Percocet Addiction: A Growing Epidemic By David Mark At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Imagine waking up one morning and realizing your prescription for Percocet has just run out, yet instead of feeling the typical relief in finishing a prescription—this time you want more. At first the cravings are subtle, yet make no mistake about it they are there, dragging you towards an addiction to Percocet.

What is Percocet?

Percocet is part of a larger group of prescription drugs known as opioids. These opioids are known as synthetic opiates, because they are originally derived from the poppy plant, which is the plant that all opiates originate from. Percocet is a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen and although not as powerful as it's counterparts like Oxycontin, it is just as insidious. Opioids are usually used for pain relief, typically after an injury or operation, yet for addicts it's the sense of euphoric pleasure opioids like Percocet gives them, which lays the foundation for their addiction.

More disturbing than prescription based Percocet Addiction, is the expansion of it's use among non prescribed individuals. Percocet use among individuals not using it for medical purpose has exploded in the last few years. It is estimated that the rate of prescription drug abuse has doubled in the last 10 years.

Signs of a Percocet Addiction

Percocet Addiction tends to be private, so at first it's signs are not apparent to the casual observer and may not even be obvious to the addict. Most health care professionals familiar with Percocet Addiction claim that a person can become addicted to Percocet Addiction after 2 or 3 weeks. If the addict will feel that he or she needs more than their usual dosage to generate an effect, then the user's tolerance for Percocet has grown. Tolerance to any drug sets the stage for addiction, because the user feels that more of the substance is needed to ensure a high.

Typically, Percocet addicts exhibit signs of addiction that are shared with other prescription drug addictions. These signs include taking the medication outside of medical use. This usually occurs to relieve stress, normally after a busy day. Another sign of Percocet Addiction is a rapid increase in the amount of pills the user takes. This can be seen by the rate in which the user finishes the prescribed Percocet. If the Percocet is finished faster than expected, it is a strong indication that the user has built a tolerance to the drug and needs more to create the desired effect. In order to get more Percocet the user will find other doctors to ensure a constant supply through prescriptions. This behavior is called "Doctor Shopping." Some addicts will even write fake prescriptions to generate a near endless supply of Percocet. Of course the most obvious sign is irritability when the user is without Percocet or any prescription drug.

Ending the Percocet Trap

Like any other drug, ending an addiction to Percocet is not easy. Prescription drugs themselves often times catch the user unaware. This fact alone makes them hard to stop before its too late, but with strength and support an addict can break their addiction to Percocet. Many addictions follow the same forms of treatment such as medical, psychological, and nutritional therapies. With Percocet as with all opioids, there is a new drug available. Suboxone is a partial opiate agonist, which helps the addict through the withdrawal period.

No matter what the treatment, the most important aspect of Percocet Addiction is the knowledge about the drug and it's effects and addictive attributes.

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