What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat? - Mike Davis 

If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid use in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services operates a helpline: 800-662-4357, and has a database of treatment facilities and resources: www.hhs.gov/opioids/

Schools should show this kind of stuff instead of just going “don’t do drugs cause they’re bad”

I love how this video is not downplaying opioid addiction as "they're not strong enough to quit", but rather it emphasizes that it's more than a psychological dependence. Your body starts depending on it physiologically, and withdrawal symptoms can actually be very dangerous. We definitely need more than "willpower" to combat opioid addiction, and society seeing it as solely an individual's moral problem and lack of "discipline' is not helping.

I was an opioid addict for years. Overdosed twice. Been clean a bit now. DON'T miss it. Its tough, not everyone makes it out, I lost my best friend of over 20 years to Fentanyl overdose. It becomes a literal habit you base your life around until there is nothing left, and then you keep going. Much love to anyone going through it.

As a survivor of a opioid addiction, (almost 2 years sober!) thank you for making this. We can all make it if we help eachother

Voice, animation.... Literally everything is perfect

Oh boy nothing like getting people addicted for profit then making them pay hundreds of dollars to get rid of their addiction

I'm a pharmacist and I'm ashamed that I've never thought about how decreasing tolerance to opioids during withdrawal is in fact deadly to those who try to quit. that made realise that people who try to better themselves and quit actually put themselves at higher risk of dying of overdose due to the new sensitivity of their's bodies that's both frightening and heart breaking 💔

Psychedelics saved me from years of uncontrollable depression, anxiety, smoking, and illicit pills addiction. Imagine carving heavy chains for over a decade and then all of a sudden that burden is gone. Believe it or not, in a couple of years they'll be all over for treatment of mental health related issues.

I lost both my parents to the Opioid epidemic when I was a kid. Now I'm currently working to become a Social Worker so that I might be able to help people who are struggling. Videos like this are so important to help people understand the complexity of addiction, thank you Ted Ed

It blows my mind that despite the "war on drugs" being a huge failure, a lot of people are still hellbent on blaming the addicts and feel that throwing them in prison is the best thing to do for them. Start treating addiction like a mental illness rather than a crime.

Thank you for making this video. When this video came out, I was in active addiction and was petrified that I was destined to be an addict forever. Thank God I had the motivation I needed to get clean and now I'm almost two years clean. March 7th 2023 will be my two year anniversary. I am so grateful for my life now. I am in a relationship with the man I love, we are currently working on getting a house together and I am 6 months pregnant. After being told that I'd probably never have kids, this is truly a blessing for me and I pray that all my fellow addicts can see the light and make it out. Believe me, I understand how hard it is to kick such a habit but when you get to the other side, you'll see that all your efforts were well worth it.

I did learn about drugs at school, about becoming "dependent" on drugs, but they did not go into this level of detail to explain why there is a dependence and withdrawal symptoms, nor did I know that relapsing while withdrawing was more dangerous. This was very educational.

The crisis also affects people like me who deal with intense chronic pain. (I have lupus an autoimmune disease which has affected multiple organs, heart, kidneys, liver, and blood. I also have scoliosis. Doctors often refuse to prescribe pain meds due to the crisis, so I'm often left stuck dealing with it by myself. Most days are incredibly difficult.

It's almost like the people who got away with causing this opioid epidemic should be held accountable or something. Idk, just a thought.

This scared the mess out of me. Thank you. I honestly didn’t know the whole story on opioids, and I hope this video saves at least 1 life.

I had IV morphine available to me once after a fairly major surgery. I remember hitting that button and I could FEEL that stuff going through me. I distinctly remember thinking "Oh, this is why people get addicted to this stuff."

What did I do to get this amazing animation? The color, style, fluidity, and informative/intuitive nature, literally everything is so beautiful.

