Xanax: Medication To Treat Your Depression And Anxiety

Xanax is one of the more commonly prescribed drugs for people who suffer from depression and anxiety. While it is an effective medication for such conditions, it can be extremely habit-forming and people prescribed it over a long period of time could find themselves addicted.

If used correctly, under the guidance of a trained medical professional, it is perfectly safe, but you should only ever take Xanax if you have a prescription and should never give away or sell tablets to other people. Not only is this dangerous to their health and yours, but it is also illegal as Xanax is a controlled substance.

When to Take Xanax

Xanax is best used for the short-term treatment of anxiety disorders, including panic attacks and depression. Most doctors will only prescribe Xanax for a few weeks at a time because of the risk of addiction. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take Xanax as the active ingredients can make their way into the baby’s system both before and after birth.

If you have a history of drug abuse and addiction, you should make your doctor aware of this if they are considering prescribing you Xanax, and you should never mix this medication with alcohol.

How Xanax Works

The active ingredient in Xanax is a substance called alprazolam. Alprazolam is one of a type of drugs called benzodiazepines; there are a range of different benzodiazepines that are all used to treat depression and anxiety.

Image: Web MD

Benzodiazepines work by stimulating cells in the brain to produce a neurotransmitter chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid or GABA. This chemical calms the person taking Xanax by ensuring that any nerve activity in the brain is kept in balance.

As well as calming people with anxiety, the effects of benzodiazepines can also make the user feel sleepy and relax their muscles.

Because Xanax is a strong medication, it should only be used when the depression or anxiety is very serious.

How to Take Xanax

Xanax should be swallowed whole with water, and should only be taken if you have been given a prescription for the medication by a doctor. Users can become easily addicted, even after only a few weeks.

Because the body builds up a tolerance for benzodiazepines easily, you should never stop taking Xanax tablets suddenly, but should instead reduce the dosage bit by bit over a few days. Stopping suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms as your body reacts to losing the chemical effect of the benzodiazepines; symptoms of withdrawal are very unpleasant and range from nausea and anxiety to hallucinations and even convulsions.

Xanax and the Law

Because Xanax is a controlled substance, you should only take it if it has been prescribed for you, and if you have obtained it from a pharmacy. Benzodiazepines are often sold online without a prescription, but there is no guarantee that these tablets have the proper ingredients or are even safe to take.

Even if you are prescribed Xanax and are taking it legally, you could get into trouble with the authorities if you are found to be driving while under the influence of alprazolam. If you feel you are safe to drive while taking Xanax, you should make sure you carry your prescription with you in case you are stopped by the police.

Depression and anxiety are debilitating and upsetting conditions. While most people manage their conditions by taking antidepressants, there may be episodes when the anxiety becomes more serious and a stronger medication is needed to ensure that the individual can manage their condition and themselves safely.

These are the circumstances when Xanax and other benzodiazepines can be safely used; in order to tide someone over for a few weeks while a more suitable long-term solution can be found.

Xanax is a perfectly safe and effective drug, as long as you follow your doctor’s instructions and only take the tablets when it is absolutely necessary.

What Are Benzodiazepines And Are They Addictive?

Addiction takes two possible forms: one is physical and the other is psychological. If a drug can be used to replace another drug which is not active enough or is absent, one can grow reliant on the synthetic replacement.

If the problem is psychological, a person believes he cannot function without taking a drug; it has become part of his routine and he will not be able to sleep, eat, cope with pain, or whatever the drug was prescribed to deal with. In the case of benzodiazepines, patients are suffering from a nervous disorder of some kind.

Nervous System

Benzodiazepines are prescribed to help people who are suffering from agitation which is either emotional or physical in nature. Seizures are one example; anxiety is another.

Often, patients are prescribed these drugs to deal with sleeplessness or extreme anxiety following the break-up of a marriage, death of a child, or after witnessing something horrific. They are otherwise known as sedatives or tranquilizers.

There are several types of varying intensities for short or long-lasting effects depending on their purpose such as calming a person and causing him to forget an uncomfortable medical procedure for which he does not need to be fully sedated.

Insomnia and general anxiety also respond to certain benzodiazepines. The most commonly known are Xanax and Ativan while Dalmane, Niravam and others are among the many options open to doctors.

Receptor Inhibitors

Benzodiazepines work by inhibiting GABA receptors in the nervous system. The effect is to limit the uptake of chemicals which can cause twitching, agitation, and even seizures. Using these drugs can sometimes cause people to feel so relaxed they are not afraid of anything, even insane things like jumping off of buildings or trying to swim in deep water when they don’t even know how to tread water.

