Because these drugs are available by prescription they are sometimes easy to come by. Addicts will forge prescriptions, buy pills from people who have gotten valid prescriptions, feign injuries and illnesses in order to get prescriptions, and buy them on the street. Painkillers are not the only prescription medications that are abused. Sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants are also popularly used non-medically.

One of the most popular painkillers being abused today is OxyContin. OxyContin is an opium derivative that is supposed to be used by terminal cancer patients and suffers of chronic pain. There are three main ways people abuse OxyContin. They can chew it, crush and snort it, or dissolve and inject it.

There are three main things that make OxyContin so popular. First, because it is covered by most insurance companies, OxyContin can be bought cheaper than most street drugs. Second, because it is FDA approved and made by a major drug company, you can be sure the drug is not laced with another drug. Finally, its potency makes it highly addictive. Some say it is more addictive even than heroin.

Treating OxyContin Addiction

Because OxyContin is so terribly addictive, traditional "cold turkey" detox is not recommended. The withdrawal symptoms experienced by OxyContin addicts are so profound that they may be impossible to endure. For that reason, detox typically involves stepping down the dosage of OxyContin to a point where the body no longer craves it. This detox is then followed my counseling and courses on how to maintain sobriety.