Today, the prescription drug dependence crisis is far worse than heroin addiction in the United States. Although heroin is a significant issue, more people lose their life from prescription drug overdoses than heroin. When it comes to addiction, prescription pain medication like Vicodin is quite common.
If you think someone you know is struggling with Vicodin addiction, contact the Vicodin rehab addiction treatment center. In order to know if someone is addicted to Vicodin, look for the following signs:
- Mood Symptoms:
Depression, Anxiety, Mood swings, Blissful Euphoria
- Behavioral Symptoms:
Neglecting personal appearance, Forging Prescriptions, Decreased Inhibition, Increase in Risky Behaviors, Inability to Focus on a Task
- Physical Symptoms:
Drowsiness, Kidney Damage, Liver Damage, Constipation, Bradycardia, Decreased Respiration Rate, Difficulty Urinating
- Psychological Symptoms:
Cloudy Thinking, Impaired Cognition, Fear, Anxiety, Delusions, Hallucinations, Agitation, Paranoia
How Someone Become Addicted to Vicodin?
Vicodin is highly addictive when misused or used for longer than prescribed. Many people who become addicted to this drug do so unintentionally and by accident. Vicodin interferes with brain chemicals that play a role in feelings of reward and happiness and influences person to keep seeking and using the drug despite negative consequences.
Because of the easy access of prescription drugs, many young people are experimenting with these drugs. The obsession with using this can cause a lot of issues in one’s life. Young people are more prone to developing an addiction because they don’t have a fully formed prefrontal cortex.
Treatment for Vicodin Addiction:
Vicodin addiction can be treated at a drug rehab center using medical detox and behavioral therapy. Medical drug detox is the first stage of addiction treatment that helps with physical withdrawal symptoms such as muscle aches and sweating.
Drug detox only treats physical Vicodin dependence. However, it does not address behaviors leading to Vicodin addiction.
Drug detox may involve medication usages like buprenorphine and methadone. They both act on the same opiate receptors as Vicodin but without producing euphoria. Some patients stay on these medications for several months to help them stay abstinent long term.
After the detox, a person joins a drug rehab that helps them recover from drug addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapies can help the patient change harmful behaviors that may have triggered addiction in the first place. These therapies can also help boost the confidence and self-esteem of a person suffering from Vicodin addiction.
Recovering from Vicodin Addiction
If you or someone you know is struggling with Vicodin addiction signs, look for a Vicodin rehab addiction treatment center to recover faster and better. Addiction centers typically use drug and alcohol detox and therapies that are individualized for each patient.