from many issues, but when I got in his life he didn’t drink as much or at least not as heavy. I asked him to stop and he promised, one day it was too much and he had a shot or two. I broke down crying and yelled at him that he promised me he’d stopped and how hurt I felt from him lying and betraying me! He realized how much it affected me and stopped cold. I sometimes feel a little bad he refuses the stuff completely even when I offer it. He’s trying so hard to keep his promise and it warms my heart that I mean that much to him..that his promise to me means so much to him..
we could jst call it obama care
As a addict in recovery myself I've learned more from this short than I have in most rehab's. Thank you for that
Me currently being in EMT training, this helps me understand these situations better, and where the people whom are in struggling to fight off these addictions are coming from.
ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BE PRESERVED IN ALCOHOL EXCEPT LOVE, HEALTH AN WEALTH. -TEDED
Alcohol can be super expensive when preserved long enough, and lots of sanitizers have alcohol in them
true poetry i know
Sadly thing call "love" doesn't exist in reality
@@thureintun1687 yes it does. the chemicals and stuff
Zachthesnivy so?
Guys if you have an addiction please know that aren't alone and you can get help and stop it. If you are dealing with one and trying to get off I truly hope that you succeed.
ok shadow the hedgehog
One of the worst things about opioid recovery is that even after getting clean, a patient might still have the condition that caused opioids to be prescribed in the first place. And now their endorphin receptors are fried, so future pain management is MUCH harder.
This video changed the way I look at addiciton and changed my life, thank you.
I am quitting all addictions right now, I found a way.
You guys are out here killing it!! Showing how education can be both entertaining and informative, for young and old.
I highly recommend watching the film "Requiem For A Dream" relating to this drug crisis in the USA. (But beware, it may be disturbing even for some adults)
Trainspotting is better
I tried to watch it a couple weeks after i stopped using and it made me feel so bad i couldn't even finish the movie. So y'all must be aware that yes, requiem for a dream is a well made and realistic movie, but it's also very triggering. I would recommend it for people who have never used or are clean since a long time and strong enough
why is it disturbing\/
every kid must watch it before beginning their college.
and an amazing book
This is SUCH a great video. Great job communicating and delivering that message. I would love to see more like this. ❤️
I just want to say incredible work on the animations in this video, really paints the picture of the processes going on.
yes, this animation is really a work of art and compassion
Many, many videos on KZhead, I set the speed to at least 1.25% to breeze through them quicker. These are among the few ones that I watch in normal speed because I just really enjoy the narration and work/thought put into it.
I wanna thank you for posting this. I think it's really important to understand the way those type of drugs work on our bodies, how addictive they can be, and find better ways to help people having an addiction, not only judging them.
Every video has the perfect voice, so easy to listen to. This is my new favourite channel.
I've always seen news about opioid overdose. I never understood why people felt the need to take drugs that can kill you. I'm 22 and feel depressed and understand that other people probably do as well while using drugs. It's so important to talk and take care of your friends and family.
The animation was magical. I really hope I can get to that level some day.
wow, the animation is getting better and better! Keep it up!
The road of addiction can be overcome. Dont give up. Being clean is such an amazing feeling and well worth the fight.
I think that educating children on the effects of drugs is way more important than just telling them not to do them. I really wish we watched these kinds of educational videos in school.
I have had my first Oxycodone a few months ago after my dental surgery. They made me mildly high (for someone who never does drugs at least) and it was the best sleeping pill ever lol I didn't finish the whole prescription though, knowing that it can be addictive. The effect was great while it lasted
I was prescribed oxycodone after my wisdom teeth removal. Just one dose and I had horrible awful side effects. Threw out the rest and stuck with ibuprofen. When my sister had to get her teeth out she was pressured into taking oxycodone but firmly refused. What a horrid drug
I had gallbladder surgery a couple of months back and the was prescribed Oxy which was my second time having them prescribed and one thing I can say is I don't like that feeling, it took me almost 3 week to finish 6 pills and it was recommended ever 6 to 8 hours I believe but I rather deal with the pain
HKVC If you did not finish the entire prescription then trust me, you 100% did not get high from them. The fact that you say they make you sleepy is the first piece of evidence. People who become addicted to them actually have more energy and become more social and talkative. Genetically, you do not have the predisposition to be “high” on opiates, and therefore, to ever get addicted, I cannot express enough how grateful you should be for this🙏🏽
who919 If you did not like them, and we’re only able to take so few especially in such an extended amount of time then trust me, it’s 100% because you did not experience the true high from them (like those who are genetically predisposed do) I can almost guarantee that they make you sleepy and not energetic huh? That would be the first piece of evidence. People who become addicted to them actually have more energy and become more social and talkative. Genetically, you do not have the predisposition to even get “high” on opiates, and therefore, to ever get addicted, I cannot express enough how grateful you should be for this🙏🏽
What kind of surgery? Seriously Oxycodone? I wonder if Doctors there don't use pain ladder to prescribe pain killer? In hospital I work at for dental procedure we only allow paracetamol and NSAID . If patient still complaint of pain then only we will give moderate opioid. Opioid is not a first line pain killer.
Such an important drug in medicine! A dangerous drug in the wrong hands! Great thing that you talk about it and cause awareness!
This is why I love Ted-Ed, they actually care.
This is the first drug abuse video I've been able to watch in years without a panic attack. Thank you.
Great job. This is the most honest, unbiased, concise explanation of the situation I've seen.
