OxyContin addiction is indeed among the fastest spreading problems flooding drug rehab centers all over the country. The highly addictive property of this drug has already caused many individuals to let go of everything for the drug, making OxyContin treatment as necessary as getting a drug rehab center for heroin addiction and other conditions related with the abuse of illegal substances.

OxyContin: An Abused Analgesic

OxyContin is actually an opiate-based analgesic prescribed by physicians to patients who are currently experiencing intense levels of pain because of surgery, an illness or acute injury. A very sought after feature of this drug is its timed release property so instead of using several pills over a period of time, a person only needs to have one dose of the drug and experience relief from pain every 3-4 hours.

Prescribed OxyContin use can still be addictive despite of doctor’s approval because of its inherent opiate content. The drug can be abused in several ways such as crushing/snorting and taking more than the recommended dosage. There are other abusers who even mix the drug in a liquid and then injecting it directly to a vein in their body which is very dangerous and potentially fatal. OxyContin when taken intravenously tends to have more abrupt and systemic results. Danger is closer to those individuals who taking the entire drug dosage at one time. OxyContin over dosage can lead to death given the inappropriate set of circumstances.

Signs and Symptoms of OxyContin Addiction

OxyContin abusers exhibit one or a number of the following hallmark signs for addiction:

• Withdrawal symptoms (nausea, dizziness, diaphoresis, dry mouth, fatigue, constipation, headache & pruritus) and OxyContin cravings when not taken in a period of time
• Extreme mood swings (a person tends to act like the lowest of lows when in abstinence and dizzying highs when using it)
• Unethical behavioral patterns like ‘physician shopping’ where a patient jumps from one doctor to another and lie about their illness for them to get a prescription for the drug
• Criminal behavior (e.g. stealing money from family and friends in order to fund this destructive habit)

An individual showing any of these signs and symptoms should seriously consider an OxyContin rehab program. In addition to that, abusers who want to put an end to their bad habit, but are not able to do so, are good rehab candidates as well.

OxyContin Rehab: An Overview

OxyContin rehab is usually composed of 3 phases namely detox, drug counseling and aftercare services.

OxyContin Detox. The detoxification process is a challenging phase for many abusers. This is where an addict stops using the drug and replaces OxyContin with medications that have lesser opiate content such as methadone. This can be quite a tough time for many patients as OxyContin withdrawal symptoms begin to manifest. These unpleasant symptoms can last for a couple of days and may take on several forms such as drug cravings, suicidal thinking, mood swings, depression and anxiety.

Rehab Counseling. Drug rehab center counseling can address issues related to the addiction such as life events and stressors that lead to the OxyContin abuse and environmental factors that lead to the use of the drug. Counseling is done individually and through regular group sessions.

Treatment Aftercare. Once the rehab program is completed, a person then slowly transitions into the real life. Aftercare programs are designed to make this transition process as stress free and pain free as much as possible.

Enrolling a loved one into an OxyContin rehab guide program is an opportunity for you to tell those people how much you care about them and their future. It is never too late to break free from OxyContin addiction.