DEMEROL ABUSE AND ADDICTION

Demerol Abuse, Addiction and Recovery Options

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Demerol a Prescription Opioid Painkiller

Demerol is a prescription opioid painkiller known by the street name “demmies” and the generic name meperidine. It is used to treat relatively severe pain and is available in liquid or tablet form.

As a prescription drug for schedule II, Demerol has a high potential for physical and psychological dependency. Abusers can buy drugs from street dealers or go to “doctor shopping” (seeking multiple doctors for prescriptions) to get the drugs.

Demerol Brand and Street Names

Some brand labels for hydrochloric meperidine include Dolantin Pethidine and Meperidol. Demerol has other names employed by users among themselves. Some of these street names include dust, dillies, smack, and dummies, among others.

Demerol Abuse

Like other opiate painkillers, Demerol has a high risk of misuse due to its pleasurable mood-altering effects. Most patients feel a powerful sense of euphoria while taking the medication. Users may swallow the medicine in a pill or liquid form or choose to snort or inject it to enhance its effect.

It has a history of abuse by healthcare practitioners, including physicians and nurses, as it is readily accessible in the medical system. Opioid substance misuse is harmful because it can quickly result in:

• Body system tolerance (needing increasing amounts to feel the same effects)
• Physical dependence
• Withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug
• Many health issues vary from mild (e.g., drowsiness) to potentially severe (e.g., respiratory depression)
• Overdose and death

Identifying abuse signs and symptoms will avoid the risk of adverse implications.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of Demerol abuse vary from person to person. The symptoms you may notice in a person under Demerol influence may include:

• Confusion
• Euphoria
• Nausea and vomiting
• Small pupils
• Constipation
• Slowed breathing

Signs Of A Demerol Use Disorder

Abuse of Demerol can lead to serious health complications, including opioid dependency. In persistent Demerol abuse, users can develop an opioid use disorder. (DSM-V), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders listed these medical criteria typically met by those dealing with Demerol abuse and other related conditions:

• Using the drug in dangerous situations
• Relationship problems were owing to drug use
• They are abandoning major responsibilities because of drugs
• Using more substantial amounts over time
• Repeated futile attempts to quit
• Spending lots of time acquiring, using, or recovering from use of the drug
• Physical and psychological issues
• Quitting relevant family and social activities due to addiction
• Withdrawal symptoms
• Tolerance
• Cravings

Identifying the symptoms of abuse is imperative, as long-term abuse can have severe physical and psychological consequences.

Symptoms of Demerol Withdrawal

Demerol withdrawal can be painful, but it is usually not considered fatal. Withdrawing from prescription opioids like Demerol can cause one or more of the following symptoms:

• Restlessness
• Involuntary movements of limbs
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Agitation
• Cold flashes and runny nose
• Dilated pupils
• Gastrointestinal distress (e.g., nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea)

The Effects of Demerol Abuse And Addiction

Side effects may range from mild to extremely severe for abusers. Abusing the prescription painkiller puts you in massive danger of having the following health problems:

• Physical and mental dependence
• Anguish and Depression
• Hepatitis, AIDS/HIV, and other infectious diseases (due to the sharing of needles)
• Permanent brain damage due to hypoxia (insufficient oxygen to the brain)
• Potentially fatal respiratory depression

A specific danger of abuse is that one of its metabolites, normeperidine, has the potential to be neurotoxic, particularly if it builds up with frequent, high dose use in neural tissues. The build-up of this metabolite can cause agitation, tremor, and seizures.

Demerol Overdose

Overdose is also a risk of Demerol abuse at high doses. It can lead to respiratory distress, a condition in which the patient does not absorb enough oxygen, leading to death. Snorting or injecting a drug, using large quantities, and mixing it with other drugs and alcohol may increase the risk of overdosing.

According to WHO, people with medical and psychological conditions, such as HIV and depression, may also be at higher risk of an overdose.

