Percocet addiction is a serious concern for many Americans. The drug, which contains acetaminophen and oxycodone, is prescribed to relieve moderate to severe pain. Due to the risk of addiction, many doctors prescribe Percocet only when other less potent medications have not been effective in managing the patient’s pain or if they are unable to tolerate them due to side effects. Although the addictive potential of Percocets is very high, it can be difficult to predict who will develop a problem. In this article, we will discuss the finer points of Percocet addiction, including the many reasons why people become addicted to this medication.
Percocet is Powerful
It’s important to understand that addiction is not a moral failing or the consequence of bad decision-making, and many people develop prescription drug addictions as a result of legitimate medical needs. One of the reasons so many people become addicted to Percocet is because of how effective this medication is at relieving pain. For some people, other pain medicine does not work as well or causes intolerable side effects. In addition to relieving physical pain, Percocet relieves a different kind of pain that many are desperate to escape. This is the pain of living with tremendous stress and emotional turmoil, often as a result of physical or psychological illness that leaves people feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. While some find the cerebral side-effects of opioids unbearable, many report decreased stress and anxiety in certain phases of treatment. In this way, Percocet Percocet can quickly become a double-edged sword, because it can also intensify or prolong emotional distress. This can lead to a vicious cycle of escalating dosage and resulting tolerance issues.
How Percocet Affects the Brain
Percocet contains Oxycodone, which works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and other areas of the body. The binding of these receptors causes the release of dopamine in the brain, which is associated with feelings of pleasure. When someone takes Percocet over a long period of time, their body starts to adapt to opioids by producing less dopamine naturally. As this happens, people may need more and stronger doses just to achieve the same effect they previously felt from a lower dose. This is because the brain has been “down-regulated” to accommodate for increased opioid activity.
In other words, as your body becomes more tolerant of opioids over time, you will need a higher and stronger dose in order to experience pain relief or have an affect on mood – this makes it easier to overdose if you are unaware of your tolerance. This also means that the desire for Percocet comes from your biochemistry. There is simply very little you can do to prevent your body from wanting Percocet. Fortunately, medical research has made great strides in understanding how opioid addiction develops and what it looks like neurologically. This is a good thing because this knowledge is helping people to realize that they have a disease called “opioid use disorder” that requires treatment just as much as diabetes or asthma does.
Addiction is Powerful
Emotional and physical pain are very powerful motivators, and many people use opioids as a way to escape from these difficult feelings. In some cases, it’s the only relief they have managed to feel in a long time, and they don’t know or understand that there are other ways to manage their distress. For others, they may feel trapped by the fear of withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop taking Percocet. This makes it very difficult for them to leave this medication behind in favor of a healthier lifestyle without professional help. In other cases, people are simply unaware of the many treatment options available to them. This is why it’s so important to educate yourself about opioid addiction and recovery options.
Recovery is Always Possible
Opoid addiction is a chronic disease that can be managed and treated, just like other life-threatening diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. Millions of people around the world are struggling with opioid addiction right now; they need your understanding and compassion, and if you are struggling, you deserve to have a life free from this disease. If you or someone you love is struggling with Percocet addiction, we’re ready to help you find the treatment plan that will work best. Call us at 954-523-1167.