Oxycontin is a time-lease version of the opioid painkiller, Oxycodone. Like all opioid products, Oxycontin is psychologically and chemically addictive. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has designated Oxycontin as a Schedule II drug, which means that it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. Moreover, as a Schedule II drug, a physician will be able to write a prescription for a maximum thirty-day supply of the drug only after he sees the patient in a face-to-face appointment and consultation. If the patient requests a refill, he will need to see the physician for a follow-up appointment. These restrictions were adopted for Schedule II substances because the strong potential for addiction when the substance is used for more than thirty days continuously.
Best Oxycontin Addiction Treatment Center In Texas
Many individuals who become addicted to Oxycontin do so inadvertently. Their physicians might have prescribed the painkiller for post-surgical or trauma pain treatment and warnings about the addictive potential of Oxycontin were either not given or were ignored. In other cases, an individual who has a limited prescription for Oxycontin might feel that the prescribed dosage is insufficient, and that person will start taking larger and more frequent doses. Oxycontin is a prevalent in many medicine cabinets, and when an individual runs out of his own prescription he may be able to get an additional supply from well-meaning friends or neighbors. The symptoms of Oxycontin dependence and addiction mimic the typical symptoms of opiate addiction. An Oxycontin user might begin to obsess over a dwindling supply of the drug. He will use increasing and more frequent doses to achieve the same painkilling effects, and he will continue to use Oxycontin in the face of adverse effects on his social and family life and career. Treating Oxycontin addiction as soon as these symptoms present themselves can lead to a more successful recovery. Physicians and addiction counselors will use either or both pharmaceutical and behavioral therapy to break an Oxycontin addiction.
Oxycontin Recovery Programs
Pharmaceutical therapy will be recommended when an Oxycontin addiction has become deeply ingrained in an individual’s brain chemistry and metabolism. A physician might prescribe naltrexone, methadone or buprenorphine for a short period to alleviate Oxycontin cravings. n individual might attempt to stop using Oxycontin abruptly and without either a dosage draw down or some alternative pharmaceutical therapy, but the resulting physical and mental cravings for Oxycontin will often sabotage that cold turkey attempt. A treating physician will also remain aware of any underlying psychological disorders, including anxiety or depression, and will continue to prescribe appropriate medications to address those disorders. Addiction counselors will also provide behavioral therapy, either individually or in a group setting depending on what setting would best help the addicted individual. Group therapy may need to continue for several months or longer if the individual’s Oxycontin addiction is severe or has itself lasted for a long time.
If you have used Oxycontin regularly over a period of time greater than thirty days, you are at risk of developing an Oxycontin addiction. Please call the counselors and therapists at the Last Resort Recovery Center (near Austin, Texas) at 512-360-3600 for a confidential consultation and more information about the risks you may be facing with continuous Oxycontin use. Your opportunity to break an Oxycontin addiction cycle will be greater if you addressing the problem as soon as you suspect it has arisen.
