Oxycodone is an Addictive Menace

Last Updated: Sep 20th 2019

Reviewed by Brittany Polansky, MSW, LCSW

Regardless of what you may have heard a decade ago about oxycodone being non-habit forming and without its risks, the drug is especially dangerous and addictive. In recent years, there has been an uptick in overdoses and addiction to this once-promising drug, but now it is often discussed through the lens of its benefits versus its drawbacks. As far as those benefits are concerned, there is only one – oxycodone is a powerful pain reliever. It’s drawbacks, however, are many.

 

Physical Oxycodone Withdrawal Symptoms

For those who are addicted to oxycodone yet understand how dangerous that addiction can be, they often think about quitting. The thing is, though, that having a strong enough addiction to oxycodone will also mean experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Some of these physical oxycodone withdrawal symptoms include the following:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Shaking
  • Headaches
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Faster and/or irregular heart rate
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Runny nose
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Body aches

So while the pharmaceutical industry told us that opioids like oxycodone were safe to take, people were being prescribed left and right some very dangerous drugs.

 

Emotional Withdrawal Symptoms of Oxycodone

Although the physical withdrawal symptoms of oxycodone are already difficult enough to deal with, the emotional and psychological problems encountered are often more difficult to deal with than the physical for patients. These emotional withdrawal symptoms you might experience include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Can’t focus
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Irritability and easy to anger
  • Insomnia

As you can see, the way oxycodone affects your brain is especially negative for addicts when going through the difficult-but-highly-recommended detox phase of rehab.

 

How Oxycodone Became Such a Huge Problem

Like many other opioid medications, oxycodone’s widespread abuse and addiction came from doctors over-prescribing them. The doctors didn’t know better at the time, though, since no one had properly tested opioids to discover their dangers – they were greenlit far too quickly.

Don’t let oxycodone take over your life. Let us help you detox the meds from your system and teach you ways to tackle your daily life without resorting to drug abuse again. Contact 1st Step with any questions or to set up an appointment.

 

Reviewed for Medical & Clinical Accuracy by Brittany Polansky, MSW, LCSW

Brittany has been working in behavioral health since 2012 and is the Assistant Clinical Director at our facility. She is an LCSW and holds a master’s degree in social work. She has great experience with chemical dependency and co-occurring mental health diagnoses as well as various therapeutic techniques. Brittany is passionate about treating all clients with dignity and respect, and providing a safe environment where clients can begin their healing journey in recovery.