Side Effects Good and Bad

Desired effects include feeling relaxed, able to sleep, and forgetting things one does not wish to remember such as a procedure or an incident. The purpose is often to get past the most intense part of a problem in one’s life so that one is able to absorb information and consider a plan to solve the issue long-term, whether it is an emotional or physical one, except in cases where medication prevents seizure.

Otherwise, using Ativan to get to sleep every night is equal to putting a Band-Aid over a cut; covering up the wound instead of figuring out that it came from a pointy-cornered piece of furniture. You need to sand the corner of your kitchen table to stop bloodying yourself on it.

A sleepless individual should see a psychologist or a counselor about overcoming stress or dealing with a broken relationship, not simply rely on Ativan as a “Band-Aid.”

Furthermore, there are potentially dangerous side effects to taking any drug. While anxiety is alleviated, one might suffer from serious depression instead. Patients sometimes faint or feel dizzy, sick, even shaky. Feelings of confusion and nausea are not uncommon either as these pills work to the opposite effect of stimulants.

Certain drugs interact badly with benzodiazepines, so revealing your full medical and pharmaceutical situation to a doctor and pharmacist is always important.

Date-rape drugs are in this class. They are easy to slip into a drink, rendering the drinker completely helpless to violent sexual abuse.

Dependence on Sedatives

There is a growing problem among North American consumers owing to the availability of benzodiazepines under their various names, whether from a doctor in person or online. Consumers are becoming addicted to these drugs both emotionally and physically.

Falling asleep or coping with stress seems impossible without popping a pill and the affected individual becomes even more agitated than before, unless she is able to continue taking the medication. If her doctor will not prescribe it, the patient might find other means of appeasing her body’s need for support.

She might seek the drug online from an overseas doctor, go to the street for an illegal supply, or turn to other chemicals if she cannot get the supply she needs. Alcohol is among the most common. Combining alcohol with sedatives or tranquilizers is how numerous individuals accidentally or deliberately die from an overdose.

Treatment

When a person is behaving erratically, always consider the possibility of drug abuse. This problem does not merely hit households in a particular demographic; it is common to all areas of society and affects everyone. Even someone who seems sensible could become reliant on medication.

Affected individuals need to seek help including medical treatment to safely withdraw from their sedatives. Usually, effects are not medically severe but they can be uncomfortable. Following successful cleansing of the body, patients should take part in rehabilitation.

A series of out-patient counseling sessions will likely be helpful. One might also join a help group involving other people who suffered a tragic loss, are going through a painful divorce, or have survived abuse or violence.

Alternative therapies can also be helpful to combat issues of sleeplessness and anxiety such as taking up exercise or yoga, more specifically, seeking spiritual guidance from a pastor or other leader, or visiting a nutritionist for some dietary ideas to promote better sleep and calmer moods.

Know The Facts About Ecstasy (A.K.A. MDMA/Molly)

Ecstasy is an illegal drug which first became popular in the 1980s, particularly among people who went to dance music clubs. The drug helped clubbers to stay awake for several hours as well as inducing a general feeling of happiness, euphoria and love for other people around you, even strangers.

The drug, which is also known by street names such as Molly, has the chemical name MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine). While it has many pleasant effects for the user, there are also risks associated with taking ecstasy — both physiologically and legally.

How Ecstasy Works

The pleasant feelings that users enjoy when they take ecstasy pills comes from the chemical serotonin. Ecstasy affects the brain by manipulating the neurons that interact with serotonin naturally; these neurons play key roles in regulating mood, which is why ecstasy makes users feel so happy and euphoric.

Image: UPenn

Physical Effects of Ecstasy

While ecstasy produces feelings of warmth and happiness in the user, there are also more unpleasant side effects to taking the drug. Short-term problems can include panic attacks, feelings of confusion and even paranoia. When the effects of the drug wear off, users can often end up feeling depressed.

If you take ecstasy, you should ensure that you keep yourself well hydrated, as the drug increases your body temperature. However, some users have been known to drink too much which can lead to problems in itself with the body’s natural salt balance.

Long-term Effects of MDMA

There are also more serious side effects to using ecstasy. The drug has been linked to liver, kidney and even heart problems; people with pre-existing heart conditions or high blood pressure have been known to have dangerous reactions to using ecstasy. Users should be aware that ecstasy has been a contributing factor in the deaths of hundreds of people since it first started becoming popular.

