Help for oxycodone addiction

Help for oxycodone addiction includes detox for withdrawal, physical stabilization, and psychological treatment for underlying issues. Where to get help? More here.

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Oxycodone addiction help

Oxycodone is an opiate used to relieve pain. Developed in 1916, reason doctors created oxycodone was to improve on current opioid medications like morphine and codeine. However, oxycodone is highly addictive and abuse has rocketed all over the U.S. So if you’re noticing signs of oxycodone addiction, where can you go for help?

Here, we explain how to help people addicted to oxycodone or where to find help for yourself. Then, we invite you to ask your questions about oxycodone at the end.

How to help oxycodone addiction

Helping oxycodone addiction can come in many forms. But basically, you first treat chemical dependency and then address the psycho-emotional reasons for use. Oxycodone dependency occurs because the body gets used to the presence of the opioid in the central nervous system. Just as important, underlying psychological reasons must also be addresses; if the underlying reasons are not treated, successful long-term abstinence is much more difficult. Below are the three main ways to overcome addiction to oxycodone:

1. Oxycodone withdrawal treatment

The first thing to do when you’re stopping taking oxycodone is to get oxycodone out of the body.  When you’ve developed physical dependence, expect to go through a period of 7-10 days of withdrawal when you stop oxycodone.  ALWAYS SEEK MEDICAL SUPERVISION for oxycodone withdrawal treatment. Doctors can prescribe medications to help ease withdrawal symptoms. Otherwise, tapering doses can help minimize discomfort of symptoms like fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and hallucinations. The safer, more pleasant method is to decrease usage over a defined period of time, thus lowering the body’s tolerance and need for the drug, leading to an easier detox.

Unpleasant as it may be, the fastest way to withdraw from oxycodone is cold turkey.  However, withdrawal effects of oxycodone will be more severe and intense.  Before attempting this, seek approval from your prescribing doctor. Only people in good health with less severe cases of dependency should attempt cold turkey oxycodone withdrawal.

2. Physical stabilization

Oxycodone addicts will need to be stabilized to readjust to sobriety. Drug abuse over a sustained period of time can lead to depression, anxiety or extreme cravings, so it is important to visit a mental health professional for the diagnosis and treatment of protracted withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). Anti-depressant medications may be prescribed.

3. Psychological treatment

Psychological reasons must be addressed in order to maximize chances of successful abstinence from oxycodone. Psychologists will be able to get to the root of the problem, identifying possible factors or triggers for turning to oxycodone abuse. Appropriate action can lead to the necessary behavioral changes.

Getting help for oxycodone addiction

If you’re hooked on oxycodone and need advice on who to turn to, here are some recommendations:

Check into an oxycodone addiction treatment center. A treatment center that specializes in drug addiction can provide full-service detox, education, and therapy for oxycodone addicts. Treatment centers are probably best placed to help you, as the staff have ample experience in assisting other people address addiction.

Consult an addiction specialist. Talk with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a licensed clinical social worker for expert help.A specialist on drug addiction, especially one who focuses on opiates or opioids, will know the most appropriate methods for helping you get clean.

Seek help from friends and family. Those close to you care about your wellbeing and therefore want to see you healthy and sober. Not only will they give you emotional support, but they can help to find appropriate treatment centers or professionals.

How to help an oxycodone addict

There are myriad ways to help an oxycodone addict, and it usually starts with an intervention. These can be either informal, which typically involve close family and friends, or formal, where an outside professional or treatment center is involved to discuss the problem and solutions. Another way to help an oxycodone addict is to research addiction resources in the local area, which often provide help and support.

Although it can be hard to admit, in many cases family members of oxycodone addicts can be considered ‘enablers’. Enabling an addict can, directly or indirectly, encourage addictive behaviors. A huge step to helping an oxycodone addict would be to consider your actions and make changes within the family system. A family therapist can help.

Oxycodone addiction helplines

The open nature of drug addiction within today’s society has led to a number of public helplines, which can be instrumental in times of need.

1-800-622-HELP is a federal directory of addiction treatment centers and detox clinics.

1-800-943-0566 is the substance abuse hotline for the Coalition Against Drug Abuse.

1-800-327-5050 is the Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline.

Help with oxycodone addiction questions

If you have any questions about addiction to oxycodone, or would like to share your experience to help addicts and their families, please leave a reply. We will try to respond to you personally and promptly.

Reference Sources: PubMed: A profile of OxyContin addiction
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Prescription Monitoring Program: Oxycodone
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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