Is it Possible to Develop an Addiction to Codeine?
So you see your physician for treatment of an injury, he prescribes a medication for you to treat that pain. You take the medication as it relieves the pain and makes you feel much better, seems simple right? Well yes, most of the time and while codeine may not seem to be anything serious or dangerous, it does have the potential for being just that. It is possible you could develop an addiction to the codeine, even though it is a prescribed drug within three weeks of prolonged use. We do know that there are so many cases where a patient takes the codeine for relief of pain symptoms and becomes addicted to that drug and even worse they could progress to even stronger opiates. The feeling of euphoria that you get when taking the codeine is one people have a tendency to want to repeat, they begin to develop a tolerance to the drug, therefore they want more and more once this pattern begins it becomes and addiction. If they stop using it their body begins to crave it, that feeling of happiness, no pain and sometimes even numbness.
Some Signs of a Codeine Addiction
Codeine is an addictive medication.
To better understand the codeine addiction you need to realize that the addiction itself is a psychological craving for codeine, you don’t need it to take the pain away physically but psychologically you do need it. Another sign of addiction is that you need to take the drug to get you through the stressful times in your everyday life; this identifies it as a problem you should be concerned with. Some additional signals of concern:
- Taking the codeine has negative consequences on your life
- Constant and consistently craving the codeine
- A feeling of fulfillment once you have taken the codeine
- You could develop withdrawal symptoms if you stop using it
The Effects on Your Health
As you know remaining addicted to codeine or any drug, can take a toll on your health. While it can vary from person to person the effects on your health can be difficult and at times intolerable. There are several factors that increase the danger of the addiction such as, how long you have been abusing the drug for and if you are using the drug in conjunction with either alcohol or other drugs to enhance the effect of the codeine. The National Institute on Health provides us with an informative list on the health effects of codeine abuse. It is so important that if you suspect you or someone you love has become addicted to codeine; seek treatment as quickly as possible. In the end the benefits to your health will be greater.