Looking for help with oxycontin addiction? Read our guide to find out how to find the right luxury rehab.
Table of Contents
1. What is Oxycontin and what causes Oxycontin addiction?
2. Oxycontin withdrawal side effects and timeline
3. What are the Oxycontin slang names?
4. What is the best Oxycontin addiction treatment?
5. How to find the best rehab for Oxycontin addiction treatment?
6. Location
7. Facilities
8. Services
9. Reputation
10. How important is the aftercare for Oxycontin addiction treatment?
It’s tough to determine the exact reason why people get into addiction. There can be several factors contributing to addiction problems in individuals. Most substance abuse victims begin addiction due to stress, low self-esteem, relationship issues, medical issues or just for the sake of experimenting. Families can have a significant impact on people’s addiction as well. Some people grow up seeing their close relatives using drugs or alcohol and perceive substance abuse as a sensible thing to do. Youngsters often fall victim to substance abuse due to peer pressure. Addictive substances like drugs and alcohol offer an immediate sense of relief and satisfaction helping people leave their worries momentarily.
Drugs and alcohol react with the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which gives an instant pleasurable sensation. Most people consider this as an escape from their seemingly imperfect life and become highly dependent on it. Some people mix two or more drugs to create an even intense sensation. This is drug abuse, and the effects can be more dangerous than taking a single type of drug alone.
Most substance abuse victims fail to realize that these substances are detrimental to the mind and body in the long run. Once a person stops using drug or alcohol, they experience intense cravings, and even though they don’t give in to those cravings, their body undergoes many side effects. The common side effects associated with most substance abuse are:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Dry Mouth
- Fever
- Mood Swings
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Weakness
- Slow Heart Rate
- Loss of Appetite
What is Oxycontin and what causes Oxycontin addiction?
In recent years, the rate of prescription drug abuse is rising at an alarming rate. There is a high risk of addiction associated with drugs like Oxycodone. Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic used to subdue severe ongoing pain from cancer, arthritis, etc. It’s sold under the drug name Oxycontin and is only prescribed to opioid-tolerant patients. The maximum permissible dosage for Oxycontin is 40mg per tablet. The drug should be taken only once every 12 hours. Dependence on Oxycontin for a long time can lead to addiction or overdose.
Legally, the sale of Oxycontin is only limited to patients who have cancer; however, Oxycontin abuse takes place by crushing the tablet to snort or swallow it. By doing so, they destroy the time-release mechanism of the drug and experience a high similar to the one produced by heroin. An overdose of Oxycontin can be lethal and can lead to coma or death.
People who have been using pain killers for a long time often become dependent on them to the extent that they crave for pain killers even when the pain is controllable. Prescribing opiates for pain should be the last resort for any medical problem and also if they are put on opioid medication, the dosage should be monitored strictly to avoid cases of overdose or addiction. The initial sign of addiction is withdrawal from social life. If you notice someone in your family or friend circle who is constantly distancing themselves, please talk to them and support them as much as possible.
Oxycontin withdrawal side effects and timeline
Oxycontin withdrawal can start with 5 to 8 hours of the last intake. Within 12 hours of withdrawal, most victims experience flu-like symptoms which are accompanied by other withdrawal symptoms associated with Oxycontin intake. For most, the withdrawal effects last from 1 to 3 weeks. Seeking medical help is necessary in case of any discomfort or withdrawal symptoms like:
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Muscle Cramps
- Chills
- Sweating
- Diarrhea
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Blurred Vision
- Nausea
- Abdominal Pain
What are the Oxycontin slang names?
Oxycontin is available under various street names such as:
- Hilly Billy
- Blues
- Kickers
- OC
- Oxy
- Ox
- OxCotton
- 40 (for 40 mg pill)
- 80 (for 80 mg pill)
What is the best Oxycontin addiction treatment?
Before looking for specific addiction treatments, every person suffering from addiction needs to undergo detoxification. It helps people decrease their dependence on drugs without facing any adverse side effects. Detoxification can last for months depending on the need of the patient. Oxycontin detoxification helps to lower the drug dependence and eventually stop its usage completely.
Some people who are looking to overcome Oxycontin addiction avoid seeking medical help due to the fear of painful detox treatment. For such patients, rapid detox treatment can be beneficial. Rapid detox is carried out in a private facility where a medically induced detox treatment is used to overcome opioid dependence. For most of the rapid detox, patients are kept sedated to ensure that they experience minimum pain.
