Did you know that 75 people in Anderson County, TN, died of an opioid overdose in 2022? By comparison, only 15 people died in car accidents in Anderson County that same year.
Opioids pose a serious threat to the people of Appalachia. That’s why here at ReVIDA® Recovery, we’re dedicated to empowering people to heal from opioid use disorder (OUD) using evidence-based modalities, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Today, we’re going to clear up some misconceptions about opioids. One question we get is, “Are opioids stimulants?” Opioids are not stimulants. Let’s take a closer look at both opioids and stimulants to examine the differences between them.
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What You Need to Know: Are Opioids Stimulants?
Opioids are depressants, which are the opposite of stimulants. While stimulants, like cocaine or meth, speed up your body’s functions, opioids slow down your body’s essential functions. Let’s explore this further.
How Do Opioids Work?
There are three subsections of opioids: naturally occurring, synthetic, and semi-synthetic. Naturally occurring opioids, like morphine and codeine, are derived directly from opium plants. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are entirely man-made, usually in a laboratory setting. Semi-synthetic opioids, like heroin or oxycodone, take substances like morphine and alter them in a laboratory setting.
Regardless of the exact type of opioid you take, they function in essentially the same way. The substance breaks down and attaches to the opioid receptors located throughout your brain and central nervous system. Normally, your body produces natural opioids, like endorphins, that connect to the opioid receptors. However, when you take opioids, the receptors are flooded with more than naturally produced. This is what causes the initial intense feelings of euphoria and relaxation that people associate with opioids.
Over time, your body adjusts to the higher amount of opioids in your system, known as building a tolerance. The amount you’ve been taking no longer provides the same results you want, causing you to increase the dose. When you try to stop taking opioids, your body has to readjust to the amount naturally produced. The process of readjustment is what causes withdrawal symptoms and the vicious cycle of opioid use disorder.
How Do Stimulants Work?
As stated above, stimulants speed up the central nervous system instead of slowing it down. However, the process of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) involving stimulants is similar.
When you take a stimulant like cocaine, your brain is flooded with dopamine, which is another reward chemical similar to endorphins. Usually, dopamine travels between the nerves in the brain and is quickly recycled by dopamine receptors. When you take a stimulant, the excess dopamine gets trapped between the synapses in your brain. This is what causes the intense positive feelings associated with stimulant use. When there’s no longer cocaine or meth in your system, the dopamine levels in your brain drop back down to normal. Comparatively, your usual dopamine levels don’t feel like enough.
Eventually, you will adjust to the amount of dopamine your body receives from stimulants. So, you’ll need more stimulants to get the same feelings of elation. This is what leads to the cycle of SUD involving stimulants.
Even though opioids and stimulants function differently, using either type of substance recreationally can quickly lead to a substance use disorder.
Spotting the Differences and Similarities: How Do Opioids vs. Stimulants Affect You?
While opioids are relaxing and slow down your body’s processes, stimulants speed them up. Let’s take an in-depth look at the impact of each type of substance now.
System or Function Affected
- Blood Pressure
- Heart Rate
- Breathing
- Energy Levels
- Pupils
- Appetite
- Digestive tract
- Sweating
- Emotional state
Effect of Opioids
- Low Blood Pressure
- Low heart rate
- Respiratory depression
- Low energy levels leading to drowsiness
- Dilated (large)
- Lower appetite
- Irritation resulting in constipation, nausea, and vomiting
- Increased sweating
- Relaxation
Effect of Stimulants
- High blood pressure
- High or irregular heart rate
- Faster breathing
- Very high energy levels leading to alertness
- Pinpoint (small)
- Lower appetite
- A mix of constipation or diarrhea
- Increased sweating
- Anxiety or irritation
The above are just a few examples of the ways that opioids and stimulants impact your body in the short term. You’ll notice that, despite the two substances having opposite effects on the central nervous system, they have some similarities. Problems like increased sweating are caused by an increase in body temperature, which can happen with both opioids and many stimulants.
Substance use disorders (SUD) involving opioids or stimulants can have similar effects on your life, and many of the most obvious warning signs look the same. Some signs of a SUD include:
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- No longer finding pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- Lying to the people you love about the extent of your substance use
- Reducing the amount of time you spend with friends and family so you can spend more time taking substances
- Continuing to take substances despite not being able to afford them
The Dangers of Combining Opioids and Stimulants
A “speedball” is the name commonly used to describe a combination of opioids and stimulants. Usually, a speedball is heroin mixed with cocaine. Speedballs can be extremely dangerous because of the combined impact the substances have on your body.
When you take an opioid and a stimulant at the same time, the two substances interact. Many people falsely believe that the two will offset each other’s side effects. According to this theory, the stimulant will reduce the sedentary impact of opioids, and opioids will reduce the anxiety-inducing effects of stimulants, creating a more pure sense of euphoria. Unfortunately, the reality is a bit more complicated.
The fact that some of the effects of each substance offset the other often leads people to take a higher dose of opioids or stimulants than they would if taking one of the substances alone. Higher doses are one of the reasons that you’re more likely to overdose on a speedball than on opioids or stimulants alone. The combined effects of opioids and stimulants also make it more difficult to recognize the signs of an overdose.
The effects of stimulants often wear off before the effects of opioids, and the symptoms of an opioid overdose can hit you very suddenly when this occurs. NarcanⓇ (naloxone) can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if administered quickly and effectively. However, there are no over-the-counter remedies for a stimulant overdose.
The Difference Between Opioids and Stimulants When It Comes to Treatment Options
If you’re living with a substance use disorder involving either opioids or stimulants, there is hope for recovery.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for both kinds of substance use disorder. In CBT, you’ll work through the underlying causes of your substance use disorder with the support of your therapist. You’ll improve your understanding of the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Once you’ve done that, the two of you will develop coping strategies that empower you to make healthier choices and avoid returning to substance use.
Group therapy is another effective tool in substance use disorder treatment. It will allow you to make connections with people who have lived similar experiences. You’ll support each other through the process of recovery. Together, you and your cohort will celebrate wins and pick each other back up when recovery becomes difficult. You’ll build a community of like-minded individuals who will see you through your journey.
When it comes to recovery from OUD, medication-assisted treatment is a useful tool. Medications, including Sublocade and Suboxone, will reduce your cravings, empowering you to stay focused on the rest of your recovery and bring your full self to your new approach to life.
Getting Help for Opioid Use Disorder in Appalachia
Healing from OUD is always possible. Even when you feel stuck, there’s always a path forward with the right support. A good opioid addiction program will provide you with more than just medication and therapy. It will connect you with other support programs, including SNAPs, housing assistance, help with legal documents, and more.
If you or someone you love is living with OUD, ReVIDA® Recovery is here to help. We provide our patients with flexible therapy options, as well as Suboxone or Sublocade treatment. We are proud to provide the residents of Tennessee and Virginia with a judgment-free zone dedicated to healing. Once you are established in our program, we offer telehealth treatment options to ease access to your care. Call us today at 423-631-0432 to learn more about our program offerings.
Reclaim your life.
