eli5 what exactly is happening to the brain during opiate withdrawal and how does it translate into the most horrific feeling throughout literally the entire body and mind?
In: Chemistry
Opioids in the simplest of concepts is a pain reliever. It does this by attaching to the nervous system in your body via opioid receptors which causes a feeling of ease, euphoria, and pain relief. When used in short-term regulated doses, neurological chemistry won’t have too major of a change to create long term effects (usually). If opioids are abused, neurological chemistry will change to accommodate this. Psychology will also change and become habitual.
When someone is going through withdraws, the psychological pain is the pendulum of euphoria swinging the opposite way. Neurological chemistry also has to readjust, so the body becomes hyper receptive to pain indicators. It’s like numbing your hand by pinching a nerve for a long time, then feeling the nerves wake back up as your hand regains feeling and that very obvious and discomforting needle like sensation radiates through your arm.
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