People using ecstasy can also be outing themselves in danger because of the unscrupulous nature of drug dealers. The tablets they sell may not be pure MDMA, or they may not even be MDMA at all. Sometimes the active ingredient of ecstasy can be mixed with other chemicals, some of which can be damaging to human health.

Is Ecstasy Addictive?

While you can’t become addicted to ecstasy in the same way that you can with other drugs, users can build up a tolerance which means that they need to take more ecstasy or take pills more often in order to get the same pleasant sensation. Similarly, people can become dependent on the euphoric feelings produced by ecstasy which leads them to want to take it more and more frequently.

Ecstasy and the Law

Ecstasy is an illegal drug; making it illegal to manufacture sell or possess and use tablets or MDMA powder. In the US, ecstasy is considered a Schedule I illicit drug, in the same category as cannabis and LSD.

The US Government introduced new penalties in 2001 for those involved in the making, distribution and taking of ecstasy tablets; possession of just a few grams can lead to a prison sentence between 5 and 40 years. In the UK, ecstasy is a Class A drug, with possession leading to a prison sentence of up to seven years. Selling or even giving away the drug could see you spending life in prison.

It is also illegal to drive while under the influence of ecstasy, as it can affect your judgment and even your vision.

Ecstasy remains a popular recreational drug, but it is important to be informed about the potential physical and psychological side effects, both in the short term and in the long term. Users should also be aware of the dangers of using a drug like ecstasy, especially if they have any pre-existing medical conditions that may be affected by MDMA.

You should also know that while your friends may view ecstasy as harmless fun, the law takes a very different view, and even possession of a few tablets could see you being sent to prison or facing a significant financial fine.

And of course, if you have this in your system for whatever reason, read my info here about passing drug tests.

A New Consciousness With N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Or DMT

The name DMT is short for dimethyltryptamine, an illegal hallucinogenic drug. Those who seek it out are looking for a unique experience they think can only be achieved by taking chemical substance; one which affects all the senses. Some drug abusers believe it is possible to cross over into a spiritual realm of sorts, but this is a realm of chemical misfiring and potentially lethal results.

Appearance of DMT

If you come across a substance that resembles salt and the color is almost white, you could be looking at dimethyltryptamine. Then again, you could also be staring at actual salt, meth, or cocaine. They are all very similar.

Image: Wikipedia

A keen and experienced eye will know what to look for and how to distinguish them. Unfortunately for addicts, those keen eyes are often being used by police officers. If you are caught possessing, selling, or using DMT, you face some kind of legal action.

Apparently, the generic appearance of DMT makes it easy to pass off other substances as the real thing, but many consumers buying the drug online are actually buying something far less potent. Whether online or on the street, dealers are difficult to trace.

Effects of Using DMT

One might say this is the ticket to a high like no other; something so amazing that it can only be short-lived. Some call it the spiritual molecule. Effects last about 30 minutes or less, at least at first. Users of this or virtually any drug will tell you the effects wear off faster and faster over time and intensity decreases as well.

One must take more of the stuff or add other drugs which is when drug abuse becomes very dangerous indeed if the risks were not already considered substantial. Compare dimethyltryptamine with any hallucinogenic such as LSD.

Where Does It Come from?

This is a natural, plant-based substance found in the Amazon. There are also man-made versions being concocted in labs. As for buying the drug, it is sold the same way other illegal substances such as heroin, meth, and cocaine are peddled.

Taking and Detecting DMT

As with many drugs, there are multiple ways to get your high. Take it orally. Inhale the drug. Inject it into your bloodstream directly.

Cocaine, meth, and other drugs are delivered in the same ways. Unlike meth, it is not considered technically “addictive,” at least not in the biological sense. One might become addicted to the habit of taking it however.

Clinicians look for DMT by measuring a patient’s urine or blood. It’s unlikely the clinician will examine either substance specifically for dimethyltryptamine. Instead, having been arrested or hospitalized due to suspected drug use, experts will measure for signs of assorted chemicals and markers will reveal which one was being used.

Suggested: Best Way To Pass A Urine Test On Short Notice

The Down Side

If potential arrest is not deterrent enough, here are some possible negative results from taking DMT. A trip this intense could make you feel anxious or nauseous. It’s possible that, if you are able to use your body, the urge to take risks will overcome common sense.

Effects on the heart rate could lead to a heart attack and, ultimately, death at even a young age. Drugs can always interfere or interact with each other, so taking dimethyltryptamine with another illegal substance or a prescription drug could cause a severe chemical reaction and serious illness or kill a person.

