Suffering from Codeine addiction or know a loved one who is? Here we go into detail about Codeine addiction, various treatments available for you and how you can benefit from going to treatment for your Codeine addiction.
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Codeine is a household drug that is commonly found in people’s cabinets across the United Kingdom. It is mostly a popular prescribed painkiller to treat patients that are dealing with pain, coughing problems and diarrhoea. Just because it doesn’t hold the same stigma that comes with hard opioids doesn’t mean that codeine addiction isn’t just as dangerous. Codeine is a habit-forming drug and that means many people now across the UK struggle with a Codeine addiction which leads to physical and mental health problems that can become severe.
Codiene is most commonly taken in a tablet form but you can have it as a syrup or it is also available to take via rectal administration. You may find that some medical professionals will inject the drug but this kind of process should be someone qualified and under the medical provisions.
Medical professionals will prescribe you Codeine with the amount you need to take and when to take it, you should never go over the prescribed amounts and if you find yourself upping your dosage against the doctor’s orders you could have a codeine addiction and you should seek out support in regarding getting treatment for your addiction.
Why Is Codeine Addictive?
There is a high chance people can become addicted to codeine for two simple reasons. Firstly as codeine is part of the opioids, it can produce a ‘high’ that gives the user a relaxed state while feeling ‘euphoric’, when people experience this sort of ‘high’ feeling it can drive them to want more of the drug so that they can replicate how they felt which will end up leading the user to consume more Codeine in order to feel the effects they once felt which blows into a full physical dependency on the drug.
Using codeine frequently will reward the user’s brain as it contains an addictive rewarding stimulus inside the brain’s central nervous system which when repeated the brain will start to adapt driving users to seek out more Codeine to feed their brain’s addiction.
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Signs Of Codeine Addiction
It can be difficult to notice signs of people who are struggling with a Codeine addiction as many addicts will go to great lengths to hide their behaviour in front of loved ones and friends so they aren’t judged due to the stigma behind drug addiction.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t common signs that you shouldn’t look out for when dealing with a codeine addiction such as –
- Itching.
- Dry mouth.
- Decreased sexual desire.
- Stealing codeine.
- Lack of interest in relationships with family, friends and partner.
- Fainting.
- Nausea.
- Dizziness.
- Drowsiness
Codeine Withdrawl Symptoms
When a user has built up a dependence on Codeine, when they decide to flush the drugs out of their system, they will encounter withdrawal symptoms which are very unpleasant. Many codeine withdrawal symptoms are not known to be directly fatal. There can still be a great risk to a person’s physical and mental health when undergoing a detox.
- Intensive cravings.
- Flulike symptoms.
- Stomach aches.
- Headaches.
- Depression.
- Restless leg syndrome.
- Odd moodswings.
- Vomiting.
- Low blood pressure.
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Codeine Addiction Treatment
There are a lot of rehabilitation treatments out there for Codeine addiction and you don’t have to walk the road of recovery by yourself. Rehabilitation centres can either offer an inpatient or outpatient rehab for the individual to treat them for their addiction.
It has been found that inpatient rehabilitation is more effective than outpatient rehab as users are placed in an environment where they won’t be prone to their addiction being trigged, they will get all around the clock support from specialists. A lot of specialists inside rehabilitation know about the road to recovery and our former addicts who want to help others who are in a situation they were currently in.
This type of rehabilitation will last from around a month to three and you will receive aftercare once you leave the centre to avoid any relapses and to also check up on how you are doing as recovery doesn’t just stop overnight, there is a lot of hard work and determination that comes with beating a Codeine addiction.
Outpatient rehabilitation is more suited to people who feel that they can’t take any time away from their work or family but will be getting professional rehabilitation treatment at arranged times. There is the risk of ending up in environments though in outpatient rehabilitation that can trigger your addiction but people have found success through this programme and continue to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Codeine addiction can happen to anyone. Codeine is a pain-relieving opioid, which affects the brain and spinal cord. This drug is a prescription medication for adults who have severe or chronic pain. Codeine addiction can happen when you take the drug more often than you were told to do so by your doctor. You may also become addicted if you use codeine with other substances that are addictive, such as alcohol, cocaine, or methamphetamines.