What is Physical Dependence?
Receptors are chemical structures located on nerve cells within our brain. Opiate drugs create their physical, emotional and mental effects by attaching to these brain receptors.

When taken on a regular basis over a period of time, opiate drugs cause lasting changes in these brain receptors. They become accustomed to the routine presence of an opiate drug. Receptors may become less sensitive and increased in number.

“I had been taking oxycodone at work every day for several months.

Then I heard it called the working man’s heroin - and got very scared.

But by that time, I couldn’t just stop. My family depended on me to work. And I depended on the pills to get through the day.

I was ashamed and didn’t know where to turn.”

The result is that you must take an increased amount of opiate drug to achieve the same effect. This is the first sign of physical dependence and is referred to as tolerance.

Continued use of an opiate drug will result in further changes to brain receptors. This in turn fuels the need for an increased amount of the drug to be taken. This creates a cycle of deepening physical dependence.

The second sign of physical dependence occurs when you try to stop taking an opiate drug. Withdrawal symptoms result from an increased number of desensitized brain receptors - all demanding the drug to which they have become accustomed.

“I had no idea how hard it would be to stop taking these things.

Nobody told me it would be this way.”

The occurrence of physical dependence - indicated by tolerance and withdrawal - says that your brain receptors have adjusted to the regular presence of an opiate drug in your body. They now expect and require its presence in large amounts - not just for you to get high - but just to feel half normal.

Your brain now expects an opiate drug to be present and at steadily increasing amounts for you to obtain any effect.

By the time you consider Methadone Maintenance Treatment, you are usually taking large amounts of an opiate drug several times a day just to avoid withdrawal symptoms.