Any hallucinogenic experience can trigger mental health problems which were only moderately in evidence until this time. After taking DMT or a similar drug, symptoms of anxiety or another disorder could become more pronounced.

Fertility Drug Hydroxyclomiphene Banned By USADA

Clomid, Clomiphene, and Clomifene are other names for Hydroxyclomiphene. Women are prescribed this drug as a fertility aid. Strangely, this same drug is used by men whose testosterone levels are too low.

Side effects most commonly reported relate to the use of this drug by women. In men, it is frequently taken to prevent side effects of taking other steroids. This is not an anabolic (muscle building) steroid but is sought after by bodybuilders, wrestlers, and fighters.

Controversy in the Sporting World

Two well-known members of the UFC face suspension after testing positive for Hydroxyclomiphene, a banned substance in sports. Why is this drug banned if it doesn’t create the anabolic result of other popular and banned substances? Hydroxyclomiphene complements the effects of other drugs but it also promotes the production of testosterone.

Uses in Non-sporting Situations

A man could be prescribed Clomiphene if he suffers from low testosterone levels. A doctor would prove this by calling for blood samples, but suspicions would be aroused by:

• low muscle mass
• low bone mass
• lack of libido
• low energy
• weight gain
• moodiness

When one does not produce the correct level of hormones, whether estrogen or testosterone, the entire body suffers in numerous ways. Men without correct levels of testosterone also have problems with fertility. A husband and wife might be prescribed the drug at the same time to promote healthy sexual relations and the ability to have children.

Unhealthy Uses of Clomid

Any drug which is banned by the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) is added to this list for good reason. Clomid gives sporting professionals an unfair advantage in the UFC ring, during wrestling matches, while boxing, and in any other area of sporting performance or training. Anabolic steroids interfere with natural testosterone production as one will often read in literature regarding these illegal supplements. Clomiphene re-boots hormone production.

As one can see from the list above, side effects of low testosterone are very challenging to deal with. Attempting to control any one of these symptoms without addressing the root cause (taking anti-depressants, for example) could potentially cause more problems than one solves or be ineffective. Isn’t it good to increase testosterone in otherwise healthy males?

There are side-effects to Clomiphene use, however, the most common one being blurry vision. Only a small percentage of the many thousands of users suffers from this problem, but short-term problems could cause serious harm and also interfere with sporting performance.

National and state drug control boards ban this drug in order to prevent this and all other potential side effects, but also because it is part of an illegal chain: take anabolic steroids, increase muscle mass, then potentially undo the damage by consuming Hydroxyclomiphene. Drug control agencies and sporting organizations want no part in this.

What Will Happen to Offenders?

Sporting professionals who have been charged with drug use are given the opportunity to prove their innocence as is the case with one UFC fighter recently. He claims his supplements were contaminated, although he might also have failed to read labeling correctly. If found guilty, he faces the potential of continued suspension with the possibility of returning to his sport eventually and will also be fined.

If you have been researching and found out you may be facing the same type of situation, I have some good info about passing drug tests on this site here.

Discover the Secret to Passing a Drug Test
 

Cocaine

Cocaine isn’t a new drug; in fact, a famous brand of soda was derived from its natural source and it is, indeed, a plant by-product. Centuries of exposure from one society to the next, however, has not prepared modern society for the impact of this drug on our culture.

Cocaine in the Spotlight

Numerous films and TV shows highlighted the effects of dealing and doing drugs, especially cocaine, particularly in the 1980s and early 1990s. Films such as Traffic and Scarface and TV show Miami Vice depicted the ugliness of drug dealing, especially when a deal went wrong.

There was so much bloodshed, violence, and horror in those films. Viewers saw how drugs tore families and lives apart before a drop of blood was even shed. In spite of the gritty reality seen in these shows, consumers continue to try cocaine, believing that smoking, snorting, or injecting it just once won’t cause them to become addicted. So often, they are wrong and with deadly consequences.

Expensive Celebrity Drug

Celebrities such as famous movie stars, athletes, and singers usually swear they have never taken drugs, and often the reverse is true. Their fans discover as much later on in the headlines following a tragic, high-profile drug overdose, an arrest, or when an autobiography hits the shelves.

The public lauds these celebrities for coming clean and trying to prevent others from taking drugs too, but that sort of soul-bearing is a good book-selling technique and great for renewing a flagging career too. The world has lost many great artists to the allure of drugs, but this only seems to glamorize them more in the eyes of adoring fans.

What Happens When You Take Cocaine?

