Handouts · Opioids
Opioid Use Disorder
Opioid use disorder is a treatable medical condition. Effective medications exist, recovery is common, and knowing how to prevent an overdose can save a life — yours or someone else's.
What It Is
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic condition in which the brain and body come to depend on opioids. Tolerance and withdrawal are physical signs — not moral failings.
Like other chronic illnesses, it responds well to ongoing treatment.
Overdose & Naloxone
Naloxone (Narcan) reverses an overdose in minutes. Keep it on hand and teach people around you.
Signs of overdose: can't wake up, slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or fingertips, gurgling.
- Give naloxone, call 911, and start rescue breaths.
- Repeat naloxone every 2–3 min if no response.
Medications Save Lives
Medications for OUD cut the risk of overdose death by about half:
- Buprenorphine (Suboxone) — eases cravings and withdrawal.
- Methadone — daily dosing through a clinic.
- Naltrexone (Vivitrol) — blocks opioid effects.
This is treatment, not "trading one drug for another."
Withdrawal
Withdrawal feels like a bad flu — aches, chills, nausea, restlessness, and cravings. It's miserable but not usually dangerous.
Medication can prevent most of it. Getting through withdrawal alone is not the same as treatment — the cravings return.
Stay Safer
- Never use alone — have someone who can respond.
- Assume fentanyl is present; test strips can help.
- Don't mix opioids with alcohol or benzodiazepines.
- Your tolerance drops fast after any break — a former dose can be deadly.
Getting Started
- Ask any clinician about starting buprenorphine — many can prescribe it.
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7).
- Counseling and peer support strengthen recovery.