b'The answers are buried in our past, hidden in our biology, masked by our psychology, and misunderstood sociologically. produced during normal activities addiction. Trapped in a body that cantthrough a practice called pharmaco-that spike endorphin release result infunction without the drug and impris- logical coping. Opioids have powerful almost no pleasure. Imagine huggingoned by a mind that wont let them outsedative properties that can alleviate your kids and feeling nothing. The there is no darker place. anxiety, fear, and anguish. Events like drugs become your only reward. AtNo one chooses addiction. Whodivorce, loss of a job, or a new med-the same time, the body itself, nowwould? Yet its often the initial pat- ical diagnosis can make these drugs depen-dent on the drugs, enters severe,terns of opioid use that give thetempting crutches. But like the other debil- itating withdrawal when theimpression that the end result isscenarios, the brain adapts, and the drugs wear off. Adding to the night- volitional. The journey leading touser loses control. mare,stress hormone production isaddiction may vary. Some people useThose of us on the front lines of hyperstimulated, leading to a constantopioids for pain management, takingthis epidemic know addiction is an state of anxiety, and executive process- them as prescribed. Despite neverequal-opportunity destroyer. It ing centers (e.g., the frontal lobe) haveexperiencing pleasure from theconquers internally and manifests dramatic reductions in theirdrugs, the chronic exposure to opi- externally. We see bodies ravaged by influences. Appeasing this dysregu- oids alters brain structures and trapsHIV, hepatitis, physical abuse, and lated brain requires the host to adaptthe user in a cycle of dependency.malnutrition. We watch minds his or her lifestyle. With full-blownOthers do experience euphoric surgesdegrade as depression, anxiety, psy-addiction, accessing the drug becomesfrom the drug and choose to usechosis, and PTSD hold them hostage. an all-consuming priority worthy ofopioids recreationally. With repeatedWe observe social circles collapse abandoning health, relationships, rep- exposure the brain adapts, trappingto isolation as relational bridges are utation, and even life itself. The resultthese people in addiction. Still othersburned and titles, roles, and responsi-is a person chained in the lifestyle ofuse the drugs to manage life stressorsbilities are forsaken. But perhaps \x02 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 29'