Katie’s story has been told by countless others; “I was being treated for pain and instantly became an opiate addict after my first shot of morphine.” In the United States, morphine is categorized as a “Schedule 2 Drug” by the DEA. This drug category means that, while morphine has accepted uses for medical treatment, its use is severely restricted, as it has a high potential for leading to strong psychological dependence.
Katie is an upper-middle-class mother of three who never used hard drugs in her life. One trip to the hospital for a severe dog bite and she was hooked. Morphine and heroin work in the body in very similar ways. Heroin abusers often report feeling an initial pleasurable sensation called a “rush,” a feeling also produced by morphine.
Katie first began abusing the opiate pills she was prescribed but never forgot that feeling of a morphine injection. “Then I met someone who told me how I could experience that sensation again and at a lower cost than the pills I was buying on the street.” “One shot of heroin and I was reacquainted with my demon.”
Katie is one of the thousands of opiate drug users who begin their troubled road of addiction with a hospital visit or prescription pain medication. Some call it the “accidental addiction,” having trusted their physicians to prescribe a drug that was safe.
At Tranquil Shores, our trained professionals are committed to helping clients understand the cause and the devastation of their addiction. Understanding the background of the individual, not putting them all into one category, is our unique approach. Our clients often feel tricked by their doctors and need empathy and direction to free themselves and begin the road to recovery.
