18 Signs You Need Treatment for Vicodin Addiction

Although you do not hear much about Vicodin these days, Vicodin addiction is still a serious problem. Many people suffer this addiction in silence until it becomes overwhelming. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the best way to get over an opiate addiction is through addiction treatment. There are physical, psychological, legal, and social signs that you might need treatment.

Physical Signs that you Need Treatment

Vicodin addiction can have a heavy impact.

There are many physical signs that you need to seek treatment for your Vicodin addiction. The physical effects of this drug are well known. Here are a few of the physical issues that come up:

Taking Vicodin makes you sick. When you feel physically ill while taking Vicodin, it is a sign of your body rejecting the drug. This means that it is causing damage to your system and your body is trying to get rid of it.
Your physical appearance has changed. People who use too much Vicodin have a pale, sallow look. Their eyes appear sunken and they tend to appear drawn or gaunt.
When you stop taking Vicodin, you go into withdrawal. Vicodin withdrawal starts only a few hours after your last dose of Vicodin and although it is not deadly it is extremely unpleasant.
If you take Vicodin regularly, you run the risk of compromising your immune system. Not to mention the diseases that you can contract from sharing drug paraphernalia and other implements.
You have overdosed on Vicodin and ended up in the hospital. According to the National Library of Medicine, the signs of an overdose are:

Pupil dilation or narrowing,
Shallow or stopped breathing,
Seizures,
Weak heartbeat, and
Changes in skin color.

Continued use of Vicodin causes serious long and short term effects on the body. It is not just the feelings you get while you are taking it but also the damage it is doing to your digestive system, your liver, and your kidneys.

Psychological Signs that you Need Treatment

The psychological effects of Vicodin are well known and well studied. They range from anger and agitation to depression and anxiety. All of these symptoms should be signs that you need Vicodin treatment.

Your are anxious and depressed when you take Vicodin and after you stop taking it.

You no longer experience the euphoria or positive effects of the drug. After taking the Vicodin for a long time, you stop experiencing a lot of the positive or pleasurable effects from it. This is a key sign that you are taking too much of it.
You no longer feel pleasure the way that you used to or you do not feel pleasure at all.
The cravings for the drug are getting out of control. When you find that, you cannot do anything without the drug and you are constantly craving it even after you have just taken some. It is important to analyze exactly what the drug is doing to you.
You find yourself doing things that you never thought you would to get the drug. You might find yourself spending money set aside for bill or selling things you value for the money for a Vicodin high.

If you are experiencing any of these psychological signs of drug addiction, you might want to consider going into drug treatment.

Legal Signs that you Need Treatment

Although Vicodin starts out as a simple painkiller for surgery or chronic pain, it can lead to a full-scale addiction. When you are addicted to a prescription drug, you often find ways to get it illegally. This leads to the legal troubles of being addicted to Vicodin.

You have been arrested for possession or dealing illegal Vicodin. When you have a prescription drug and do not have a prescription for it

The police know that you have a prescription for Vicodin because they have questioned you before.
There are court proceedings or pending charges against you.
You have been arrested for driving while intoxicated because you were on Vicodin.

Social Signs that you Need Vicodin Treatment

When drug addiction starts to affect your family life, seeking drug treatment is very important. You begin to alienate your friends and family as well as your working relationships.

You stop doing the things that you normally enjoy. Vicodin causes a loss of pleasure or pleasurable feelings. When Vicodin floods your body with dopamine, it damages these receptors.

You cannot attend family functions without the drugs. When you find yourself taking the Vicodin just to get through the day with others, it is time for treatment.
You have lost your job or been expelled from school because of your Vicodin use.
Your family and friends have mentioned your Vicodin use. Often family and friends are the first people to notice your addiction. They might bring it up to you and ask you to stop.

The social signs of addiction are often the worst. Many people wind up getting treatment because of their family and friends prompting them to. The trigger could be a loss of job or tiring of the constant struggle when comes to the cycle of finding the drug, using the drug, recovering from the drug, and finding again.

Fortunately, there is help. If you -are experiencing any of these signs it is time to get help now. For more information call us at, 1- 800-994-1867Who Answers?.