Vicodin Addiction
Vicodin is an opiate that is prescribed because of its pain relieving
properties. Studies have revealed that proper medical use of pain killers
can be safe and if taken exactly as prescribed for a very short period
of time. Opiates attach themselves to certain proteins called opiate
receptors that can be found in the spinal cord, brain, and gastrointestinal
tract. When the compounds find the receptors in the brain and spinal
cord, they change how someone feels pain. Opiates like Vicodin can
affect different regions of the brain that control how we experience
pleasure, which can result in euphoria or a high.
Severe Vicodin users may develop tolerance to the medication which
can lead to an increase in doses to achieve the same initial effects.
Physical dependence can result from long-term use when the body adapts
to the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia,
restlessness, muscle and bone pain, cold flashes with goose bumps (also
known as "cold turkey"), and involuntary leg movements. For
effective Vicodin addiction treatment, methods derive from heroin addiction
treatment.
Long term use of Vicodin changes the brain in fundamental ways which
explains why it is so difficult for people to quit on their own, and
why drug treatment is so crucial. Psychoactive drugs corrupt the brain's
normal motivational and pleasure systems, by promoting drug use to
number one priority. These abrupt changes in the brain are responsible
for the compulsive behavior associated with seeking and using drugs
that we classify as addiction.
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