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Most Americans with a clean slate would claim that they have never taken opioids in their life. But that assumption, many times, is false. Opioids are more common than many think, available in the places you least expect. From being prescribed within hospital environments to numb acute pain to its presence within sterile clinics for procedures such as wisdom teeth extractions, opioids are routinely administered and prescribed by medical professionals without a second thought.
However, although their main purpose is to manage short-term pain, their effects can linger far past the initial prescription. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “some 5 million young adults are exposed each year to opioids after wisdom teeth extractions. Young adults who receive opioid prescriptions are more likely to eventually misuse opioids, contributing to an upsurge in death.”
While the initial prescription is medically justified and is carefully controlled and monitored by healthcare professionals, the long-term consequences can be dangerous.
This isn’t just a public health issue surrounding drugs. It ties into psychological aspects as well.
When adolescent minds are introduced to opioids at a young age through the care of healthcare providers, there aren’t usually any noticeable red flags at first. The dosage is very low, given under controlled conditions, and carefully monitored throughout the entirety of the procedure. After all, the term “prescription” is given to these drugs, and its sole purpose is to ease pain.
But this initial relationship can actually trigger a reaction within the brain, gradually shifting the brain’s relationship with powerful substances such as opioids without the person even realizing it.
The psychology behind impressionability
Early exposure and its relationship to addiction is a phenomenon that can be explained through the concept of impressionability. Impressionability is essentially a psychological state where young individuals are more easily influenced by external forces.
Adolescents are obviously more susceptible to shaping forces such as media, peers, and trends as they are in a stage of life defined by the concept of social dependency.
For example, if a teenager’s close-knit circle is composed of individuals who casually misuse prescription drugs or normalize or speak highly of the “high” effect of overdosage, that teenager is obviously more inclined to test out drugs as they have been discussed as a benign, harmless substance.
This very situation is a strong example of impressionability – it subtly shifts one’s perception of reality as well as one’s internal classification between what is right and what is wrong.
No matter how short the course of the opioid is, its effects can be seriously fatal.
For instance, fentanyl is used within healthcare practices to treat acute pain. However, if the dosage gets just slightly over the intended dosage, the brain’s reward system can be triggered. This is because opioids like fentanyl release dopamine, which is what is associated with the pleasure drug addicts usually feel riding the drug’s “high.”
For someone whose mind is impressionable, this can foster subconscious psychological openness to potential misuse in the future.
The psychology behind the pill
Truly understanding and absorbing the psychological intricacies of early exposure is extremely important prior to accepting a procedure or treatment plan that includes opioids.
Healthcare providers are being increasingly urged to avoid prescribing opioids for minor procedures unless absolutely necessary. Pain management strategies without the addictive risk (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen) are often just as effective.
Explaining why opioids are prescribed, how to use them responsibly, and when to stop them can prevent the subconscious pattern of normalization. Trying not to even mention that opioids were involved in the medical procedure can ensure that opioids are not normalized.
The assumption that the road to opioid misuse is always related to the black market or criminal intent is far from reality. For millions of young people, it holds the potential to start right in a dentist’s chair during their wisdom tooth removal, where it is in the form of a drug that is controlled and harmless. This is a process that is both important and vital for survival, but there is no denying the trend of impressionable minds falling victim to the lasting imprint of opioids.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
