OxyContin addiction is becoming a wide spread problem in America. This drug is an opiate agonist prescribed legitimately to those suffering with severe chronic pain such as cancer patients. Opiate agonists provide pain relief by acting on opioid receptors in the spinal cord, brain, and in the tissues directly. These types of drugs act similar to morphine and are the most effective pain relievers available.

OxyContin is a leading treatment for chronic pain, but officials fear it may succeed crack cocaine as one of the most abused drugs on the street. No prescription drug in the last 20 years has been so widely abused after its release, federal officials say. To avoid the controlled-release, individuals with OxyContin addiction problems often chew, snort, or inject the medication to get an instant and intense "high."

There are three main things that make OxyContin so popular. First, because it is covered by most insurance companies, OxyContin can be bought cheaper than most street drugs. Addicts will forge prescriptions, buy pills from people who have received valid prescriptions, fake injuries and illnesses in order to get prescriptions, and buy them on the street. Second, because it is FDA approved and made by a major drug company, users can be sure the drug is not laced with any other substances. Finally, OxyContin’s potency makes it highly addictive. Some say it is more addictive than heroin.

OxyContin addiction is a problem that affects individuals from all walks of life. Anyone can succumb to drug addiction. It does not make a difference how financially secure the individual is or even if they have had a wonderful family life. Developing an addiction problem is strictly about the individual. No one sets out to become a drug or alcohol abuser. It is all about the choices they make along the way that lead them down the path of drug addiction.

Like other addictive prescription drugs, OxyContin is able to short-circuit the user’s survival system. It artificially stimulates the reward center, or pleasure areas in their brain, without anything beneficial happening to their body. As this happens, it leads to increased confidence in OxyContin, and less confidence in the normal rewards of life. In addition to the psychological part of OxyContin addiction, there is also a physical addiction. Overtime, someone who is addicted to this drug may no longer experience the same feelings of euphoria they once did. They will continue to abuse OxyContin because the pain they would most likely suffer from during the withdrawal process seems unbearable.

Years of research have shown us that addiction to both prescription drugs and illegal drugs are the same when it comes to treatment and recovery. However, no single type of treatment is appropriate for all individuals addicted to prescription drugs. Treatment must take into account the type of drug used and the needs of the individual. In the end, breaking a drug addiction is difficult, but not impossible. Support from family and friends, as well as addiction treatment, will help in recovery from OxyContin addiction.