How Culture Influences Percocet Abuse
Percocet is a prescription painkiller comprised of oxycodone and acetaminophen and is used to relieve moderate to severe pain. However Percocet has a high potential for addiction or abuse.
Choosing Percocet and Pain Relief over Pain Management
Americans prefer to live pain free. When a person is going to get a tooth extracted, has to have minor outpatient surgery, has sprained a muscle or twisted an ankle, both patient and physician discuss options for managing the pain. On a pain scale of one to ten (with ten being the worst), most people don’t want to go above a two before they seek a pain medication like Percocet. Doctors cannot argue with a person’s need for pain relief, so they prescribe Percocet. It is estimated that over 120 million prescriptions for pain relievers are written every year. As people choose to seek pain medications for minor issues, it is no wonder that people suffering with significant long-term pain from chronic conditions are often given multiple prescriptions in an effort to find the right combination to relieve pain.
The Cycle of Percocet for Pain Relief
Most people don’t consider that pain is your body’s personal alarm system. It is intended to warn you of a physical condition that needs your attention. What may happen is if a person is taking Percocet for an issue such as muscle strain, the pain relief from the medication along with the euphoric effects it produces makes the person feel better than he or she actually should. The individual may resume the physical activity that caused the injury in the first place or may attempt to accelerate the healing process and cause more or long-term damage. Percocet users may cycle between having an injury, taking a pain reliever to mask the pain, re-injuring themselves and creating a continued need to keep taking the pain reliever. This cycle of ignoring the body and overmedicating can lead a person to take the medication beyond the recommended time or in unnecessarily large doses. The person may feel the need to obtain Percocet without a prescription, because the doctor acknowledges that extended use of the drug could lead to abuse or addiction.
Availability and Percocet Abuse
Availability is another cultural influence that impacts Percocet use and abuse. People often leave unused or unattended prescriptions in medicine cabinets or bathroom drawers. This lack of vigilance provides a readily available source of Percocet for other family members. Another source of Percocet is the Internet. If you type any medication or illegal drug into a search engine on the Internet, you are guaranteed to see multiple listings for acquiring those drugs through online resources. One of the primary reasons that medications require a prescription is to ensure that the knowledge and experience of a trained physician is factored into the choice, dosage and duration of use of the prescribed medication. Being able to acquire Percocet without that knowledge is risky. Just as dangerous is that fact that you have no idea what other ingredients may be included in the product you are buying.
Get Help for Percocet Abuse
Call us to ask questions about your or a loved one’s Percocet use. Call our toll-free helpline any time; we are available 24 hours a day. All calls are confidential, and we can help you find the best solutions for Percocet abuse. We are here to help.
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