What Science Says to Do If Your Loved One Has an Opioid Addiction
Great article, but if your loved one has an opioid addiction and wants to quit without suffering the devastating withdrawal, I would strongly recommend investigating kratom.  It is a non-opiate tree which grows primarily in Thailand and similar regions.  It contains an alkaloid called mitragynine.  This alkaloid is a selective opioid receptor agonist.  Specifically, research shows that it is an agonist to several opioid receptors but particularly an antagonist of the receptor which causes respiratory system depression, and is thought responsible for the primary addictive nature of most opiates and synthetic opioids.<p>It is legal in most of the US (I believe there are 1 or 2 states which have banned it, it has a long history by now in US law.  A year or so ago the DEA announced to Congress the intention to schedule it (ban it) under their &#x27;emergency&#x27; powers (which is bullshit since there are no deaths from it, and it remains mostly unknown, those &#x27;emergency&#x27; powers are simply abused).  After that announcement, they were required to consult research and doctors, along with opening a public comment period.  Afterward they withdrew their intent to schedule it.  So, for now, it remains legal.<p>Its effect upon a person with no opioid dependence is at low doses similar to caffeine without the &#x27;jittery&#x27; part and without the crash afterward.  In larger doses it has mild analgesic and sedative properties.  I&#x27;ve taken Vicodin after I had my wisdom teeth removed, and have also tried kratom, and not even in large amounts have I ever experienced it giving any sort of similar &#x27;high&#x27;.  It is mildly habit-forming of itself, but very mildly compared to opiates.  Withdrawal after extensive use might consist of having the sniffles and feeling a bit restless for a day or two.  With tapering dosages down rather than sudden cessation, nothing is likely to be noticed.<p>Reportedly, kratom ameliorates most, if not all, withdrawal symptoms from things like Oxycontin, heroin, etc.  Expecting people to go through withdrawal is inhumane and stupid.  We can deal with it without the suffering.  Kratom can be gotten online from multitudes of vendors.  Please steer clear of the &quot;legal high&quot; and &#x27;weed shop&#x27; variety of places.  In addition to being radically overpriced, their association does active harm to the community of people who use kratom reasonably.  Stay away from extracts and concentrated forms (although those seem to have mostly gone away from most outlets, they were big for awhile and were bordering on dangerous) and just get simple crushed leaves.  If you or a loved one wants to quit, kratom will let you do so without ruining your life.<p>If your loved one does not want to quit, because doing so would expose them to the full pain (emotional, physical, OR psychological) of a life they hate and which they feel traps them... your problem and theirs is not the drug.