Signs of Vicodin Addiction

Vicodin: Friend and Enemy

As with many pain-relieving drugs, vicodin is available by prescription from a qualified physician. Vicodin is an opioid drug and has similar addictive properties to other non-prescribed opioids such as heroin and morphine.

Drugs like Vicodin are prescribed to treat people experiencing moderate to high levels of pain. However, treatment is not presumed to be long term, primarily due to the addictive nature of the drug. As a pain killer, carefully prescribed and managed, vicodin is an excellent drug of choice. The potential for addiction and abuse is a known property of the drug and many users gain a degree of dependence, often without realizing it.

Signs of Vicodin Addiction: Users Beware

As with any addiction to prescription medication, addicts often view themselves as different from other addicts who may have acquired the very same drug illegally. One problem with addictions to prescription medicines in particular is the lengthy phase of denial that the addict first endures purely because they perceive the drug to be "legitimate", with the concept of addiction not even worthy of consideration.

Addiction to vicodin and similar drugs can be so ferocious that withdrawal at any level can be catastrophic to the addict. Dependence on a drug such as this is both physical and psychological, often stemming from the user's main reason for taking the drug: to relieve pain. Residential treatment programs are the method of choice when addicts first begin their withdrawal journey.

The signs of addiction to a drug such as vicodin are wide and varied, and do not only manifest themselves as physical problems. Here are some of the most commonly recognized signs of vicodin addiction.

• Continued use of the drug: Even after the episode of pain for which the drug was prescribed has ended, those who have become addicted will continue to use the drug as a comforter.
• Mood and behavior changes: Those with an addiction will develop hostile and volatile behavioral tendencies, even toward loved ones and those close by. Anxiety and general agitation are classic traits.
• Physical withdrawal symptoms: Joint and muscle aches, increased night sweats and insomnia are common symptoms, particularly when the addict has missed doses of the much relied upon drug.
• Furtive behavior: People who are dependent on higher-than-prescribed doses of vicodin may use deceitful methods in order to gain additional supplies of the drug. Many addicts move between physicians, and, without the knowledge of the doctors involved, gain separate supplies from each in order to feed the increasing addiction.
• Self denial: In the early stages of addiction, users often attempt to convince themselves that they are not becoming addicted. Many hide packets of drugs and disguise the act of taking the pills in order to avoid confronting their need for over use of the drug.
• Financial issues: When addiction to vicodin becomes so serious that supplies are purchased by illicit methods due to the inflated costs involved, the addict may begin to neglect financial commitments and struggle to pay regular bills. Users in relationships may find themselves confronted by an angry and suspicious partner who is unaware where the money is being spent.
• Inability to cope with routine: As with addiction to most drugs, the daily routine of life then revolves around obtaining and taking the drug. Vicodin addicts tend to struggle to focus or concentrate. In serious cases of addiction, those affected fail to attend work or school on a regular basis.
• Withdrawal from society: As the addiction takes hold, the addict will be less able to cope with social situations. With an overriding awareness that behavior may be different than normal, addicts often become virtual recluses as a result.

Help is Out There

People who suffer from severe pain are often reluctant to use drugs such as vicodin due to fear of addiction, even though the drug may be the best way to treat the pain. For those who are prescribed drugs such as vicodin, it is important when starting out to gain support and advice from your physician. Explain that you fear addiction may be a problem and ensure prescription repeats are kept to short term-use only. Another good idea is to make your close family and friends aware that you are taking a potentially-addictive drug, and educate them about the signs of vicodin addiction.

With the increasing use of prescription pain killers to feed addictions, addiction recovery programs are being tailored around specific drug addictions. Compliance with withdrawal therapy is more likely to occur if the addict feels comfortable in their treatment surroundings. For example, a vicodin addict may not be willing to attend therapy alongside a heroin addict due to perceptions that their addictions are different, even though this would be a faulty assumption. If the addict does not feel 100 percent at ease, the treatment program will fail.