Vicodin Addiction - Prescription Drug Addiction

Vicodin addiction, along with Prescription drug addiction in general, is a serious problem in our nation today. Non-medical use of drugs like Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Ultram, Hydrocodone, Xanax and various other Pain Pills can result in abuse and prescription drug addiction. When a person begins using prescription drugs such as Vicodin, it is done normally to handle some sort of problem, such as pain relief or anxiety. They have no intention on becoming addicted to the prescription drugs that they were prescribed. A problem with prescription drugs such as Vicodin is that they are often continued after the pain, or other problem is gone. Eventually, prescription drug addiction, or Vicodin addiction itself becomes an even greater problem than the original problem or problems that the prescription drugs were supposed to solve. A person who is abusing Vicodin or other prescription drugs are likely to be in denial about their addiction, since the prescription drugs were prescribed to them by a physician.

The number of first time users of prescription pain killers, such as Vicodin, has averaged 2.3 million over the past 4 years.  An annual average of 4.8 percent of people aged 12 or older (11.4 million people) have used prescription pain killers, such as Vicodin, non-medically in the past 12 months. Furthermore, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that total prescription drug use for non-medical reasons occurred with approximately 48 million people (20 percent of the US population) during their lifetime. Prescription drug addiction is characterized by compulsive drug use and drug seeking behavior. This is common with people who have a Vicodin addiction problem.

While prescription drug addiction affects many Americans, some trends of particular concern can be seen among older adults, adolescents, and women. Prescription drug addiction, along with Vicodin addiction is the most common form of drug abuse, dependency and addiction among the elderly. Older people are prescribed medications about three times more frequently than the general population, and have poorer compliance with directions for use.

National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Addiction research indicates that the sharpest increases in new users of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes occur in 12 to 17 and 18 to 25 year-olds. Among 12 to 14 year-olds, psychotherapeutics (e.g., pain killers, Vicodin, OxyContin, Xanax) were reported to be one of the primary drugs used, leading to prescription drug addiction. A 2002 report from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that non-medical use of Vicodin in the past year was reported by 2.5 percent of 8th graders, 6.9 percent by 10th graders and 9.6 percent by 12th graders.

In the field of Drug Addiction Treatment, there has been a large increase in the number of patients that are being admitted for prescription drug addiction, which includes Vicodin addiction.  Prescription drugs are now becoming a patient’s primary drug of choice, rather than just being a secondary choice of abuse, dependency, and prescription drug addiction.  One need only be aware of the increase in use of the FDA black box warning and the recent press revolving around the serious and often life threatening side effects of some of these prescribed medications to know that a new demon has reared its ugly head in the field of drug addiction treatment.

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