Cocaine works something like a stimulant in the sense that a person will usually become energized after taking it. Multiply the effects of drinking coffee or inhaling nicotine several times, speed-up the crash, and amplify the withdrawal symptoms and you get a glimpse of what it’s like to do drugs.

One’s heart rate speeds up; his reactions are faster; he might experience delusions of grandeur. The last symptom sometimes leads to seemingly insane behaviors like trying to fly or drive a car through a brick wall. That high sensation which only lasts a short time can be the death of a person without the drug getting to his heart.

Coming Down

When the crash is really bad, a person will feel desperate, even suicidal, possibly paranoid, and often mildly depressed. When someone’s moods swing wildly from exuberance to distress, drug use is a possible cause.

Heart of the Matter

Many times, a doctor or a nurse will find himself resuscitating a drug user whose experiment with cocaine has overloaded his heart. Cocaine users, whether they are addicts or first-time consumers, frequently die of heart attack, stroke, or during a seizure. This is the price people pay for experimenting with illegal drugs, but not just the price they pay; every loved one in their lives is left asking “why.”

Treating Cocaine Addiction

If family members are able to intervene in the case of a spouse or child’s cocaine use, it is possible to get treatment before a drug deal goes wrong or lands a person in the Emergency Room. Intervention should involve the help of a professional who will counsel co-dependents as to how they should approach the substance abuser.

This is to ensure the intervention is handled as professionally as possible, to make sure everyone is following the same direction, and for safety. It might not be safe to approach a substance user at certain times so exercise caution.

When intervention is successful, the substance abuser will admit himself into detox followed by a series of rehabilitation sessions. Detox is a painful but short-lived process. It might seem to go on forever because of the physical and emotional pain one experiences plus shaking, vomiting, chills, and headaches. Symptoms subside and the sufferer can eventually start to address the issue of drug addiction in a fulfilling way.

Rehabilitating a Drug Addict

The approach to addiction, whether a patient is reliant on alcohol, meth, or cocaine is to ask “what caused this?” Drug use is always a choice, but what prompted the individual to try cocaine in the first place? Often, peer pressure alone is enough.

Addicts frequently come from good homes where they are taught the dangers of drug use. It is also typical for someone to try drugs as a way to break free of emotional distress, loneliness, or a situation such as bullying or abuse.

Drugs are never a good answer as they cause more problems than they solve, and rehab is a good place to explore those concerns. There are counselors there to work with individuals and to take groups through various programs which help them break free from the lies they tell themselves about being worthless or deserving the abuse they have experienced.

After Rehab

Scientific research is currently underway to develop drugs which will help recovering addicts stay away from cocaine after they finish a rehabilitation program. They will include a vaccination which could cause a person to experience something similar to an allergic reaction when he takes cocaine.

Best Way to Pass a Urine Test for Cocaine

U-47700: Deadly Alternative To Morphine

Morphine is a notorious opioid painkiller. Although it has relieved pain for millions of individuals suffering post-surgical healing, serious injury, or in the last stages of life before dying of cancer, it is still a potentially addictive substance.

Pharmacists seek to find alternatives to dangerous opioid analgesics all the time, looking for ways to make them less likely to cause addiction without losing potency. UpJohn Pharmaceuticals has released a drug called U-47700 or “pinky” which is being credited with many deaths in the United States.

Alternative to Morphine

Originally, this drug was supposed to offer doctors, pharmacists, and patients an option in place of morphine; an extra choice without being more dangerous than morphine. U-47700, however, is more than 7 times stronger than morphine and is deadly.

On the streets, it’s getting a bad reputation for causing death among those who imagine it’s just like popping a morphine pill or some other opioid. Drug users are not wary to begin with, and they are dying in their dozens as a result of not understanding how strong U-47700 is.

Seeking the relaxation and artificial happiness drugs like these can provide, people at varying stages of life, young and middle-aged, are losing their lives or suffering serious rectal bleeding after taking U-47700.

Not Classified by the DEA

The Drug Enforcement Agency classifies or “schedules” drugs according to how dangerous they are, but U-47700 has not yet been scheduled. Following news reports of the devastation “pinky” causes, the DEA is likely to schedule it a “class 1 illegal drug” and make it illegal to purchase this substance online as well.

A Class 1 illegal drug is one which the DEA deems of no medical value and highly likely to cause addiction. These drugs include LSD, Peyote, and Heroin. U-47700 will probably join them very soon, but they might be hoping that news reports will act as a deterrent in the meantime. Right now, there is nothing the organization can legally do to prevent its sale and use online or otherwise.

u-47700Where Can U-47700 Be Used?

