Oxycontin addiction is a physical dependence that may be deemed unavoidable when an individual is exposed to high doses of the drug for a long period of time. The body adapts and develops a tolerance for the drug oxycodone, of which oxycontin is made of. Oxycotton addiction can be so powerful that it produces cravings.
Like other addictive prescription drugs, Oxycontin is able to short-circuit an individual’s survival system. It artificially stimulates the pleasure areas in the brain without giving any beneficial effects to the body. As this happens, it leads to addiction as an individual gains more confidence in the drugs and less confidence in the normal and natural rewards of life.
There are a number of different ways to help oxycodone addicts that also deal with the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that accompanies the stop of drug use:
One of the option include medications such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol); however this approach often leads the addict to become dependant to another substance and defeats the whole purpose of living a drug-free life.
There are proven natural approaches, where the withdrawal is dealth with nutritional supplements and exercise to reduce any craving pains and upsets to a minimum to give the recovering addict the oportunity to truely become drug-free.
It is important that the detoxification from any drugs be supervised by professional withdrawal specialists. This is more so important with Oxycontin as if this is not done with the proper care the severe withdrawal symptoms can easily lead addicts back to using the drug because they may believe that it is better to be addicted than to suffer through withdrawal.
Once detoxification is completed, the recovering addict and the addiction specialist must work together to determine which course of treatment would best suit the needs of the patient.
Rapid detoxification is the most recent treatment process into the field of oxycontin addiction. This process treats the dependency at the receptor level, blocking opioid receptors and precipitates and controls the withdrawal syndrome. This is done through the use of medications, including anesthesia which allows withdrawal to occur while the patient is unconscious. For this reason, rapid detoxification to treat oxycontin addiction should only be done in an intensive care unit of a hospital as procedures that require anesthesia should be performed in a safe and well-monitored environment.
As for the question if help is possible for oxycontin addicts – yes it is.
For those going through treatment for oxycontin addiction, it is important that you understand drug rehabilitation can be a long and hard process and that you need to be careful as to which rehab or treatment you choose; holistic and natural rehabilitation seem to be the most effective for long term recovery. However the decisions you make and a strong will is what start you on the road of recovery and will ultimately lead you to a drug-free and happy life.
Author: National Addiction Resources
America's Best Treatment Directory
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