General Discussion

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by a powerful, compulsive urge to use opioid drugs, even when they cause harm. It involves complex changes in the brain’s reward system, specifically the mu-opioid receptors.

Neurobiology of Addiction

When opioids enter the bloodstream, they bind to receptors in the brain that regulate pain and emotion. Over time, the brain becomes desensitized to natural dopamine production, leading to physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms—such as tachycardia, anxiety, and diaphoresis—often drive continued use.

Clinical Management

Effective treatment typically involves Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT):

The Manhattan skyline is a real wonder to behold. All those "cathedrals of capitalism" huddled together, dominating everything around, principally we human beings!

I lived in Manhattan many years ago, and even then they reminded me of a different age, when religion dominated everyone's lives, as does capitalism now.

We all know (at least most of us do) that man-made religions are phoney, and appealed to people's base needs for belief in something.

Now, capitalism has become the new religion, with all the minions in Wall Street (and other capital cities of the world) running around like little worker ants serving the high priests of capitalism. And people say this is good!!

Heavens no! We must free ourselves of the shackles of slavery to the god of capitalism. We must work to make this wonderful world survive, and ensure a future for our children, and our childrens' children.

We'd love to get to know you! So please take a moment to say hi to fellow enufists in the comments

We want you all to get the most out of our community, so we ask that you please read and follow these simple guidelines:

• Respect each other

• Keep posts relevant to the topic

• No spamming