As with carfentanil, a drug 100 times more potent than fentanyl, itself already deadly, U-47700 should be reserved for treating animals. This is suggested in online listings which say “not for human consumption” while continuing to sell the drug in this manner which is so much harder to regulate than over-the-counter sales at a brick-and-mortar pharmacy.

Image: Wall Street Journal

Painkiller Danger

Opioids are proving to be killers all over the United States in their various forms, synthetic and natural. Even codeine can kill someone if taken in large enough doses with other drugs or alcohol.

Narcotics get into homes where other drugs are never found; not cocaine, meth, or even marijuana. They are introduced in legitimate ways but lead to psychological and physical dependence in those with severe pain even if that pain is naturally subsiding.

They are more dangerous than outright illegal drugs like meth because, although many individuals successfully resist the temptation to take meth, they might be in too much pain not to take narcotics in prescription form at some point in their lives.

U-47700 raises the stakes, however, providing yet one more drug for the authorities, doctors, pharmacists, and consumers to be wary, even fearful of.

Heroin

Historically, heroin wasn’t meant to be so destructive. People in poor health were supposed to be able to take an opiate and feel better, but it turned out to be highly addictive. There are millions of addicts worldwide, most of them using impure forms of this opium derivative, all of them putting their lives at risk no matter what level of purity the drug boasts or how strong a person thinks he or she is.

Heroin for the Masses

For more than 100 years, pharmacists have been playing with opiates in order to develop drugs which doctors can prescribe for safe use to thousands of patients with serious pain issues who come through their doors every day. Most of these individuals will take their pain medication as prescribed and walk away, not addicted but relieved to be finished with their prescription and able to cope with the pain or happy that pain has subsided.

They are car-accident and sports-injury sufferers, people in post-surgical recovery, and so on. A large group of patients suffer from chronic pain for which there is no likelihood of a cure at this time. Every day they face pain and their only relief is in the form of an opiate.

But doctors are uncomfortable prescribing Oxycontin long-term. If they won’t give patients what they want, these individuals will go to the streets looking for a supply of something like what their body craves. They are introduced to street heroin. There is no easy answer to this problem. Doctors are right to limit the supply, but patients must have access to some form of support in order to successfully wean off of narcotics while pain persists.

Not everyone takes heroin because of physical pain. Many people turn to it out of curiosity to experience a “high,” but it’s not uncommon for someone in any walk of life to choose heroin as an escape from emotional problems.

syringe-and-needle-capHeroin Is Injected

Although taking drugs is never pretty, heroin is one of the ugliest drugs because users inject it directly into a vein. This is one of the major reasons why heroin addiction is so dangerous.

Firstly, reports show that fatalities arise from particles in the drug blocking a person’s veins. Secondly, sharing needles leads to infection and even to contracting AIDS. On top of the risk of overdose, these factors simply add to the risks addicts face every day.

Signs of Addiction

A body is addicted to a drug when the brain ceases making its own supply of painkillers. These are naturally produced in small amounts to help individuals cope with low-level pain.

If a person takes opiates for long enough, this natural chemical is no longer produced. There is no pain minor enough for the body to handle. It takes time for one to reproduce these chemicals once more after using opiates for a while. During the gap between one last dose of heroin and the early signs of recovery, a person will go through something known as withdrawal.

The Ugly Time

A body in withdrawal is not happy about going without a particular drug. Heroin withdrawal is among the worst types. Sufferers can suffer from nausea and vomiting, physical pain, become delirious, suffer heart palpitations, sweating, and even suffer a heart attack.

The temptation to take more of the drug even with the best intention of getting off of it is very strong. Without treatment in a dedicated facility, many addicts will fail to overcome their reliance on this narcotic.

Full-Time Care

Withdrawal is a medical condition for someone with a long-standing addiction problem. One must be under full-time medical supervision until withdrawal comes to an end. After that, a person is unable to go back to family or work, not yet.

At first, a period of time at an inpatient rehab facility is strongly recommended. Participants go through counseling to find out why they took drugs initially. The root is often found in psychological distress or mental illness.

Issues such as depression PTSD, and anxiety often trigger drug use. The user believes he or she can take heroin just once, but it doesn’t work that way. Cravings are strong enough after one use to lure a person into a life of slavery to the drug.

