Opioids
Goodbye moonmen
Goodbye moonmen
Goodbye moonmen
Goodbye moonmen
Goodbye moonmen
Addiction
Opiates also give us the classical model of addiction. Used regularly, they produce tolerance - a need to continue increasing the dose in order to get the same effect, and stopping after repeated use produces withdrawal symptoms that can reinforce the addiction - physical discomfort and a mental craving for the drug, driving the user to continue taking the drug despite negative consequences of behaviour.
Chemistry and Pharmacology
An opioid is any psychoactive chemical that resembles an opiate in its pharmacological effects. They work by binding to the opioid receptors (Delta, Kappa, Mu) Which are found in the Central/Peripheral nervous system and in the GI tract.