Pain relievers can provide such a benefit for people who suffer from a variety of painful ailments. Unfortunately, they can also become addictive, causing a person to need help getting off them. Norco addiction affects the lives of many people. What may have started as simply trying to relieve a temporary or chronic pain condition can turn into something dangerous before a person realizes what’s happening. If you are in the throes of an addiction to Norco, the sooner you reach out for help, the better.
What Is Norco?
Norco is a prescription drug used to treat moderate to severe pain. It contains hydrocodone, which is an opioid, and acetaminophen, which is a non-opioid. As with any opioid drug, this medication comes with the potential risk for Norco addiction. Because of the risk of addiction, Norco should only be taken at the prescribed dosage by people who have a prescription for it. Their usage should be monitored by a physician.
Norco affects the brain and intercepts the signals for pain, giving relief to those who suffer from it. It comes in tablet, capsule, and liquid form and is taken orally. This medication is often used by people who deal with chronic or acute pain that may come from surgery, injuries, and other causes.
Signs and Symptoms of Norco Addiction
When someone develops a Norco addiction, they exhibit certain signs and symptoms. Common ones include:
- Increased heart rate
- Sweating
- Change in sleep patterns
- Moodiness
- Ignoring responsibilities like family, career, and school in order to use the drug
- Doctor shopping (visiting several doctors to get multiple prescriptions)
- Developing a tolerance and needing to increase the amount taken
- Taking Norco with other substances in pursuit of feeling a bigger high
- Isolating
- Anxiety
- Depression
A substance use disorder professional can perform an assessment of a person in order to determine if a Norco addiction has taken hold.
What Causes Norco Addiction?
Norco is classified as a Schedule II drug, which means it has medically accepted uses. However, it also brings with it a high risk of developing a Norco addiction. Other Schedule II drugs include morphine, Demerol, Dilaudid, fentanyl, and Adderall.
Addiction to any drug can come from several sources. With prescription drugs, a person may start out using the drug as prescribed with good results. Sadly, as addiction takes hold, they begin to increase the amount they take, often without telling the clinician who prescribed it. Others who develop a Norco addiction may not even have a prescription. Often, this population gets the drug from other sources and uses it for their own medical reasons or as a recreational drug. From there, an addiction develops.
A propensity for addiction can also come from other sources, including genetics. A person with a close relative or family history of addiction to drugs or alcohol has an increased chance of developing their own addiction. It can also be a learned behavior if a caregiver or someone else close to them models abusing drugs as a way of life. This can influence a person, particularly younger people, to follow in their footsteps.
How Is Norco Addiction Treated?
Norco addiction requires professional treatment from a facility skilled in treating substance use disorders. Treatment for any substance use disorder starts with a detox program. This allows a person’s body to rid itself of the toxins accumulated during the addiction. They receive expert medical care that reduces or eliminates many withdrawal symptoms, making detox more comfortable.
Next, the individual needs to continue with either residential rehab, outpatient rehab or opioid rehab. The more steps in treatment they complete, the better the chances that they will stay in recovery. Residential care involves living full-time in a facility for a month or more. For those who do not need this, outpatient can help them continue learning about staying sober. Outpatient choices include regular outpatient, intensive outpatient programs, and partial hospitalization programs. With these, the person receives care during the day while still living at home.
Various treatment modalities are used to treat addiction to Norco, depending on the needs of each individual. These typically include individual and group therapy, along with holistic therapy. Other services can include trauma therapy, neurofeedback addiction treatment, and medication-assisted treatment.
Does Insurance Provide Coverage for Norco Addiction Treatment?
Some people are surprised to find out that Norco addiction treatment is covered by most insurance plans. Addiction to Norco falls under the heading of a substance use disorder, which insurance companies recognize as a medical condition that needs professional treatment. Anyone wanting to get help for Norco addiction can contact their insurance company to find out what their options are and how to get started.
Get Help For Norco Addiction in Atlanta
Do you or someone you love need help dealing with addiction? Opioids and pain relievers make up a great deal of the substances people become addicted to and need professional help to treat. Buckhead Behavioral Health in Atlanta has extensive experience treating this kind of addiction. We provide detox and several outpatient programs that help people get past their Norco addiction.
Visit our admissions page today and see how easy it is to start walking the road to recovery. We are happy to answer any questions you have about our treatment plans.