Counselors and psychotherapists teach their students how to deal with problems in healthy ways. During this time, drug-dependent people are also recovering from malnutrition, learning to eat well, perhaps exploring the value of prayer or being put to work in order to feel like valuable citizens once more.

A lot of the facilities helping addicts recover are run by non-profit organizations. They don’t have the money for horse therapy or swimming with dolphins; their participants have to work to pay their way, if they can physically do any work.

Half-way

After full-time rehab, ordinary life might be too intimidating for someone in the early stages of recovery. He or she will spend a month or more at a half-way house learning to cooperate with house mates about household jobs, looking for work, and talking regularly with a mentor. After a period of weeks, it is hoped that each person will accept the challenge of living without heroin.

Percocet

Until one has experienced severe pain caused by injury or illness, no one should judge a person for taking strong painkillers. Often, symptoms of a condition such as neuropathy or the effects of a major accident are so intense they interfere with a person’s ability to perform normal, daily functions and only a painkiller will help.

Without such drugs, an individual would be rendered incapable of doing the most ordinary things, and this could result in an altered personality. This affects everyone. A pill like Percocet is the painkiller of choice among numerous doctors trying to help patients cope with pain.

Bottles of pills, close-up

Bottles of pills, close-up

What is Percocet?

When you combine over-the-counter acetaminophen with oxycodone, the result is an effective opioid or narcotic drug only available legally with a prescription and prescribed cautiously by responsible doctors. Percocet is one brand name; there are several, all of them providing the same result: relief from serious pain. Taken as prescribed, these are highly effective and safe.

Who Should Not Take Percocet?

It is extremely important that a patient not assume his doctor will be aware of his entire medical history, especially anything that has gone unreported or is buried deep in a long history of medical treatment. Your doctor does not remember every medication he has prescribed and is capable of missing something like a past history of respiratory problems.

If you have been suffering with gastric complaints but not told your doctor, now is the time to let him know. Individuals with asthma and other breathing issues will probably not be prescribed this drug. Those suffering from gastrointestinal issues should reveal these before taking Percocet or any other narcotic because medication can cause symptoms to become more severe according to pharmacists.

Side Effects of Taking Percocet

Even if you don’t suffer from illnesses related to the stomach or lungs, it is possible to experience distressing side effects while taking any prescription medication. The question is always whether the side effects are more distressing or dangerous than the condition which led you to take the drug.

Breathing problems, dizziness, nausea, and itchiness are common complaints. Never take more medication to deal with these side effects before talking to a pharmacist first. Find out if antihistamines taken to stop itching or relieve a rash might interact with Percocet. There might be a safer approach.

Patients sometimes lose their appetite, their interest in activities they once loved, or even stop feeling anything at all for a period of time. Drugs like these frequently interfere with moods. Extreme emotions, however, such as panic or deep depression should be addressed quickly.

Addiction to Percocet and other Narcotics

Painkiller addiction has become the “middle class” addiction of the early 21st century. While stereotypes often suggest that substances are commonly abused by this or that class, the reality is that if you can’t afford a prescription for painkillers, it’s much harder to become addicted.

Moreover, prescriptions are some people’s first introduction to narcotic use; an introduction that might never have happened to someone with a stable home life and emotional state if it hadn’t been for a car accident or surgical procedure.

There are men and women in all areas of society who would never have considered taking drugs; they had too much common sense to experiment with heroin, LSD, crack cocaine, or meth. These individuals approached opiates with extreme caution. Later on, in spite of their common sense and good judgment, they developed reliance on these pills to fight pain.

Chemical Addiction

The human body is a miraculous and complex organism. It produces the chemicals needed to fight moderate pain, balance moods, digest food, and perform many other functions, but all in moderation. When extreme situations arise, however, a little bit of help goes a long way.

Unfortunately, taking narcotics for too long or at too-high a dose will cause the body to rely on this external source of painkilling medication as it ceases to produce its own pain-fighting drugs. Restoring normal order takes time, during which a person will experience withdrawal.

Withdrawal is a sign that one can no longer cope with pain naturally. Reducing the dose of a painkiller slowly is strongly advised rather than quitting out-right, all at once. A slow weaning process can prevent the worst sort of withdrawal experience so that one’s body can learn to produce the necessary chemicals and, if necessary, a patient has the opportunity to learn new methods of coping with extraordinary discomfort or pain such as undergoing massage therapy, learning to pray through pain, hydrotherapy, alternative herbs, or physiotherapy.

Recovery

When a person is unable to withdraw successfully or has started buying Percocet from illegal sources, intervention and rehabilitation might be needed. Medical detox is sometimes needed during which time a doctor supervises cleansing and potentially prescribes other medications to cope with agitation, headaches, and nausea.