Once the detoxification process is completed successfully, patients can move towards an active rehab program. The rehab program varies depending on the type of drug that is dealt with and also the needs of the patient. If your withdrawal symptoms are well in control, your doctor may recommend an Outpatient rehab program for you. In an Outpatient program, you don’t need to stay within the rehab facility for your treatment. Outpatient rehab programs give you the freedom to live your life freely while undergoing rehab sessions from time to time. However, you should be particular about your visit and never miss a session.
For people who are still dealing with significant withdrawal symptoms, an inpatient rehab program will help them recover without any risk. Inpatient rehab facilities require patients to stay within their facility under strict observation and get regularly treated by an experienced team of doctors and medical professionals. Inpatient rehab treatment is also known as residential rehab. Other than Inpatient and Outpatient rehab treatment, there are a few different types of detox programs as well. A Partial Hospitalization program (PHP) is an intensive outpatient program where patients have to attend the rehab program 5-7 days a week and spend most of the day undergoing treatment. At night, they can return to their home and sleep.
In addition to this, most rehab offers Dual Diagnosis support. It’s very common for people to suffer from mental health problems due to substance abuse. Issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder are all mental health problems linked to addiction. When someone with an addiction problem also deals with mental health issues, it’s known as a dual diagnosis. This is a severe problem and needs to addressed alongside drug disorder.
Rehab facilities along with treating drug problems also create awareness and educate patients about the harmful effects of drugs. They conduct regular counseling sessions and group therapies for victims of addiction and even involve their close friends and family to make the entire rehab process more effective. Rehab facilities are not just treatment centers for drug victims, but they have a holistic approach to healing.
Whether you go for the conventional detox or rapid detox, the pain associated with the process cannot be entirely eliminated. To overcome the pain during Oxycontin addiction treatment,patients can try to exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and get enough sleep to prepare the body to sustain the detox treatment.
How to find the best rehab for Oxycontin addiction treatment?
Finding the right rehab is as tricky as getting out of an addiction. Proper research and recommendations can help you find the best rehab for your addiction treatment. Enroll in a rehab program that covers most of your treatment expenses so that you don’t have to face any financial struggle or stop your rehab treatment midway. If you know anyone who has been to rehab before, ask for their recommendation as well. Once you shortlist a few rehab facilities that have partnerships with medical insurance providers, you need to look out for these features:
Location
If you’re dealing with mental health problems along with drug addiction, signing up for Inpatient treatment that deals with multiple patients together within their facility might not be a wise choice. For them, private rehab can be more beneficial. Moreover, the environment around your rehab facility should be calm and pollution-free. Ensure that your rehab is located conveniently at a place where there’s not much crowd.
Facilities
Get the rehab facility information booklet and check out the facilities available for the patients. See whether they have a separate housing complex for the patients within the facility or if they are accommodated somewhere adjacent to the rehab facility. Also, inquire about the tools and techniques used for the treatment.
Services
Check the list of doctors and medical staff in the rehab and ensure they are well qualified to handle all types of addiction victims. Also, make sure that the services provided are on time and efficient enough.
Reputation
Finally, check out online reviews and ratings about the rehab facility. See what other people have to say about the services offered at the rehab. If possible, get in touch with former alumni and talk to them about the quality of services provided there. This will give you a clear idea about the rehab.
How important is the aftercare for Oxycontin addiction treatment?
Aftercare treatment for Oxycontin is as necessary as undergoing Oxycontin addiction treatment. People who have just completed their drug addiction therapy have a high chance to relapse with proper aftercare sessions. Aftercare sessions help people to stay away from substance abuse for a lifetime and control any cravings that may arise ever.
Aftercare sessions focus on rigorous counseling and educating addiction victims, their family and friends on common issues and stigmas related to addiction. A lot of people cannot come clean about their addiction or find it hard to admit that they have an addiction problem because society generally perceives them as a burden.
Only proper knowledge and openly discussing the problem can help change that misconception among people. By encouraging a lot of people to participate in aftercare services, the rehab centers ensure that there is always someone to provide immediate support when relapses happen.
If you’re suffering from addiction, don’t delay your treatment. Get immediate help and start your recovery process soon. Continuous drug usage makes it hard to get rid of the addiction, and the path to recovery also gets stressful. Don’t move away from friends and family if you’re dealing with addiction; talk to them and tell them about your challenges to get the right support and supervision you’ve been looking for.