Typically, that is expected but the problem gets much worse. Post acute withdrawal symptoms last much longer than that and include extreme sensitivity to pain as the natural pain receptors have vanished. The pain tolerance that a normal person has is no longer present in the opiate addict. They also experience a complete lack of motivation because the natural receptors are gone. Just getting out of bed can be a challenge. Finally, their mood is completely altered, they are sad, depressed, and feel like losers. Because of the way that they feel, 90% will relapse within one year (Farnum, S. 2007). The vicious cycle will continue. .
In fact, so addictive are these opiate-based pain medications that despite fully understanding the medications' addictive nature, ten percent of physicians are themselves dependent on the very drugs they prescribe, according to the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) (Waismann, 2007). .
Vicodin addiction is a growing problem in the United States. Perhaps it seems like there are more headlines that curtail illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin but behind the scenes, for some reason Vicodin addiction has raced to the forefront and still most seem to turn a blind eye. The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration believes Vicodin may be the most abused prescription drug in the country (DEA, 2007). Nationwide, Vicodin abuse has quadrupled in the last ten years, while emergency room visits attributed to Vicodin abuse soared 500 percent (DEA, 2007). .
There have been numerous reports of high profile and white collar people who have faced the powerful grips of Vicodin addiction. Sometimes seen as a "white-collar" addiction, Vicodin abuse has increased among all classes of people. DAWN data demographics suggest that the most likely Vicodin abuser is a 20-40 yr old, white, female, who uses the drug because she is dependent or trying to commit suicide.