After a period of time, in- or out-patient counseling is a good idea and should be tailored to the individual’s needs. Substance abuse triggered by a purely physical incident will probably respond well to out-patient services while someone with mental illness might require an in-depth residential approach.

Amphetamines

Stimulants are not necessarily bad for a person. Some of them are served as tasty coffee and tea drinks. Chocolate and some sodas contain caffeine. Doctors prescribe certain types of stimulants to patients with narcolepsy and ADHD which, when used appropriately, do their job without causing addiction. Illegal sources or inappropriate use of these drugs, however, can result in illness or fatality.

woman-with-her-head-on-the-bookGood Intentions

When they were first released, amphetamines were used to help people stay awake to study for exams or manage overnight shift work. Many overweight individuals took pills containing amphetamines in order to lose weight and were successful, but deaths were also linked to their use.

Generally, young people taking Ritalin to counteract the effects of ADHD are not in danger if they do not double up on a dose when they miss one and if they do not mix their medication with other drugs or alcohol.

Stimulated to Death

There is such a thing as too much stimulation, especially where the heart is concerned. One can consume too much caffeine from coffee or energy drinks; smoke too many nicotine-laden cigarettes or vape too many e cigs; or take “speed” which causes even more dramatic effects.

When the heart speeds up too much, it becomes overworked; the body cannot take it. Age doesn’t matter; anyone’s heart can wind up in distress because his breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure spike quickly and significantly. It is not unheard of for a teenager to go into cardiac arrest after taking uppers.

Results of Taking an Amphetamine

Why are these prescribed to people with narcolepsy, ADHD, obese individuals, or coveted by shift workers? Uppers make you feel energetic. The first intense rush is followed by an extended period of wakefulness in most individuals. They not only stay awake, but they have energy and potentially feel like they could do anything.

Amphetamines, of which meth is one, amplify one’s sense of confidence to the point of creating a sensation of being all-powerful like a comic book superhero. The results are not usually comedic or entertaining, however, but tragic. Someone is going to get hurt if he thinks he can punch a hole through a brick wall. During a “high” he might not even feel the pain.

Feeling good is a possible reaction, but long-term use usually leads to negative experiences like paranoia and agitation. At first it feels good to have all that energy, but there are consequences. The higher you are, the further you fall when the drug wears off. Suicidal ideas or committing suicide is at the extreme end, but nervousness, tiredness, and depression are no fun. During the come-down, individuals crave more speed, glass, or whatever they were taking. They will do anything to get it.

Long-Term Consequences

Drug addicts forget to eat, to drink enough water, and frequently are unable to sleep. Even when they want to, their bodies are too jittery; their minds will not shut down. This is frustrating but a natural result of taking a stimulant and interfering with the brain’s natural processes. There is a time for sleep; a time for being awake. All of these systems get messed up when a person injects, smokes, vaporizes, snorts, or eats amphetamines.

Being tired doesn’t feel good; losing weight is sometimes a pleasant side effect. But bodies need a certain amount of nutrition to function and they require rest. Deprive your body of either one of these things for too long and your immune system will become impaired.

Getting sick could be the answer to overcoming addiction, especially major illness leading to hospitalization and forced detoxification, but if you have reached this stage of substance abuse, there are probably other more lasting, negative effects to contend with. Ongoing paranoia, schizophrenia, and further mental health problems can be triggered by drug use.

Risks of Using Needles

If you don’t inject amphetamines but smoke or eat them instead, you already face enough risks. Those who “shoot up” place themselves in even greater danger. They could suffer infection caused by using dirty needles or injecting into an unclean site.

Addiction Treatment

The best advice anyone can give you is to not be embarrassed but seek help from a hospital immediately. In the Emergency Room, anyone addicted to ecstasy, speed, glass, etc. is treated as an emergency patient because one’s body could respond dramatically to drug abuse at any time, experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or seizure.

For individuals with loved ones suffering from drug addiction, be careful. You cannot talk a person on speed into making a good choice when he is high. He might hurt you, so talk to an interventionist and obtain support before approaching an addict. You will learn how to compose an ultimatum and what to expect from rehab.

An addict taking amphetamines needs to spend time in hospital in order to detoxify. After that time, he should commit several weeks or months to attending rehabilitation, possibly as a resident, relearning how to eat properly, addressing mental health problems, and possibly overcoming new disabilities caused by damage to the brain associated with meth use.