What Is Oxycodone?
Oxycodone, also known as oxy, is a prescription medication that falls under the opioid class of drugs, along with morphine, codeine, and methadone. Found in several products and other medications, oxycodone can be extremely helpful for people who experience severe and chronic pain. The way these prescription drug works is it changes the way a user’s brain and nervous system respond to pain. Typically, prescription opioids can be categorized as immediate-release (IR) or extended-release (ER). Immediate-release medications are generally intended for use every four to six hours, whereas extended-release tablets are taken only once or twice a day. However, when either type of opioid drug is misused, users may need to seek an Orange County oxy addiction treatment program to help manage their drug use.
While the common name is oxycodone, this drug has many other brand names. For example, oxycodone is also known by some as oxycontin, oxyfast, or percolone. Other painkiller drugs that contain oxy include Percocet, Narvox, and Tylox.
When Is Oxycodone Prescribed?
Since oxycodone is a powerful painkiller only available when prescribed by a medical professional, it is typically only prescribed when patients suffer from severe pain caused by an injury, bursitis, neuralgia, arthritis, cancer, and other serious conditions.
In recent years, physicians and other medical professionals have been more cautious about prescribing opioids for fear of contributing to the growing opioid drug epidemic in America. According to a study done by the American Medical Association (AMA), opioid prescriptions have decreased by more than 44% between 2011 and 2020 in the United States.
Is Oxycodone Addictive?
While oxycodone is a prescription pain medication, it’s also a Schedule Two narcotic known to have a high potential for addiction and abuse. Anyone who takes opioid drugs is at risk of developing an addiction, but the risk increases depending on an individual’s personal history and the length of time they’ve used opioids like oxycodone. Some common risk factors for developing an addiction include aggressive behavior in childhood, lack of parental supervision, low peer refusal skills, drug experimentation, availability and accessibility of drugs, and community poverty. Further, research shows that genetics and environmental factors can account for 40% to 60% of a person’s risk of addiction.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is defined as a “chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use” despite any negative consequences that may occur in one’s personal, professional, and social life. Addiction is a powerful disease that affects parts of the brain that control reward, stress, and self-control. If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to oxycodone, consider seeking help from an Orange County oxy addiction treatment program.
26 Warning Signs of Oxy Addiction
Oftentimes, people begin misusing drugs to help them feel good since drugs can produce an intense feeling of pleasure in users. However, the addiction to oxy painkillers can start to control a user’s life quickly and sneakily. The more a person uses, the less effective they are, and the more they feel that they must take to feel the same effect from the drug. Think you or a loved one may be developing an oxy addiction? These are the mood, behavioral, physical, and psychological symptoms of oxy addiction warning signs:
- Euphoria
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Impaired decision making
- Poor judgment
- Problems with memory
- Confusion
- Getting multiple oxycodone prescriptions
- Seeking multiple doctors for painkiller prescriptions
- Rapid and racing thoughts
- Social withdrawal
- Lying
- Stealing prescriptions from others
- Using oxy in secret
- Hiding oxycodone
- Inability to concentrate
- Problems paying attention
- Drowsiness
- Sedation
- Restlessness
- Agitation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Emotional numbing
- Obsessing over the drugs
- Declining mental health
Is Detox Necessary to Start Oxy Addiction Treatment?
For those who are chemically dependent on oxycodone or oxy-based pain medications, it’s best to enter Orange County oxy addiction treatment for detox. At an Orange County oxy addiction treatment center, patients can receive constant supervision while they go through the process of drug withdrawal. When it comes to detoxing from oxycodone, it’s recommended to do so with professional help rather than trying to detox on your own. The reason is that oxy withdrawal symptoms can be severe and uncomfortable for patients and addiction specialists can help make the process more manageable. Plus, studies show that people with an addiction who seek supervised withdrawal tend to have a lower risk of relapse after finishing addiction treatment.
While people may experience different side effects of withdrawal, the most common oxy-withdrawal symptoms are lightheadedness, restlessness, agitation, sedation, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, diarrhea, insomnia, and in severe cases, seizures. Symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how long the drug was used, how much of the drug was used, and the individual person’s drug history.
Additionally, the timeline for oxy withdrawal can vary by person. Factors that can impact the timeline of withdrawal include the length of time someone has been using drugs, the dosage they’ve been taking, how frequently they’ve used the drug, and if they’re combining drug use with other types of substances, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, and methamphetamine.
Orange County Oxy Addiction Treatment: What to Expect
Entering Orange County oxy addiction treatment can be intimidating and feel overwhelming. So, it helps to know what to expect from Orange County oxy addiction treatment. Medical detox is the first step to addiction recovery. After medical detox, many people with addiction choose to continue to receive treatment for the psychological and social factors that contributed to their opioid use disorder.
Drug detox typically involves three phases: evaluation, stabilization, and entry into treatment. Patients undergo a full assessment to determine their treatment needs during an evaluation. For example, if someone has additional physical or mental conditions needing monitoring, this will be determined during the evaluation stage. Next is stabilization. The second phase involves monitoring an individual’s symptoms, administering medication when needed, and introducing the idea of further treatment. Lastly comes the entry to treatment. This could be inpatient treatment where people live on-site at the treatment facility for their duration of care or an outpatient program where patients visit the facility for treatment a few times a week.
After an individual enters Orange County oxy addiction treatment, they’ll more than likely go through various forms of behavioral therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), contingency management, and family behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people identify harmful patterns of thinking that can contribute to drug use and dangerous coping strategies. Contingency management uses rewards to incentivize meeting recovery goals and family behavioral therapy involves members of one’s family healing together.
Orange County Oxy Addiction Treatment: Muse Treatment Can Help
Looking for an Orange County oxy addiction treatment center? Look no further than Muse Treatment. This affordable addiction treatment facility offers an individualized recovery approach tailored to each individual’s needs. Plus, Muse Treatment believes in a holistic approach to healing where they address the body, mind, and spirit. For more information on the connection between mental health issues and addiction, call Muse Treatment at (800) 426-1818.
