Trazodone abuse has become a quite significant problem in many parts of the world. It is a prescription medication used in treating disorders such as sleeping problems, eating disorders and cocaine addiction as well as panic attacks or anxiety. Unfortunately, like many prescription drugs, trazodone contains an element of habit forming properties. It may not be very long before a user becomes hooked on the drug.
While its addiction potential is not as high as that of other medications, continued use of trazodone over a prolonged period of time is likely to lead to dependence. This underlines the importance of using the drug only for the medically approved purpose and in the right prescription doses without extending the duration of use.
Like many other depressants, trazodone acts on the functioning of the brain. It alters the balance of chemicals that control the transmission of the nerve impulses between nerve cells in the brain. The drug is known to increase the concentration or release of serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which stimulate the nerve cells.
As you may understand, using the drug according to the prescriptions of qualified medical practitioners in terms of the duration, amount, frequency and purpose are the most effective way to prevent addiction from kicking in. Actually, the drug is known to be very safe when taken within the confines of doctors’ prescriptions.
However, this may prove to be quite a herculean task for many, especially when someone has been using the drug for a long time. This is because the drug is habit forming making it almost impossible for the individual to stop taking the drug unaided. The dependence mainly results from the modification in the functioning of the brain resulting from the drug use.
In this case the body depends on the drug in order to function “normally” rather than by its own processes. If the individual goes for some time without taking the medication, the body reacts by going into withdrawal. These are the undesirable reactions of the body to the absence of a drug it has become used to. It is actually the reorganization of the body to accommodate the deficiency.
If the individual continues to take the drug, he or she will notice that the effectiveness of the normal doses progressively diminishes. This results from the drug residue that builds up in the body in leading the body to become accustomed to a particular amount or dosage in the system.
This would consequently mean that the individual has to increase the amount that he or she is taking in order to find relief. Essentially, the anxiety, depression, panic attacks and sleeping disorders that an individual would be experiencing at this stage come about as a result of the deficiency of the drug.
This is the vicious addiction cycle that the user becomes trapped in. Quitting the drug alone has a very low chance of success. It is only when a comprehensive treatment program for the addiction is offered that the individual stands a real chance of kicking the habit.
