Why Codeine Misuse Is on the Rise and How Rehab Can Help

Codeine Addiction Rehab Detox: Four words that most people would not put together. A widely prescribed mild opioid it certainly has it’s uses. Sadly, it has become a drug of abuse. Let our experienced addictions clinician give you an overview.

Most people, when they think of drug addiction do not think of codeine. People tend to think of drugs such as heroin, crack or cocaine. Images of parties or seedy drug deals in an alleyway at three AM. Sadly, there are a large number of medications that can be purchased without prescription that can be just as addictive: And just as dangerous!

Our expert addictions clinicians here at Find Me a Rehab are always on hand to give free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone who needs it. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service to all regardless of where you want to go for treatment. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice: Call or Email.

Codeine is a mild opioid that is available in over the counter tablet form. GP’s often prescribed it, in doses higher than available over the counter, for pain. Previously, codeine was used in prisons to help people come off heroin which demonstrates how potent it can be.

Codeine Addiction Rehab Detox

Like any other medication or drug, Codeine works on receptors in the brain. In this case: Opioid receptors. It works by opening up channels thus releasing chemicals in the brain that block pain signals. This is why they relieve pain. Overtime, your brain becomes accustomed to them and you develop a tolerance to them. This means that if you were to stop taking them, your brain will have to adjust, immediately, which it can not. This is why you will experience withdrawals.

Codeine is a mild, short acting opioid which means you need to keep taking it, throughout the day for it to have an effect. Because it is an opioid, it will also give you a feeling of wellbeing. You will feel relaxed. Sometimes, people take Codeine for this reason.

Sadly, it is all too easy to develop a tolerance to Codeine if you take it for long enough. This means that you will need ever increasing amounts to have the same effect as the dose you started with. This becomes a vicious circle. Out of desperation some people try and stop taking Codeine immediately. This will force you into withdrawals.

Codeine Addiction Rehab Detox

Forget what you see on TV. Locking someone in a room with a bucket, a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of water is simply fantasy land. Opioid withdrawal can be incredibly uncomfortable. It can even be fatal. In any event, this approach will never address the psychological aspects of addiction.

In 2020 over two hundred people in the UK died as a result of Codeine addiction. This was double the number from the year before. This indicates a growing problem.

Our expert addictions clinicians here at Find Me a Rehab are always on hand to give free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone who needs it. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service to all regardless of where you want to go for treatment. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice: Call or Email.

The effects of codeine addiction

Addiction leads to problems. In the short term, Codeine can be very useful but if you keep taking it, problems will soon develop. For a start your brain will adapt to it’s presence and you will develop a tolerance to it. You will need more and more of it to do less and less.

The more you take, the more dangerous it becomes. Codeine is an opioid. It has the potential to put you in hospital and even take your life. If you keep using it, you may well develop long term insomnia and night terrors. You may experience seizures and your liver will be compromised.

How to spot codeine addiction in yourself

Spotting the signs of Codeine addiction can be difficult, even for a seasoned clinician. Trying to see the signs in yourself can be even more complex, especially as Codeine is not illegal so you may not connect the dots. Our clinicians suggest the following may be tell tale indications:

• Using more than you used to in order to have the same effect
• Strong cravings for Codeine
• Buying it from a street dealer, hopping from one doctor to another or buying it online
• Despite knowing the dangers you continue to use it
• Prioritising Codeine over other responsibilities
• Experiencing withdrawals if you don’t take it

How to spot codeine addiction in a loved one

Seeing the signs in yourself can be challenging enough. Trying to see the signs in other sis harder still. You may see the following:

• Worrying about pain long after an injury/operation
• Using Codeine for minor injuries and headaches
• Running out of medication before the end date of your prescriptions
• Changes in behaviour

There is no danger in talking to someone if you are concerned about them. Indeed, they may well be waiting for someone to raise the subject. Approach with concern but with empathy. Be prepared to listen. Helping is not enabling. Don’t give in to demands for money and don’t give anyone access to your own medication.

Codeine Addiction Rehab Detox

Can People Recover From Codeine Addiction?

Addiction is addiction: It matters not what caused it. For those dependent on Codeine it is usually a minor injury and they became frightened to stop taking the medication. Often, it is the feeling of wellbeing and relaxation Codeine brings that makes them keep taking it. Sometimes it is to escape from the stress and strain of life.

Recovery is possible. Most of the staff in rehab centers have been in recovery for years. The process will not be easy, but nothing in life that is worth it rarely is. There are three central elements to treatment:

• Detox
• Therapy
• Aftercare

Detox from Codeine can either be a tapering off using Codeine or replacing it with another opioid and reducing using that substitute medication: This is something you agree with your treating clinician. Other, adjunctive, medication is also used to reduce the uncomfortable physical withdrawal symptoms.

All centres are based on a group therapy process. Whether it is a 12 step model, SMART or eclectic, it is a choice for you. It really doesn’t matter which one you choose: Whatever suits you best. The therapy will help you deal with the psychological barriers to recovery, unresolved trauma and the strained family dynamics that often occur when someone in the family is caught up in addiction.

Please remember that Codeine is an opioid. It is very addictive and in doses higher than you can buy over the counter: illegal to possess without a prescription. If you combine it with other drugs and alcohol it can be incredibly dangerous.

Home Detox for Codeine Addiction

It would be nice to think you could do this at home, in familiar surroundings, with people you know and trust. Sadly, even with the best intentions, they will not be able to provide the care you need. It is likely that you will succumb to the cravings. As you will have lost tolerance to Codeine because you stopped taking it, you will take more than you used to. This puts you at very serious risk of overdose and death. Trying to detox at home from Codeine is never a good idea.

Codeine Addiction Rehab Detox

Our expert addictions clinicians here at Find Me a Rehab are always on hand to give free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone who needs it. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service to all regardless of where you want to go for treatment. If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice: Call or Email.

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