I'm blown away by the animation and creativity in this video. Props to the ones who contributed to this part of this already amazing video
Last year I went addicted to opioids to kill my back and neck pain, with the issolation it was a nightmare, I wanted to die, I felt sick all the time. Fortunately I had a treatment and stoped using them. But I think is a taboo, no one wants to talk about it, I was very ashamed, everyone was so upset and dissapointed with me. Lack of information, lots of ignorance.
I don't normally comment on KZhead videos but I have to say that this video was so brilliantly done. The information presented was thorough enough that I got a good grasp of the issues associated with opioid addiction but it wasn't too complex that I had trouble following. Great job to the everyone who put this video together! You deserve massive kudos!
This was an excellent explanation of how the use of some drugs or opioids may result in an addiction, and why it can be do hard to quit for some people. This is a great way to shed light on this subject. Far better than some schools for sure.
This animation, the animator’s voice, & the animation style is just perfect.
Been off opiates for 18 months now-no turning back ,love my life now🤗,wish all the people who is struggeling out there the best of luck-you CAN do it!! Love and lights from faraway Norway-stay safe at home
What a perfection. It was hard to concentrate on the information being provided as the animation was a piece of art in almost every scene. Had to rewind the video several times to catch up :D
Wow. This was a beautiful illustration with soothing music, calming voice and hypnotic visuals. And I'm not even high at this point. Kudos to the Visual arts and graphic design team.
Just the work that went into making this, I can't even imagine!
The animation shown for dopamine at 2:40 is beyond perfect! Along with the rest of the video. So important! Side note: I wish Addison Anderson would narrate my life.
Your animations never cease to amaze us, Ted-Ed. Keep up the good work
I find it an amazing how in the US doctors prescribe pills so easily to kids and the parents are fine with it. Here in Europe doctors avoid giving kids medication, unless it is paracetamol or ibuprofen.
This video certainly helped me better understand the addiction crisis. I had no idea how and why it's so difficult to stay away from the drugs.
Your videos are always so well done! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you Ted-Ed for all the effort that goes into each of your videos. Been a long time subscriber and this video motivated me to join your Patreon community. Wanted to give a thanks for the educational content you give us
I just LOVE ted ed's explinations, animation and literally everything about this channel. Such good work and effort are put in these well made videos❤
I love that stuff. I used to put everything in my life aside to get access to opiates. I love being able to put something in my body and immediately get lasting fulfilling profound joy. And as much as my life collapsed and I destroyed my relationships and degraded my circumstances, I had more reason to get high, and I loved it more. The biggest problem was that all this joy was bought on credit, and I had to pay it back with misery. So if I stopped, I was going to be miserable, sure, but I'd also be in the horrendous situation of my degraded, abandoned, real life. The cramps and diarrhea and sweating and restless limbs is pretty bad. The metallic taste in my mouth and insomnia and vomiting for days on end is bad as well. But the psychological distress of withdrawing was the worst. Panic, fear and dread all become distinct and vivid. Cyclical thoughts torture you all through the sleepless nights. You become completely helpless and hopeless. And I could make it all go away with a little pill and try again some other time... Maybe after I lowered my daily dose a bit and I made it a little easier. Then I can start trying to have a real life again... Maybe in a few months when the weather is different.
The animation helps so much on explaining complicated subject like this. Thank you Ted-Ed.
the animators they collab with are always incredible. This in particular is awesome 😮
My daughter died on 2/2/18 from this. Ayahuasca (DMT) may have been an alternate option as it’s 99% success rate to resolve such addictions is impressive. It is naturally occurring in our own brains and found in most common every day plant grass trees but our government has made it an illegal substance. How that works , you tell me? But I can only guess as to why!!! Had I known more about Ayahuasca months, several years before her death….. I may have pursued trying to see what I could’ve done using that route….she would most likely be here today. RIP my sweet angel, a victim of your own escape, Sarah Nicole Hamilton 3/2/91-2/2/18. Mommy loves and misses you!!! 💕😘🙏🏻
Hi Colette, I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. I was fortunate to survive multiple overdoses on Oxycontin but I think and pray daily for those who were lost to substance use. DMT was the last thing I tried and that night I never took another pill. I don't know if it just scared me, but the things I saw made me realize I was much greater than my addiction.
@@AustinLnX Amen or Namaste whatever works as I am so happy for you snd the blessing u received. Thank you kindly. There is more to do here for you and much love and proud of u for pulling thru alive and able to learn more, share more and teach more. 🙏🏻❤️
@@coletteeffel4581 Thank you for the kind words, I'm currently in college hoping to get a degree in addiction studies. I've been so intrigued since I quit using to help others, I see it as my purpose as I could've had everything taken from me, I believe I should help addicts and their loved ones find hope and healing in a world that too often disrespects and punishes addicts.
@@AustinLnX thank God, the Universe, collective consciousness etc for people like you. Addicts like this deserve actually more respect than most. The only weakness I find is that they are here before their time and find it hard to handle such a planet is so far behind. They suffer typically in lacking coping skills to deal with such a simplistic set of values snd existence. Bottom line on my opinion. I know in my deepest part of ‘soul energy’ my daughter was emotionally and energetically brilliant’. As are you, that I am certain. Much love and thanks to you , words cannot express.
This has to be the best explanation of this addiction I’ve seen!!
That was the most well-animated and satisfying thing to watch high on opiates