How to treat OxyContin addiction

Are you addicted to OxyContin (oxycodone) and ready for help?

If you answered YES, you’re in the right place. If you’re ready to stop using OxyContin, be prepared for more than just detox. Here, we explore OxyContin addiction treatments, what to expect during each type of treatment and who you can ask for help. We invite any questions you may have about treatment for OxyContin addiction at the end.

Am I addicted to OxyContin?

OxyContin is a powerful opioid man-made drug with habit forming tendencies. If you take OxyContin as directed by your doctor, you have less of a chance of becoming addicted. However, if you take OxyContin to get high, you are likely to develop addiction to OxyContin quickly. The main characteristic element of Oxycontin addiction is a psycho-emotional dependence on Oxy to deal with life. Here are some of the signs of OxyContin addiction you can look out for:

anxiety if you can’t get OxyContin or if you’re running low
compulsive OxyContin use
deceitful behavior while chasing a high
experiencing OxyContin withdrawal symptoms when you decrease or eliminate doses
high tolerance for oxycodone: needing more oxycodone more frequently to feel the effects of OxyContin
taking OxyContin despite negative results, either physical, mental or social
taking Oxycontin without thinking

However, being aware of the signs of addiction is not necessarily enough for you (or someone close to you) to want to seek treatment. What else must be present before you seek treatment? You don’t always have to hit rock bottom before knowing you’re ready. Many times a moment occurs when you know that you’ve just had enough. If you are tired of the toll OxyContin addiction has created in your life and are ready to admit to your addiction…help is out there. Wanting treatment and getting ready for a huge life change are two critical conditions that must be present if you decide to seek treatment for OxyContin problems.

Treating OxyContin addiction

Drug addiction is a complex condition and, at times, hard to treat as there are many variables to consider. Therefore, OxyContin addiction treatment will be different for each person. In fact, there may be treatments outside this article that work for you. However, most professionals agree that combining pharmacological and behavioral therapies leads to success in treating OxyContin addiction. We outline these below.

1. Medications for OxyContin addiction treatment

Addiction many times promotes and creates unhealthy mental conditions. The longer you experience OxyContin addiction, the more your brain chemistry can change and make recovery difficult. Medications that can help treat specific opiate cravings include naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine. Additionally, you may also need to treat underlying or co-occuring mental health conditions cush as: anxiety, bi-polar disorder, depression, or panic attacks. There are medications out there that can help. And lastly, there are medications such as clonidine that you can take as you detox from OxyContin.

2. Behavioral treatments for OxyContin addiction

Behavioral therapies/treatments for OxyContin addiction encompass a wide range of modalities. Many consist of contingency management and cognitive behavioral management. Sometimes group therapy is involved during OxyContin addiction treatment which helps provide social validation and reinforcement of recovery. However, not all group therapy is helpful to everyone. Addiction treatment should be catered to the individual. One-on-one therapy sessions with an addiction counselor, therapist, or psychologist can also be helpful. Either way, treating the psycho-emotional reasons which are present under any OxyContin addiction is an important and vital link for a complete drug addiction treatment program.

Help for OxyContin addiction

Below are several different sources of OxyContin addiction help. Please feel free to list other treatments, sources, or places you can go for OxyContin addiction treatment in the comments section at the end.

1. Your physician

While stopping OxyContin cold turkey is possible, you should consult your doctor when you are ready to seek help for OxyContin addiction. Your general physician or family doctor can help you slowly wean of OxyContin while you are seeking other treatment. They can alo prescribe non-opiate painkillers for any withdrawal symptoms you may face. Medical doctors have many resources at their fingertips that they can help you access, and are worth consulting when you are ready to seek help.

2. Clinical psychologist specializing in OxyContin addiction treatment

Clinical psychologists provide specialized behavioral interventions specific to addiction issues. However, psychologists and counselors are not only there to help with behavioral treatments for OxyContin. Psychologists can also diagnose and help treat co-occuring mental health conditions either present because of addiction or underlying the addiction. Many mental health professional have specialized in addiction treatment and same may even have a better understanding of OxyContin than other specialist out there. Clinical psychologists are available in OxyContin addiction treatment centers or can work closely with you in an outpatient treatment setting.

3. Clinical psychiatrist specializing in OxyContin addiction treatment

As many as 6 in 10 substance abusers also have at least one other mental disorder. Psychiatrists who treat addiction are medical doctors with training specific to addiction issues. Mental health disorders that may commonly occur with addiction include mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder), social anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatrists admit, evaluate, diagnose, treat, and provide consultation to people presenting mental, behavioral, addictive or emotional disordersand have the ability to prescribe necessary medications. Psychiatrists are especially helpful in cases of mood, anxiety, psychotic, sleep, sexual, delirious, amnestic, and dementia disorders.

4. Licensed clinical social workers

Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) are professionals that can help those in OxyContin addiction recovery acclimate back into day to day life. They are trained in substance abuse and can counsel you as you seek OxyContin addiction help. LCSWs can help you cope with recovery and give you the tools you need to avoid opiate painkillers in the future. They can also help put you in contact with help in the community or support groups if you need them.

5. A trusted religious or spiritual leader

People who can find community and belong to one are more likely to maintain abstinence from drugs or alcohol in the long-term. If you belong to a religious or spiritual community, seek someone that you trust to consult with you about addiction. They are there to help you. Spiritual leaders can give you access to help you seek. They can also be the support for when you are having a hard time maintain your recovery.

6. OxyContin detox clinic

Opiate-specific detox centers (or any clinical detox setting) can aid and monitor you through the OxyContin withdrawal period. These important clinics employ physicians to carefully monitor the OxyContin detox process to make sure nothing will go wrong. Medical staff can administer fluids and possibly medications to help with the discomfort of withdrawal and its symptoms. This safe place can also decreasee the potential for relapse within the first days of OxyContin detox. Detox is an important first step on recovery from OxyContin addiction but it is not the only step. You need to take care of the psychological state which lies beneath addictive behavior.

7. OxyContin addiction treatment centers

Treatment facilities such as drug rehabs, inpatient drug or alcohol programs, and long-term residential treatment usually take a holistic approach to treating OxyContin addiction. That is; A good OxyContin addiction treatment center will address the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of any OxyContin addict. Many treatment centers are residential centers with facilities separate from the swirl of your addicted life. You are cut off from your family and friends and asked to focus on yourself. This space gives you safety to recover from OxyContin addiction and begin to work on different aspects of your inner self so that your recovery is hopefully long lasting. Kind in mind that there are centers designed to work with opiate addiction and specialize in pharmaceutical addictions. It is important to look for a facility that would work best for you, and you can find a database of OxyContin addiction centers using the SAMHSA treatment locator tool.

8. OxyContin addiction support groups

Support groups for OxyContin addiction can be found using local resources such as your family doctor, licensed clinical social workers, a psychologist or medical doctors. Support groups let you know you are not alone in your addiction and that other people are going through the same thing. Groups can be your long term support system and be in place long after the initial treatment process. Plus, many support group hotlines are there any time you need them.