How opioid use can lead to addiction

(Mayo Clinic, May 11) Anyone who uses prescription opioids can become addicted,  though other factors – such as length of use and personal history— may play a role.

Because they activate reward centers in your brain, opioids can be very addictive.

“Opioids release an endorphin or a substance in the body that’s the feel-good neurotransmitter," Dr. Holly Geyer, a Mayo Clinic addiction medicine specialist said. "Many people get an intense high off the opioid when provided. Some people feel nothing. It's really about your body and how you are built.”

And when the feeling wears off, users tend want more. Read more.