Few users would refer to OxyContin by its medical name (which is oxycodone HCL). Instead, they might refer to the pills as “oxycotton,” “OC” or plain old “O.” These names seem to take the sting of this drug, rendering it harmless and perhaps even a little bit silly. But in reality, OxyContin is one of the most dangerous substances in use in the illicit drug market today. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that nearly 40 Americans die each and every day due to the use and abuse of painkillers just like this.
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But people who abuse this drug simply don’t have to lose their lives as a result of their addictions. In fact, with the proper treatment program, and the help of a loving and understanding family, people with an addiction to this painkiller can get control of their lives and regain their health.
OxyContin Basics
Each tiny OxyContin pill contains a powerful narcotic that’s designed to silence signals of pain. Each molecule of this medication is wrapped up in a time-release agent, ensuring that the drug remains active within the user’s body for a long period of time, delivering just a tiny bit of relief with each moment that passes. In the past, users overruled this time-release factor by cutting up the pills or adding them to some sort of liquid. These steps could allow a user to feel all of the power in an OxyContin pill all at once, overwhelming the body with sensations.
When users could amend OxyContin pills in order to augment the pleasure, the number of people abusing the drug was astronomical.
For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests that nearly a half-million people 12 and older abused OxyContin in 2008 alone. Due to shocking statistics like this, the manufacturer of the drug developed a new formulation, in which the pills were harder to break apart and tamper with.
Unfortunately, people can still take the pills orally, even if they can’t override the time-release function and feel the hit all at once. And this is what many people choose to do each and every day.
Spotting people like this can be somewhat difficult, as they may not want to talk about the problem openly, but they may display signs of intoxication such as:
- Slurred speech
- Disheveled appearance
- Stumbling
- Fatigue
- Inability to focus
People with advanced cases of addiction may also need to take huge doses of OxyContin each day, and they may become obsessed with getting money or finding dealers. They may even stash huge amounts of pills in the home.
Recovering from Addiction
People who develop an addiction to OxyContin likely never planned to get hooked. In fact, it’s likely that people like this took the pills recreationally just one time, hoping to have a little fun, but that spree left behind a little kernel of damage that called out for more drugs. In time, with repeated use and repeated damage, these people may have become physically unable to resist the urge to use OxyContin, and when they tried to stop using, they may have felt physically ill.
Leaving an addiction like this in place is remarkably dangerous, as the sedation this drug can cause can leave drug users vulnerable to death by overdose.
If they take just a few grams too many in their quest for a high, they could sedate their bodies to such a degree that they stop breathing. As their addictions progress, they may do intense damage to their families. After all, people who are addicted like this are focused exclusively on the use and abuse of drugs above all else. They may not even attend to their responsibilities at home or pay attention to the needs of loved ones. The drug is all that matters. Friends, lovers and family members may fade in importance, as might work and community service. In time, the person might have nothing left but the addiction, and the ruin that addiction can cause.
But therapy can make a big difference. In a treatment program, people can get the medical assistance they’ll need to get sober safely, and they’ll have access to counselors and other mental health professionals who can help clients to understand the causes of the addiction, and the changes that can make the issue fade away.
This is the kind of help we can provide at Axis. In our luxury rehab facility, the person you love will be provided with around-the-clock help by a staff of trained professionals, all of whom have years of experience in treating all sorts of addictions. Please call us, and we’ll explain how to get the enrollment process started.
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