Normally this process compels us to strive for things that are good for our survival like drinking water when we are thirsty or eating when we are hungry. When these opioid receptors are activated it results in the release of the pleasure-producing neurotransmitter, dopamine. Beta-endorphin is the bodies’ natural opioid receptor activator. Opiates mimic the effect of beta-endorphin only with a much greater potency. How do Opiate and Opioids Work Inside the Body? The term opioid may also refer to opioid receptor antagonists like naloxone and naltrexone and to partial agonists like buprenorphine. Today, the term opioid is often used to include both natural opiates, derived from the poppy plant like heroin and morphine, and synthetic chemicals like oxycodone and fentanyl. An opioid is a name originally used to describe the synthetic chemicals which either activate, partially activate, block or do a combination of these three actions on different subtypes of the opioid receptors. Opiates are chemicals that are derived from the poppy plant and activate the bodies opioid receptors found in the brain giving a ‘feel good’ sensation. Unfortunately, the over-prescribing of opiates and opioids in America to treat pain has thrust our nation into an epidemic of silent addiction and it is time to understand what these medications are, what they do inside the body and why so many are addicted. They are usually in the kind of pain that an over-the-counter medication will not relieve and are in need of a doctor’s recommendation or prescribing pen to experience the relief they need to operate their lives as normal. One of the most common problems doctors see every day are patients in need of pain relief.