You forgot to mention a few things: 1) because the world still criminalizes being addicted to drugs, millions of people refuse to seek treatment for their addiction because they are afraid of going to jail. 2) the perception that addiction = weakness was in large part due to the drug companies that got people addicted. They lobbied Congress hard to say that it was strength of will, not their drug, that got people addicted. 3) You mentioned that addiction often is accompanied by other mental illness, but it's often that mental illness causes addiction. Opioids aren't the primary cause of opioid addiction. It's largely a social phenomenon. People who are depressed, or lonely, or traumatized take opioids often as a means of self-medicating. Giving people care before hand can prevent opioid addiction in addition to treating it.

I just lost my younger brother who is 17 to a relapse of opioid. This video really helped me and I will continue to share the knowledge I’ve learned from this video! Thank you!

I was prescribed dihydrocodeine 48 hours ago for horrendous toothache. I've gone from being worried about toothache and in pain to being wide awake yet relaxed and in no pain. Even after this short time I feel like I look forward to taking my medication. As soon as my dental issue is cleared I won't take any unnecessary painkillers but it's frightening how quickly I have grown to look forward to my daily doses, and also how much of a positive impact it's had on my outlook and state of mind.

Some time back, I lost a friend to a relapse overdose, and this video helped me understand a bit more of why that happened. Thank you for consistently making great videos.

Now I understood in a right way why addicted people crave despite their efforts to stop

I'd like to point out one thing; I live in Canada which has a much more progressive attitude towards opioid addiction, and in my experience most facilities that prescribe maintenance medications do that and nothing else. I have a doctor give me scripts for suboxone but there is no therapy to be found. This is something that needs to seriously change if we can expect people to have the strength and will to continue fighting.

I'm an ex addict and this video is well done with info and matching animation to inform people who have no idea how withdrawal actually works.

It’s astonishing that we have so many people in the world who are incredibly intelligent and gifted and yet there is still barely any relief for these people who unfortunately become addicted. It’s sad that just because these people are seen as “addicts” they get almost no sympathy and compassion from the people who can help the most.

My great grandmother became addicted to morphine after she got it during a surgery. It got so bad my great grandfather volunteered to administrate it himself and during months he would inject it to her, except he was slowly diluting the mixing week after week without her noticing. After a while she was completely cured :)

Does anyone else have tears strolling down their eyes watching this? This heartache is real. To watch people you love go through it and break down because of it is soul-crushing. The number one thing you can do is be there for people who have to choose between their job and their health.

This video is just the start, but it has already saved lives.

As a former addict and mental health patient you forgot a huge issue. Opiods give you a false sense of well-being which to a mental health patient is priceless. That's the hardest part of recovery

It has been scientifically established that dopamine does not create pleasure, it is endorphins and opioids themselves that cause pleasure; what dopamine does is, it motivates you to do activities that are pleasurable or to avoid things that will be painful. When you have an uncontrollable chocolate craving, that is dopamine in action, but when you eat and enjoy that chocolate, that is endorphins (and not dopamine) in action. People who suffer from depression suffer from low levels of dopamine, and thus a lack of motivation to do things that bring joy or avoid things that bring pain. Awesome video nonetheless!

This is why I love Ted-Ed, they actually care.

I often share/show this video when I do community talks on the crisis. It's really great. Thanks for doing this, Mike.

As a pharmacy student this was so interesting to learn! I’d learned briefly about morphine and opioids in lectures but not about how they cause addiction. Thanks for the video Ted- Ed! ❤️👍🏽👍🏽

Opioids are a literal lifesaver for those with chronic pain. Nearly all of whom take as prescribed yet are now treated like junkies looking to get high. Also, there needs to be a distinction between addiction and physical dependence.

My best friend was addicted to opioids. A couple of years ago he was just taking a couple now and then. Last year he was taking 30 in one sitting just to feel okay. In November he was weaning off of them. He passed away over Christmas. We still don’t know the specifics, but it looks like it was the increased risk of overdose after coming off them as displayed in this graphic. Please, people, don’t even get started on these things.

If anyone reads this comment who is currently struggling with addiction, please know that your addiction doesn't define you. You are loved. You are important. Those of us who are not fighting addiction have no idea how difficult having an addiction really is; please be patient with us as we are learning to be more compassionate.

Jesus christ how good is the animation.. the ending almost brought a tear to my eye.

