Everything You Need to Know about Narcotics and Addiction

Narcotics: When people think of narcotics, they immediately think of street drugs, such as heroin. The truth is though, narcotics are often prescribed when patients are in extreme pain. This may be morphine, Vicodin, and a number of other pain-reducing drugs. While these drugs are prescribed to help with pain, patients often become addicted to the drug.

This can result in years of addiction and doing whatever possible to get that next dose. Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know about narcotics and addiction.

What Are Narcotics Used For?

Narcotics are prescribed to help patients deal with pain. However, narcotics are also often used in cough syrups or prescribed as a cough suppressants. For example, Vicodin is sometimes prescribed to patients suffering from a bad chest cold, and Codeine is often used in cough syrups. Still, narcotics are mostly prescribed for pain.

Those in accidents, such as car crashes, and even those suffering from cancer are often given narcotics to help ease the pain. Narcotics are often prescribed in pill form. Because narcotics are so addictive, those that have trouble with other addictions, such as alcohol, are recommended not to take them.

Why Are They Addictive?

The problem with narcotics usually arises when the patient takes more than the doctor directs. Unfortunately, there are also incompetent doctors out there that prescribe too large of a dose and continue to prescribe the drug, even though the patient no longer needs it. As mentioned above, some people are also more prone to addiction than others. This means that taking the regular dose as prescribed may also lead to addiction.

What to Do About Addiction?

The first step is to try to prevent addiction. This means you need to take the prescription as prescribed and only take it when you need it. For those that are prone to addiction, you need to mention this to your doctor. Even if you’re just from a line of alcoholics, but don’t drink, you still need to discuss this. If you are prescribed a narcotic, even after talking to your doctor, only get it filled if you absolutely need it. If you do become addicted, it can be extremely dangerous.

Addicts find that they have to up their dose continuously to get the same effects, which could lead to an overdose. Thankfully, there is help. Many resources recommend therapy in combination with medications to help break the addiction.

Narcotics have their place in pain and cough treatment. Unfortunately, they can lead to addiction that is difficult to beat. Thankfully, there are medications and counseling programs that can help.

Also Read: Alcohol Addiction: The Science of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery