Oxycodone is one of the most well-known synthetic opioids on the market. What most people don’t know, however, is that this drug is extremely dangerous. If you’re a member of the LGBTQ community suffering from the effects of this powerful drug, oxycodone addiction treatment at an LGBT addiction treatment center can help you get your life back.
What Is Oxycodone?
Oxycodone is an opiate analgesic, which is a fancy way of saying that it’s a prescription painkiller. The drug changes how the brain responds to pain in the body. Doctors typically use it to treat or deal with severe pain. In fact, the drug first emerged to deal with cancer pain and discomfort. However, it’s highly addictive and could create a need for an individual to go to a drug addiction treatment center.
Oxycodone is the generic name for this type of prescription painkiller. Some companies combine it with other drugs such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Then, they sell the combinations under brand names such as Percocet, OxyContin, and Roxicodone.
Since people need prescriptions to use oxycodone, many of them buy the drug on the street instead. Some street names for it include hillbilly heroin, kickers, oxy, and blue. Regardless of what people call it, buying oxycodone on the street is dangerous. In fact, it’s difficult to be sure about what they get when they buy from a dealer.
Is Oxycodone Dangerous?
To put it bluntly, yes. The Controlled Substances Act lists oxycodone as a Schedule II drug. Drugs that fall under this category have a high potential for abuse that can lead to physical dependency. Abuse occurs when people use oxycodone recreationally or by unintended methods.
Dangers of Abusing Oxycodone
People face several dangers when they abuse oxycodone. The first one that they have to worry about is side effects such as:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Lack of concentration
- Bone pain
- Heart failure
- Gingivitis
If people take oxycodone for long periods of time, they run the risk of developing other health problems. Oxycodone abuse can lead to chronic constipation, seizures, memory loss and even death.
The continued abuse of oxycodone can also build up a tolerance to the drug. The higher the tolerance becomes, the more oxy that people have to take. Each time that they increase their dose, they inch closer to overdose.
Oxycodone Addiction Treatment
After developing an addiction to oxycodone, it’s important that members of the LGBTQ community seek professional help. Even with all of the willpower in the world, failure to get oxycodone addiction treatment to stop using typically results in relapse. Once people relapse, they have to start the entire detox process all over again.
Most rehab centers start people at an inpatient or residential program. These programs provide structured environments where they can learn to address their addiction. Once they have the tools that they need, they can move on to outpatient programs.
In general, it’s not a good idea to start with outpatient oxycodone addiction treatment. These programs provide too much freedom for people who have yet to learn to manage addiction. Most oxycodone addiction rehab centers recommend a step-down approach to dealing with an oxycodone addiction.
Addiction Help that Caters to the Needs of the LGBTQ Community
If you need help overcoming an oxycodone addiction, LGBTQ addiction treatment centers are equipped to help individuals stop using and start recovering. With the right help, you or someone you love can break free of addiction’s grip and start living a productive life.