Cool video, but I noticed in one of the animations at 5:44 you showed Xanax as being an opioid. Xanax is a benzodiazepine, a different but also incredibly addictive class of drugs that have been spiking in popularity recently. Conflating the two is dangerous, as they pose very different health risks (both during use and withdrawals; benzo withdrawals can be lethal).

The video was absolutely perfect! Just enough of pharmacology for it to make sense for the lay man without it being overwhelming using one of the best, most precise animation I've ever seen. It did a great job touching up on all the important points while keeping it short and interesting. Thank you!

Not everyone has an addictive personality. I got a little too much pain killer once after surgery and felt nauseous and almost passed out in the recovery room. The fear of nausea is the thing that keeps me from taking too much of anything, alcohol...etc. It's a feeling I simply cannot stand.

This is exactly why I do not take pain meds from my family. I say I don’t want to get addicted even if I’m in pain, most scoff at me and say I won’t get addicted. This definitely helped me keep my stance on not taking other people’s pills, thank you

Methadone saved my life. Been sober for 5 years because of it

The biggest problem with opioids is that they work so well. And not just for physical pain relief. When you're in the depths of despair the calmness and euphoria gets you through the day in a positive way. It's hard the see the negativity in that when the alternative is despair and trauma.

the animation is absolutely beautiful. every emotion can actually be felt through the screen. so powerful!

I needed this. My mother is addicted. She got into a terrible car crash before I was born and it ruined her spine and back muscles. She was prescribed a form of Oxycodone to combat the pain. She tried to stop about a year ago for only a week or two. But couldn’t handle it. It was the most terrifying experience I’ll ever be witness to. Please to anyone who will listen if *anyone* tries to get you to take these drugs. Don’t! I love my mother but it is very difficult to live with the dependence on this medicine.

One addition is lacking in this footage, some sentences need the addition 'in the USA'. No commercial has been shown in Europe for these drugs

I've always seen news about opioid overdose. I never understood why people felt the need to take drugs that can kill you. I'm 22 and feel depressed and understand that other people probably do as well while using drugs. It's so important to talk and take care of your friends and family.

Every video has the perfect voice, so easy to listen to. This is my new favourite channel.

I was recently hospitalized for gallbladder attacks and for the week I was in the hospital awaiting/recovering from surgery I was on morphine. For the week after I was released from the hospital, I was prescribed opioids as I recovered. Thanks to having some great, careful doctors fully aware of the dangers of opioids who made sure I was aware of the dangers of opioids and carefully monitored my intake, I had no problems coming off of the medication as I recovered, but even from such a brief and controlled experience with the drug it's INCREDIBLY EASY to see how one could get addicted to it just from the initial effects alone, especially a particularly at-risk individual. It feels like your brain having the pleasant feeling chemicals squeezed out of it into the rest of the body. The result was this very pleasant inability to think clearly.... including a dramatic and immediate decrease in anxiety. For someone with a mood disorder like me that includes major anxiety, that feeling was particularly tempting to chase despite it also destroying my ability to think too deeply in positive ways and putting a hamper on my abilities as a content creator. While I at no point used my prescription incorrectly or made any effort to pursue getting opioids illicitly, I used every last pill I'd been given before stopping, even when the pain was starting to lessen to the point where over-the-counter painkillers or other pain relief methods would have gotten the job done. And that's someone using this drug correctly over the course of just TWO WEEKS. I don't say any of this to make excuses, and I am DEFINITELY not encouraging anxiety patients self-medicate this way. I tell this story because I think it's important to stress two things: 1. As hokey as all those 90s anti-drug PSAs seem, awareness of the dangers of drug addiction really does make a difference both for clinicians and patients. I was fully aware how an opioid addiction can absolutely destroy one's life and knew no "high" was worth the cost to my brain or my life. (I half-joked about how I'm too cheap and lazy to find a drug dealer. Why spend my hard-earned money being an opioid addict when I can spend it on VIDEO GAMES???) 2. Another big factor to combat drug addiction that society is still not putting enough effort into - as the video briefly mentions - is giving people access to good mental healthcare. For many people who become addicts, it's their attempt to find a solution to an underlying mental health struggle. When you've been struggling with bad psychotherapy long enough, self-medicating becomes extremely tempting. While you might think the potential side effects of opioids would be enough to put someone off of that idea, the potential side effects of many psychotherapy drugs can also be detrimental and there's little telling if the drugs will actually work. The mental healthcare options where I live are absolutely abysmal. When I was hospitalized for a physical ailment as opposed to my experience being hospitalized for mental health issues when I was younger it was like NIGHT AND DAY. It amazed me how the doctors and nurses caring for my physical wellbeing seemed to legitimately care more about my mental health as I went through the crisis than the people whose entire job it was supposed to be to support my mental wellbeing. People often make poor long-term choices that give them instant gratification - like taking opioids outside of doctor's orders - out of a mix of ignorance and a lack of hope for a better solution. While there will always be people who just want the cheap thrill of a drug high, one thing we can do to combat opioid addiction is understand who our most at-risk people are and HELP THEM.

