This Is What Happens to Your Brain on Opioids | Short Film Showcase

Driven by opioid addiction, drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States.

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Opioids are part of a drug class that includes the illegal drug heroin and powerful pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and many others. In 2015, more than 33,000 people died from overdoses involving opioids. Every day in the United States more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for not using prescription opioids as directed.

Lily Fang's animation, Susan’s Brain, is part of a free online course produced by HarvardX and Harvard Health Publications. The course, The Opioid Crisis in America, challenges preconceptions about addiction and about who can become addicted to opioids, and this animation illustrates changes in the brain that lead to addiction. Dr. Elena Chartoff and Dr. Hilary Connery, both of Boston’s McLean Hospital advised on the brain science within this animation. This video is provided courtesy of the President’s and Fellows of Harvard College © 2017.

Driven by opioid addiction, drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States.

Opioids are part of a drug class that includes the illegal drug heroin and powerful pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and many others. In 2015, more than 33,000 people died from overdoses involving opioids. Every day in the United States more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for not using prescription opioids as directed.

Lily Fang's animation, Susan’s Brain, is part of a free online course produced by HarvardX and Harvard Health Publications. The course, The Opioid Crisis in America, challenges preconceptions about addiction and about who can become addicted to opioids, and this animation illustrates changes in the brain that lead to addiction. Dr. Elena Chartoff and Dr. Hilary Connery, both of Boston’s McLean Hospital advised on the brain science within this animation. This video is provided courtesy of the President’s and Fellows of Harvard College © 2017.

This Is What Happens to Your Brain on Opioids | Short Film Showcase

National Geographic

[johnmarstonlives]

You forgot the part where Susan starts using heroin instead and dies

[wadewylsyn]

I went down this path stemming from a car accident, ended up on heroin for 5 years. I never knew how bad it would get after taking these things. Sober for 3 years, still going strong, and never looking back. I am grateful to be here typing this.

[Hison-Dcarman]

Opioid addiction actually destroyed my life. I started doing drugs since my teenage, got addicted to Opioid. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

[maria_____.]

you skipped the part where susan becomes a heroin addict

[texasg]

Glad I don’t have a brain, according to my wife

[jakebesaw]

This was extremely well made. Missing details however on how people like Susan are likely to find substitutes for pain relief like heroin when their Doctor cuts them off from Legal Pain Relief and the dangers of cut drugs & overdose.

[AjayiSola]

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

[Divineshot]

I feel Susan's pain, I use to be an addict but now I'm sober. I finally found true pleasure in my life and for that I am truly grateful. Everyone have a great weekend! :)

[ayo]

Has anyone mentioned how good the animation is? Because this animation is really good!

[oynlengeymer]

the part where they talk about genetics and life experience and show her watching her parent drinking as a kid, smiling and learning as she watched.. I felt great sadness. How did we get so lost?

[smellypatel]

As someone studying medicine, I can wholeheartedly say that this is an excellent lay summary of what goes on, and the animation is top notch. Wish we had more of these types of animations.

[georgetaylor]

I am an addict in recovery, thank you for producing this short story, maybe, with more stories like this, instead of the needless snide comments left by others, a life can be saved.

[mikey]

Opioids are horrible. I was taking percs for years thinking it gave me energy and made me more focused. In reality i was in a daze and incredibly angry all the time. If there are any addicts out there you can get clean. Get help or whatever you need to do to free yourself. As good as you think you feel on them, being off of them feels better

[lisamarieashby]

I have medically, chronic pain. Without these meds, I would be dead. However, the meds do not make me feel euphoric. Never have. I am always tired and still in pain. No amount of drugs will ever change that. No medication of any kind is "safe". All have side effects and draw-backs. Use them carefully and under good medical care. Do what you can to avoid or minimize their use.

[beatnik]

"physical sickness far more worse than any flu" even that is an understatement. Its anxious, depressing soul sucking darkness. Its hopeless, worst nightmare you live in while withdrawing. Not a single moment you feel bearable, not even a glimbse of comfort. I never ever imagined a person can feel so bad, and when I started using I thought myself "I can take it, so what if you feel sick. I can stop any day I want" and when I wanted, I couldn't, and after several tries trying to quit, here I'm still struggling with opioid addiction. I'm so sad they probihited ordering kratom to my country because my friend was able to quit with it. I'm never giving up though and one of these days I make it.

[MrHereugo]

Feel so sorry for addicts of any kind ✌🙏

[soulrebel]

"When i was a teen people would tell me, if you take drugs you're gonna die. Now that I'm 60 they tell me if i DON'T take drugs imma die"

[markbasarab]

I was on vacation and broke my arm in a motorcycle accident and had to get surgery. They proscribed me Oxy because of the pain. Yes it felt good and the pain would go away but within 3 hours it would come back and I would have to take more. One week of being on them I saw how it started to change me. My own mom that would take care of me I would yell and freak out at her for something that would irritate me. Within one week I stopped taking them even though the pain was there. Please look into opioid addictions it’s so easy to get addicted and not only does it ruin your life but also the people around you.

[Fomites]

It's interesting that when I badly ruptured a disc in my lumbar spine I used extended-release morphine which was effective as a pain killer (analgesic) but I didn't like it at all and was glad when surgery fixed the problem. At other times when I have had opiates prescribed I have only used a few from the packet then stopped. It seems that I am not an opiate/opioid person. It could be genetic misfortune to be susceptible to opioids. But I find alcohol to be quite addictive though. We need to be non-judgemental on others who have addiction and treat it as a medical problem with compassion.

[Foxfried]

You didn't include the whole story... Susan was already high on mushrooms before going on a bike ride.