The Risktaker's Guide to Endorphins

Whether it is a prescription drug or a medicine obtained in another way, there are many mistakes people taking painkillers make. So is it safe to take twice as much what the doctor prescribed and how do you know what combinations create drug interactions?
Here is a list of common mistakes that people make regarding pain relief medications, grouped pharmacists associated with the American Pharmacists Association, and American pain specialists.

We are all familiar with classic jokes told about women that continue to function with horrible back pains while their knight and champion checks himself into bed because of a similar pain. Not only does the way pain is conceived by people seem to be very important – it had also been shown that if the pain lingers it is probably because of mental problems.

We don't really have to be highly educated or intelligent to understand what pain is. Every child knows what pain is ever since the first time he injures his knee in the playground, and we are accompanied by pain all throughout our lives.

There is a mysterious psychological connection between pain and pleasure. Just as the sensation of pain tells us to stop harm to ourselves and to avoid harmful actions, the sense of pleasure encourages the continuation of the action that delights the brain and pleasures the body. The relief from an existing pain leaves us not only with the normal feeling of having no pain, but also with a special sensation of pleasure and satisfaction from the absence of pain.

In light of the fact that you can soothe pain by injecting morphine (as done to wounded soldiers on the battle field), scientists assumed that there are morphine receptors in the brain. Indeed, in 1973, following significant efforts and research, the receptors for opioids were discovered not only in the brain but also in the digestive system, in the placenta and in other organs.

The body has its own ways to achieve the relaxation it needs and often it does so by releasing Endorphins into the brain. The problem occurs when we accidently discover detrimental ways to get that relaxation – to get that Endorphins cascade going. For instance, if our way to achieve our Endorphins is mainly via eating, then obviously, over time, we would probably get fat. If our way to achieving peace is always through having sex, we would become addicted to sex - a problem which becomes more and more common recently.

You all probably know those which run daily miles, those called "Joggers", such as President Clinton and many other good people. Those who are accustomed to running every day will tell you that they are "addicted". They are addicted to the good feeling that comes after the running. This good feeling is not like any other, "It feels just like floating inthe air, just like levitation", they will tell you "This is a deep feeling of tranquility".

Endorphins ("endogenous morphine") are part of a group of chemicals that naturally exist in the brain and help to alleviate pain and elevate a person's mood and spirit – very much like Opioids, thus being what we call endogenous opioidpeptides. They are neurotransmitters usually defined as neuromodulators – chemicals that change the activity of the postsynaptic cells and/or regulate it.

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