Why is everything from this. Channel so very perfect

Australian here. My doctors told me straight after a few months, i'm addicted, there wasn't a choice by that time. I suffer chronic pain and nerve damage from a work injury and am on opioids daily just to deal and let me live a semi-normal life. It's not a choice for me, and while we haven't gone as hard as the US in banning opioids, they have made it harder for me to get my normal medications every month. FYI - I take a combination of Jurnista, Dantrolene, Lyrica, Diazepam and Ketamine. Add in more for depression, sleep issues etc. I've dropped my doses a bit a year or so ago, but couldn't come down on my Jurnista or Ketamine.

the whole concept of "willpower" being something noble is rooted in organized religion and has no place for the 21st century. this video is so well produced and informative.

I hope anyone suffering from any addiction gets the help they need. Even if they have no friends or family, I care about them and hope they know that addiction is not something to be ashamed of either. Admitting to an addiction and finding the help you need is noble:(

ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BE PRESERVED IN ALCOHOL EXCEPT LOVE, HEALTH AN WEALTH. -TEDED

I love how they talked about the history, then went on to explain what it is, then it’s effects on people, and near the end went on to talk about how we can fix/ help this issue. Great transitions. It’s was very informative and didn’t once make it seem as if these people were lost cause druggies.

As an opiate addict in recovery, I try to continue to learn about the disease that afflicts me and many others. I remember the many relapses, and how each time I relapsed, it took a shorter amount of time to become physically addicted again. The last time I relapsed I only used probably 3 or 4 times over a week... and sure enough after the last time I started feeling withdrawal. When I started using I could use for two weeks straight and walk away with minimal withdrawal feelings, so it really shows how the drugs change the brain chemistry over time to be more dependent on them. Thank God for methadone, it's the only reason I'm still alive. Opiates are just so addictive.. they are really far more addictive than any other drug.

Many, many videos on RU-vid, I set the speed to at least 1.25% to breeze through them quicker. These are among the few ones that I watch in normal speed because I just really enjoy the narration and work/thought put into it.

You guys are out here killing it!! Showing how education can be both entertaining and informative, for young and old.

I watched this video cause my brother is struggling with an addiction. That's has completely destroyed his life. We currently can't afford rehab so as many families in here in Africa. But am grateful for this video that has taught me so much

This video changed the way I look at addiciton and changed my life, thank you.

not the drug is the problem, the environment is. when someone already has problems, be it financial or social, they are at way higher risk to get addicted than people who have a nice environment, job, friends and family. This was also shown with Vietnam war veterans, those that took drugs during war, could easily get off the addiction when they came back to their family. I think it was even one of the Ted-ed videos that addressed this.

Guys if you have an addiction please know that aren't alone and you can get help and stop it. If you are dealing with one and trying to get off I truly hope that you succeed.

The road of addiction can be overcome. Dont give up. Being clean is such an amazing feeling and well worth the fight.