Causes & Risk Factors in Demerol Addiction

Several factors may contribute to the abuse and addiction of an individual to Demerol. Studies believe that one of the major causes and risk factors that make a person vulnerable to abuse and dependence on Demerol is the biology of an individual.

There is plenty of evidence that genetic features such as seeking novelty and impulsivity raise an individual’s likelihood of developing addiction to Demerol.

Scientists have also noted that many people addicted to Demerol originate from a family with a history of substance use disorders.

The concept of drug dependency and abuse is complicated. Still, there are a variety of triggers and risk factors that play a role in affecting a person’s chances of becoming addicted to Demerol. Studies have identified many factors that can contribute to the individual’s Demerol dependency, which includes:

• Impulsivity
• Early substance abuse exposure
• Family history (drug  abuse)
• Family history (mental illness)
• Demerol treatment history
• Poor stress-management capabilities
• Childhood conduct disorder
• Trauma
• Poverty

Demerol Addiction Co-Occurring Disorders

Demerol operates by altering the regular workings of a person’s brain. Because the brain is a fragile organ, there is a substantial risk that the individual may develop a psychiatric disorder. The brain reacts by responding to psychoactive substances’ calls and effects, placing patients at a significant risk of having a substance use disorder. Conditions in the usage of drugs come into behavioral health disorders.

Co-occurring disorders arise when a person is diagnosed with both drug abuse and other mental health disorders. Such mental health disorders increase a person’s likelihood of seeking relief from opioids such as Demerol. This increases the chance that an individual will develop a severe mental condition.

Some users were found to suffer from more than one mental health condition. Addiction is related to other mental illnesses. More than half of Demerol users were previously found to have a psychiatric disorder. Nevertheless, in some cases, addiction triggered the mental illness.

Since addictions and mental health issues are closely related to one another, they should be treated simultaneously for improved overall health care. Common co-occurring disorders are closely linked to Demerol addiction: other substance use disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Demerol Detox

This is the first step in the addiction treatment program. Rehabilitation professionals start helping clients eliminate Demerol toxins from their bodies. There is continuous supervision to help the client get through the process quickly and effectively by coping with any withdrawal symptoms.

Detox Misuse of Demerol

Detoxification may be performed at home or in medical facilities. However, this is advisable for the procedure to be carried out in medical facilities under medical supervision. Demerol detoxification is the first stage that a patient undergoes when seeking addiction treatment in rehabilitation centers.

Demerol users should consult a doctor before they quit. Those using a drug without a prescription should consult a drug addict to assess whether they can complete the withdrawal process in the medical detox program.

Medical Detox for Demerol

Physicians can opt t o remove the medication’s dose from the patient for months or weeks during medical detoxification. However, it is common for doctors to put the patient on another similar drug such as Suboxone, Subutex, or buprenorphine.

Both strategies reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms and are both friendly and healthier than home detox or cold turkey. The doctor may prescribe medications to ease the withdrawal process.

Take Charge of Your Life — Start the Road to Recovery

As you start to feel comfortable again, you will be motivated to take control of your life and decide what you want to do in life. You will see that drugs no longer hold you up. These are the ways people should take personal responsibility.

• Manage your feelings.
• Prioritize self-care get enough sleep, regularly see a doctor for check-ups, maintain a healthy weight, perform prescribed mental and physical health tests, and adhere to a balanced diet.
• Accepting the past to step forward, remember where you were and how your experience shaped your present life.
• Consider the position you are in now. Accepting the situation becomes one of the most significant and vital things to do. You should also avoid self-blame, frustration, remorse, and shame for not being helpful. Instead, be focused on the moment and adjusting what you do not like about the current situation.
• Understanding your values will help you follow a path to redefine core values that will help you remain sober, empowered, and inspired.

Demerol Addiction Treatment at Resurgence

At Resurgence, we work with you to create an addiction treatment plan that meets your addiction. We understand that not everyone is the same, so we have several programs to help you recover from addiction.

Call us today, and we will work with you to create a plan for recovery.