One of the fastest growing drug problems in the United States, OxyContin abuse and addiction have already claimed thousands of lives and helped derail the relationships, health and careers of many more. OxyContin is a highly addictive drug that brings about feelings of euphoria in the user. Without the professional OxyContin abuse help found at drug treatment centers, the individual’s life will literally be overrun by the drug to such a point that obtaining and using it is all that matters.
What Makes OxyContin Abuse so Dangerous?
OxyContin is a time-release medication that is designed to release its opiate ingredients into the system over a period of 24 hours. The idea behind the creation of OxyContin was to help individuals cope with high levels of pain without having to continually take Vicodin or other painkillers throughout the day and evening. The problem with OxyContin arises when people abuse the drug – taking it ways other than the original makers intended.
For example, OxyContin addicts may crush the drug up into powder form – then either mix it with a liquid and shoot it into the body with a needle, or snort the substance. Both of these methods are highly dangerous because the individual is receiving all of the active ingredients at once. The intense high that ensues is obviously part of the attraction to OxyContin, but it is also the reason why there were so many overdose cases in the years following the drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
What is OxyContin Rehab?
An OxyContin rehab program helps individuals stop using drugs – and then gives them the tools that are essential to maintaining this sobriety for the rest of their lives. In order to do this, the individual must take part in three different processes – each one a part of most drug addiction treatment programs in the United States: drug detox, drug counseling and aftercare.
- Drug detox. The individual overcomes her physical addiction to OxyContin through detoxification. OxyContin detox takes one of two primary forms: natural detox (where the individual quits using the drug “cold turkey” while under the care of a treatment professional) or medical detox (using a synthetic drug to help ease the individual slowly off of OxyContin over time). Natural detox carries with it a number of uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms – any of which can lead to relapse. Those individuals who are unwilling or unable to get through a natural program often choose medical detox. This process involves giving the individual gradually smaller and smaller doses of the opiate so that they can detoxify without heavy withdrawal symptoms.
- Drug counseling. The strongest hold that OxyContin that has over the individual is a psychological one. To address this component of OxyContin addiction there is counseling. Therapy and counseling take on one of three forms during addiction treatment: individual, group and family.
- Individual counseling. These are private, one-on-one sessions between therapist and patient. Here, individuals are given a chance to talk about the root causes of their addiction and learn how to respond more positively to the “triggers” that bring about the behavior.
- Group counseling. Where fellow recovering addicts in the program gather together to discuss their experiences and support one another in their efforts. Many amazing breakthroughs take place during group therapy, as it is the first time many people have ever spoken openly and honestly about their addiction.
- Family counseling. The need to obtain large amounts of OxyContin often leads addicts to steal, lie or engage in other unethical behavior. Families feel the brunt of this most directly. Loved ones can come to family counseling sessions and heal broken trust and damaged relationships caused by OxyContin addiction.
OxyContin Addiction and the Internet
One of the reasons so many individuals are able to obtain OxyContin illegally is because of the hundreds of illicit “pharmacies” currently doing business on the Internet. These off shore companies will sell the drug to anyone with a credit card and a mailing address. No prescription is necessary and the medication that arrives is often fake or expired – all contributing to the dangers these criminal enterprises help bring about. If someone you know has used the Internet to obtain OxyContin, it is important to get them the help they need immediately.
