Morphine is a naturally occurring opiate that’s derived from opium poppy plants and found in other plants and animals. Morphine works in the human brain by binding to opioid receptors in the nervous system. Humans have a naturally occurring opioid called endorphins that are designed to regulate and manage pain all over the body. Endorphins are so similar to medicinal opioids that they get their name from a combination of “endogenous” and “morphine.” Morphine is more powerful than your body’s own endorphins so moderate-to-severe pain symptoms can be effectively alleviated with this medication. When morphine binds with receptors in your brain, it triggers a reaction that blocks pain signals. Normally, pain travels from the sight of damage or trauma to the spine and then to the brain. When opioid receptors are activated, it blocks your nerve cells from sending and receiving pain signal at every point on the pain path. Though morphine is an effective medicinal painkiller, it’s also highly addictive because of the drug’s effects on the brain’s reward center. Your brain is designed to identify things that make you feel good and encourage you to repeat them. That you crave food and comfort helps you survive. However, drugs like morphine mimic the effects that food and comfort have on the brain; only it’s much more powerful. When using morphine excessively, your brain learns to encourage you to use it again. The response is so powerful that it can become a compulsion that gets out of control. Addiction is a serious disease, but learning to recognize the signs can help you avoid some of the most severe consequences of the disease. Since addiction is considered a severe substance use disorder, it often comes after some noticeable symptoms. The first sign of a substance use disorder is a growing tolerance to the morphine you’re using. As your brain gets used to the drug, your standard dose may seem less effective than it used to be. If you continue to use, or start compensating for tolerance by increasing your dose, you may begin to become chemically dependent. Dependence is often marked by a feeling that you need to use morphine to feel normal. It may not be for the purpose of pain management or even recreation, once you become dependent. If you stop using, you may start to feel flu-like symptoms including nausea, body aches, and sweating. If you start using compulsively, despite consequences, you may have a severe substance use disorder. Addiction is often identified by continued use after serious problems like job loss or a strained relationship caused by drug use.