Prescription drug addiction is a growing problem that many people don’t take as seriously as they should. Since the medications were originally prescribed by a doctor, they feel that prescription drug abuse is different than when the person is using street drugs. Prescription drug addicts are addicts, in the same way that those who get hooked on cocaine, heroin, or other illegal drugs are.
What is Prescription Drug Addiction?
A prescription drug addict uses medications in a way other than for which they were originally prescribed or to a much greater extent. They come to depend on the drugs to feel better in some way, and experience cravings for them in between doses. The prescription drug use continues in spite of negative consequences for the user, including relationship difficulties, problems on the job, or the risk of physical harm from inappropriate use.
Signs of Prescription Abuse and Dependence
The signs of addiction to prescription drugs include the following:
- Complaining of vague symptoms to get more medication
- Lack of interest in treatment options other than medications
- Mood swings
- Seeing several doctors and/or pharmacies to get more pills
- Past history of drug addiction
- On and off relief from anxiety
- Using more than the recommended amount of the medication
- Using prescription pills prescribed for others
Causes of Dependency
Prescription medications are drugs and they work on the user’s brain in the same way their illegal counterparts do. When a person who is addicted to prescription drugs uses them, the medication changes the brain’s chemistry, making it less effective at producing chemicals like dopamine or endorphins. Since the brain has stopped producing these chemicals itself, they must be introduced through another source. At this point, the prescription drug addict has become physically dependent on the medication.
Seniors are especially at risk for prescription drug addictions, simply because they are prescribed drugs more often that other groups. For example, a doctor may prescribe a tranquilizer after they have experienced a traumatic event, such as the death of their spouse. The person feels calmer and is able to sleep better with the medication, so they take it more often than the doctor directs. When they run out, they go back to the doctor for another prescription, and this is how the addiction starts.
Effects of Using Prescription Pills Excessively
A person who is addicted to prescription drugs may experience the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of interest in relationships with friends or family members
- Withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using the medication on their own
Vicodine Abuse
Vicodin is prescribed as a pain medication. It is made of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and hydrocodone, which is a synthetic version of codeine. Vicodin abuse is all too common among users and is one of the most common subjects of prescription drug abuse.
What is Vicodin Addiction?
No one sets out to deliberately become a Vicodin addict. They may get a prescription for this medication following surgery, an injury, or for chronic pain. If the person is not getting the level of pain relief they are expecting to get from the medication, they may start using it more often than directed by their doctor. This behavior is the start of Vicodin addiction.
Signs of Vicodin Dependence
Signs that your use of Vicodin has gone from taking the medication the way your doctor intends to a case of Vicodin abuse are:
- Taking larger amounts than directed on the bottle
- Visiting more than one doctor to get a prescription
- Needing to take more of the drug to get the same effect
- Feeling guilty about the amount you are taking or your actions to get more Vicodin
- Have symptoms like night sweats, insomnia, or muscle aches when you stop taking the medication
Causes of Dependency
A person may become physically dependent on Vicodin after taking it for only a few weeks. It is also a psychologically addictive substance. Vicodin use affects the user’s brain by stopping it from producing endorphins. Over time, the person involved in Vicodin abuse doesn’t feel they can function normally without the medication. Using Vicodin produces the kinds of good feelings that brain chemicals like endorphins produce.
Effects of Use
This is a narcotic medication, which means that using it tends to make the user feel sluggish. Symptoms of Vicodin use include:
- Anxiety
- Constricted pupils
- Drowsiness
- Euphoria
- Inability to concentrate
- Lethargy
- Sense of relaxation
Oxycontin
Oxycontin is a painkiller, but it is also a leading form of drug addiction and overdose. Oxycontin is an analgesic that is the leading opioid to relieve medium to severe pain. It’s a Schedule II drug meaning it must be prescribed by a physician to legally obtain it. While Oxycontin has been a god-send for those in chronic pain, it has also been the cause of untimely death for many people who are unaware of its powerful addiction and side effects.
OxyContin – One of the Most Highly Abused Prescription Drugs
OxyContin addiction has escalated remarkably since its inception in 1995. OxyContin is best described as an opioid analgesic. This drug was developed to alleviate chronic pain and is known to be highly addictive. Similar in structure to that of heroin, Percodan and morphine, OxyContin has become one of the most highly abused prescription drugs on the market.
