OxyContin is the brand name for a painkiller that contains oxycodone as its main active ingredient. As such, it’s an opioid. You need a prescription to get it, but statistics on OxyContin drug abuse prove that this is a mere formality as you can also get it on the street and in medicine cabinets everywhere. If you’re currently struggling with an addiction to the drug, there’s hope.

How OxyContin Works

Out of focus man holding up a pill that may indicate OxyContin drug abuse.The drug’s effectiveness rests in its time-release mechanism. Rather than having to take a pill every four to six hours, you can reduce your use to every twelve hours. During this time, the painkiller prevents the central nervous system from communicating pain signals to the brain. In a short time span, your body develops a tolerance to the drug.

Your body’s response is an entirely natural process. However, what happens next is the precursor to OxyContin drug abuse. You contact your doctor to discuss a dosage increase. When you up the dose, you alter the way the chemicals interact with your brain chemistry.

The oxycodone rewrites it to make specific nervous system functions dependent on its presence. When you try to stop using, you experience unwelcome opioid withdrawal symptoms. Many will continue taking the drug. Now it’s no longer the fear of pain but the fear of the withdrawal symptoms.

What are the Effects of OxyContin Drug Abuse?

The most significant danger is an accidental overdose. It can happen when you don’t remember taking the last dose. It’s also possible to overdose when you use the medication in an off-label manner. Case in point is the removal of the pills’ coating to turn the extended-release capsule into a rapid-release drug.

Mixing oxycodone with other central nervous system depressants boosts the drug’s effects. The most common results are dizziness and a subsequent loss of consciousness. Because the opioid directly affects your breathing ability, it’s possible for this function to slow down to dangerous levels. Eventually, breathing may stop altogether, and you die.

Treatments for OxyContin Drug Abuse

Recovery begins with detoxification. In this process, you wean your body off the drug. Because OxyContin withdrawal symptoms can cause pain, pharmacological support may be necessary. There’s no reason why withdrawal should be painful.

Usually, detox from the opioid painkiller takes about three to seven days. Next, you transition to rehab. In this program, you learn why the drug managed to get a hold of you. If you decided to reach for the prescription long after your pain was gone, you find out why.

Then, you learn new ways of dealing with triggers and stress. During psychotherapy and relapse prevention education, you develop healthy coping mechanisms. They enable you to change dysfunctional patterns and replace them with productive means of handling adverse situations. You practice doing so during rehab.

Should You Live at the Rehab Facility?

Your choice of treatment delivery has a significant impact on the ability to put new habits into practice during recovery. Typically, there are a number of options open to you when overcoming OxyContin drug abuse. Examples include:

  • Residential drug rehab that allows you to live at the facility and immerse yourself in the therapeutic environment
  • Extended care, which increases the duration of your stay to provide you with additional time to heal
  • A partial hospitalization program that encourages you to spend your day in rehab and your evenings at home with family support
  • Intensive outpatient program participation, which is a part-time approach to rehab and benefits individuals with moderate addictions
  • Sober living as a means for transitioning from a live-in rehab to an independent living situation

If your living situation is unsafe, it makes sense to move to the facility. When you’re dealing with a co-dependent relationship, staying at the center can make the difference between success and failure. Addiction specialists may also encourage you to stay if you require dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders.

Getting Help for an OxyContin Drug Abuse Problem Today

You don’t have to keep using because you fear withdrawal symptoms. Stop suffering in silence from an addiction that has a treatment. The caring therapists at Beaches Recovery routinely work with people like you who need help for an OxyContin drug abuse problem. Call 866.605.0532 today to set up an intake interview.