Am I Addicted to Codeine?
Emerging trends in the use of codeine for more than just the treatment of pain have led to millions of cases of Codeine addiction. People often mistakenly take this drug believing that it has little to no chance of causing addiction—but those who do this couldn’t be more wrong. If you’re one of the many people asking the question, “Am I addicted to codeine?” consider these symptoms and signs that should alert you to the need for help.
Withdrawal Symptoms
According to Medline Plus, Codeine use can lead to a range of withdrawal symptoms including:
If you have developed a codeine addiction you will feel withdrawal symptoms when you cannot access codeine.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Runny nose
- Watery eyes
- Pain
If you feel any of these symptoms, or if you generally feel sick when you quit taking codeine then you may be addicted. People who take codeine for a prolonged period of time and then quit using the medication abruptly will often feel an array of withdrawal symptoms.
Behavioral Changes
You may not realize the changes that occur in your attitude and behavior when you become addicted to codeine but others likely will. If you’ve been confronted by your loved ones or friends about your attitude or about changes in your behavior, you may be addicted to codeine. Often times, codeine addiction will lead to depression, anxiety, anger, resentment and other behavioral changes. You may spend a lot of time seeking drugs or trying to use drugs, you may stop spending time with friends and family, or you may no longer want to be involved in things that were once fun and exciting to you.
Running Out of Medication
If you are prescribed codeine for the treatment of pain, but you no longer have enough medication on hand for the entire month or the duration of the prescription then you might be addicted to codeine. Addiction may cause you to take more of the medication than you should or to run out of medication before your scheduled to pick up more from your doctor or pharmacist and this can lead to withdrawal symptoms or drug-seeking behavior (the other signs of addiction that are listed above).
Legal Problems
Codeine addiction often causes an array of legal problems that can get you into more trouble than you can imagine. If you use codeine and have been in legal trouble as a result of your drug use, but despite the legal trouble you still use the drug you might be addicted to codeine. Codeine addiction will change the way that you think about what you’re doing, causing you to downplay the dangers and legal consequences in a way that will make your drug use seem “ok” or “acceptable” despite the fact that it is not.