Question from another site.

[DeliriousNomad68]

I read on another site that a patient was talking with his Doctor, and asked him "Why do certain people tend to become addicted after using opiates/opiods only a few times, while others have no problem stopping their meds and usually have bottles of leftovers in their medicine cabinets.
  
The Doctor answered that there are generally two ways Opiods affect people. The first, we'll call them Group A, will feel extremely sleepy after taking an opiod/opiate, while people in Group B will become very energetic an talkative after taking an opiod/opiate.
Guess which group the Doctor said is naturally more prone-more wired in the brain so to speak- to becoming the addicted?? Yep, you guessed it, Group B.

This made me say "Yep, I'm a Group B person", since I remember the energy and sociability I had when I first took an opiate. Doctor also went on to say that the Group B folks were also more likely to have been depressed before their opiate use, and are the group of people that were targeted when the Medical establishment experimented with using Opiates as anti-depressant medication in the 1950's.

Anyhow, does this ring true to the fine people on this site??

[Bubbleguppie100]

Crazy! I'm definitely group B. after I would pop a pill, I was so talkative, happy, etc. I also suffered from depression before I got addicted to Norco. So, I can relate to this post. Lol

[nursegirl6572]

I'm sure there's some truth in that, but I believe that certain people are predisposed to addiction.  There are people who may be in Group B as far as how an opiate affects them, but they would never DREAM of abusing a med, the thought wouldn't even cross their minds...yet for someone else, it's almost a knee jerk reaction.

There has to be that addictive tendency beyond anything else, IMO.

[ROSYouralright]

It absolutely rings true for me! I am definitely a group B person....

[DeliriousNomad68]

Nurse,
Of course there are the 'Addictive' tendencies with addicts. However, this 'Group B' theory holds water. EVERY addict that I have ever been in contact with has stated that they love the opiates because it DOES give them energy an lifts their mood.
I have also noticed that all of the 'non-addicts' that I have talked to about opiates have stated that they don't like the opiates because they make them feel 'out of it' and tired.
This has to point to the fact that we are a bit different in our Brain's chemical make-up, and leaves us more Pre-disposed to becoming addicted.

[nursegirl6572]

I think it depends on what kind of "sensation" the addict is after too.  Some want to be "up" and some want to be "down", you know?  There are lots of addicts that prefer drugs like benzos over opiates, because they prefer to be more sedated and "medicated".

I'm not an addict and can tell you that for sure, any time I've taken a pain medication, I became very chatty, very energetic, less anxious, etc.  I definitely understand the "high" and why it would be attractive to some.  I can say that an opiate would make me feel like the "group B" people but I'm not personally an addict.

It's an interesting theory, but I think overall, it's impossible to say that "everyone" fits the bill in regards to this, you know what I mean?  I also wouldn't think that the desired sensation an addict seeks is nearly as pertinent as far as what LEADS a person to addiction versus many other factors.  I think a lot of addicts find that sensation by accident (or innocently), yet still go on to suffer with addiction.