What is Percocet?

Jul 2019 What is Percocet?

Doctors prescribe it for moderate to severe pain. Many do so for extended periods. However, what is Percocet if not a major contributing factor to America’s opioid crisis? If the drug hooked you, then here’s what you need to know.

What is Percocet?

Percocet is the brand name for the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen. It’s a strong painkiller. In fact, it’s an opioid pain pill. Therefore, it carries the addiction potential that so many other opioids bring to the table.

A Closer Look at the Active Ingredients

Acetaminophen’s primary function is fever reduction. It’s also a treatment for minor pains. However, what is Percocet when you strip away this part of the ingredients list? It’s oxycodone.

This opioid can create a euphoric sensation as a side effect. Because you like the way you feel when you take it, you might take more. You might also continue to take the prescription medication long after you need it. Your brain reacts to the stimuli.

At the opioid detox center southern CA trusts, therapists routinely work with people who developed an addiction. That’s because oxycodone changes the way your brain works. It comes to expect the chemical’s presence before it releases dopamine – the body’s feel-good neurotransmitter. Eventually, you need to take the drug just to feel normal.

Desperate to Feel Normal

What is Percocet to someone with a dependency? It quickly becomes a gateway drug to heroin. When you’re no longer able to obtain the prescription from your doctor, you might turn to the black market. You may not even seek out the high any longer; you just don’t want the depression and withdrawal symptoms.

Detox and Rehab Offer Hope and Help Today

If the medication hooked you, you’re not alone. There are plenty of good people just like you whom the ingredients trapped. Many thought that the prescriptions their doctors handed out were safe. Others thought they could handle it and that the drug wouldn’t hook them.

It doesn’t matter how you got here. What matters now is how you can move forward. Therapists at a good-quality rehab center can assist you with recovery. They customize a care protocol that meets your needs.

Possible treatments include:

  • Detoxification that eases cravings and eliminates pain during withdrawal
  • Behavioral counseling, which focuses on giving you coping, social, and life skills to prevent relapse
  • Psychotherapy that helps you manage co-occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety
  • Group therapy, which offers you an opportunity to learn from peers and provide feedback
  • Sober living opportunities that provide a great starting point after you graduate from the program

Aftercare Protects Your Early Recovery

What happens after you finish the program? You broke the physical dependency on the Percocet. You also grappled with the psychological aspects of addiction. However, there’s no cure for addiction.

It’s a chronic disease. Therefore, it’s essential to participate in an aftercare program. Support groups are excellent opportunities to stay on track. You work with peers and experience the accountability that comes with doing so.

Of course, before you get to this point, you need to heal first. What is Percocet addiction if not an opportunity to turn around and make a complete change? The drug doesn’t define you. Therapists at Phoenix Rising are here to help you see that; call 8552328211 today.