This is SUCH a great video. Great job communicating and delivering that message. I would love to see more like this. ❤️

I have had my first Oxycodone a few months ago after my dental surgery. They made me mildly high (for someone who never does drugs at least) and it was the best sleeping pill ever lol I didn't finish the whole prescription though, knowing that it can be addictive. The effect was great while it lasted

Me currently being in EMT training, this helps me understand these situations better, and where the people whom are in struggling to fight off these addictions are coming from.

I just want to say incredible work on the animations in this video, really paints the picture of the processes going on.

I highly recommend watching the film "Requiem For A Dream" relating to this drug crisis in the USA. (But beware, it may be disturbing even for some adults)

I wanna thank you for posting this. I think it's really important to understand the way those type of drugs work on our bodies, how addictive they can be, and find better ways to help people having an addiction, not only judging them.

I think that educating children on the effects of drugs is way more important than just telling them not to do them. I really wish we watched these kinds of educational videos in school.

One of the worst things about opioid recovery is that even after getting clean, a patient might still have the condition that caused opioids to be prescribed in the first place. And now their endorphin receptors are fried, so future pain management is MUCH harder.

wow, the animation is getting better and better! Keep it up!

The animation was magical. I really hope I can get to that level some day.

As a addict in recovery myself I've learned more from this short than I have in most rehab's. Thank you for that

Last year I went addicted to opioids to kill my back and neck pain, with the issolation it was a nightmare, I wanted to die, I felt sick all the time. Fortunately I had a treatment and stoped using them. But I think is a taboo, no one wants to talk about it, I was very ashamed, everyone was so upset and dissapointed with me. Lack of information, lots of ignorance.

Such an important drug in medicine! A dangerous drug in the wrong hands! Great thing that you talk about it and cause awareness!

I don't normally comment on RU-vid videos but I have to say that this video was so brilliantly done. The information presented was thorough enough that I got a good grasp of the issues associated with opioid addiction but it wasn't too complex that I had trouble following. Great job to the everyone who put this video together! You deserve massive kudos!

Your videos are always so well done! Thank you for sharing this with us.

This is the first drug abuse video I've been able to watch in years without a panic attack. Thank you.

Great job. This is the most honest, unbiased, concise explanation of the situation I've seen.

This was an excellent explanation of how the use of some drugs or opioids may result in an addiction, and why it can be do hard to quit for some people. This is a great way to shed light on this subject. Far better than some schools for sure.

I lost my dad to opioid addiction. Thank you for this educational video

I'm blown away by the animation and creativity in this video. Props to the ones who contributed to this part of this already amazing video

Your animations never cease to amaze us, Ted-Ed. Keep up the good work

Thank you Ted-Ed for all the effort that goes into each of your videos. Been a long time subscriber and this video motivated me to join your Patreon community. Wanted to give a thanks for the educational content you give us

Thank you Ted-Ed for this video and the resources for everyone who needs it, you are a true hero!

Just the work that went into making this, I can't even imagine!

Wow. This was a beautiful illustration with soothing music, calming voice and hypnotic visuals. And I'm not even high at this point. Kudos to the Visual arts and graphic design team.

I just LOVE ted ed's explinations, animation and literally everything about this channel. Such good work and effort are put in these well made videos❤

That was the most well-animated and satisfying thing to watch high on opiates

This animation, the animator’s voice, & the animation style is just perfect.

What a perfection. It was hard to concentrate on the information being provided as the animation was a piece of art in almost every scene. Had to rewind the video several times to catch up :D

I find it an amazing how in the US doctors prescribe pills so easily to kids and the parents are fine with it. Here in Europe doctors avoid giving kids medication, unless it is paracetamol or ibuprofen.

This has to be the best explanation of this addiction I’ve seen!!

superb editing, narration, and animation. well done guys. love this channel.

The animation and art direction is simply incredible! And thank you for delivering a video on this very important topic :)

the animators they collab with are always incredible. This in particular is awesome 😮

We're such complex creatures, it's fascinating.

I've been addicted to opiates for 18 years, been on methadone maintenance for 5 years now and I have to say this is one of the most dead in on accurate portrail of opiate addiction I have ever read. The only thing I can think of that he didn't include is P.A.W.S.-post acute withdrawal syndrome and it can last for more than a year.