OxyContin, which contains an ingredient called Oxycodone, is actually synthetic morphine. Physically addicting and emotionally crippling, OxyContin was designed to be a 12 hour time release pill. To increase the “high” produced by the drug, people crush the pill, bypassing the time release element of the medication. This leads to an even greater risk of OxyContin addiction, as well as, overdose. OxyContin addiction treatment is vital once an addiction has been detected.
Similar to other prescription medications such as Vicodin, Demerol, Percodan or Dilaudid, OxyContin is prescribed by a licensed physician. Because this drug is prescribed, many people tend to live in denial about their addiction to the drug. They will compare their situation to people who are buying their drugs on the street. What they fail to realize is that they are no longer taking the medication as prescribed. The amount they are taking has increased, the frequency has increased and a tolerance for the drug OxyContin has developed. When the initial prescription is no longer adequate, due to the amount of the drug one is consuming, people find themselves forging prescriptions, going to multiple physicians, and attending multiple pain clinics, regardless of the severity of the pain. They find they cannot live without the drug.
Effects of OxyContin Addiction
The effects from OxyContin addiction can be dramatic. While there are individuals who are able to take the drug as prescribed, there is a high propensity to develop an OxyContin addiction. Addiction to OxyContin takes its toll on a person emotionally and physically.
If a person begins taking OxyContin for pain, odds are they are experiencing some degree of depression. They may be depressed because they feel isolated, lonely, angry and scared. While the pain might be present, many people find themselves taking the OxyContin to offset the feelings listed above. As the drug use increases, the pain may diminish, but more importantly, the individual doesn’t have to cope with those feelings because they are numb. Unfortunately, by this time they have begun to experience the negative effects of OxyContin addiction. Due to this OxyContin addiction, people have difficulty concentrating, feel even more depressed, crave the drug and will do almost anything to get more of it.
Like morphine, Demerol or Dilaudid, OxyContin blocks pain messages to the brain and central nervous system. This drug also tends to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain, which allows us to feel pleasure. As people continue to use more OxyContin, they expect to feel even more pleasure, but as they continue to abuse the drug a tolerance develops. This means it takes more of the drug to produce the same effect. In an effort to achieve the same “high” they originally experienced, coupled with tolerance, an overdose may occur. In many cases, respiratory failure is seen as the cause for death. The respiratory system is so slowed due to the vast amount of OxyContin; a person’s system begins to just shut down.
Whether a person started taking OxyContin to alleviate physical or emotional pain, one thing becomes clear to them early on. They can not live without the drug. They constantly think about the drug, where to get the drug and how they will use the drug. Once this obsessive thinking sets in, along with the actual craving, a person is addicted.
Consequences of OxyContin Addiction
It is quite easy to become addicted to OxyContin. Unfortunately, like any drug addiction, withdrawal can be difficult. Some of the symptoms associated with withdrawal from OxyContin are; insomnia, nausea, vomiting, muscle and bone pain, restlessness and tremors. Those who abruptly discontinue the drug, place themselves in danger of experiencing seizures and convulsions, which can result in death. For this reason, we urge you to seek help within residential treatment programs where you can experience a safe and comfortable withdrawal from OxyContin addiction.
In addition to the physical issues associated with OxyContin addiction, its abuse can cause the deterioration of interpersonal relationships, loss of employment, legal problems, financial difficulties and poor health.
Treatment for OxyContin Addiction
Overcoming OxyContin addiction begins with a medically supervised drug detox program followed by residential addiction treatment programs. While in detox, a physician will develop a medical protocol, designed to reduce and sometimes eliminate the feelings and symptoms associated with OxyContin withdrawal. It is rare that these symptoms are ever eliminated, due to the nature of the addiction, but they are tolerable. Detox from OxyContin usually takes between five and seven days.
After detox, residential treatment is usually indicated due to the nature of the illness and the damage it has caused. Although medically stable, the person may still experience OxyContin cravings and the residential support will prove invaluable. Group, individual and family therapy will be available, to help recovering addicts resolve the pain of the past and the wreckage of the present. Residential treatment is usually three weeks in length, but can vary depending upon the severity of the illness.
Reference: Recovery Connection
