When doctors prescribe Vicodin for pain relief, they are usually careful to limit the treatment time. Vicodin, a member of the opium family, has strongly addictive qualities. If it is taken for an extensive length of time, even small doses can lead to an addiction. Once addicted, a person may feel the need to take larger and larger doses of the medication. Since a family doctor usually prescribes the drug, patients don’t tend to realize they’ve become addicted at first. They may feel that the drug is safe, or their use is less dangerous, because they acquire the medication through legal means. 

Vicodin addiction is dangerous no matter how you acquire the medicine.  However, once a person becomes addicted, they will eventually exhibit the same urgency about finding more Vicodin that you would expect from any addicted individual. Vicodin abuse may become obvious when a person trys to work around the medical system so that they can continue to receive the medication. Some common tactics include visiting several doctors, or claiming that your medicine has been lost so you need a replacement.

 

Anxiety, hostility, and agitation will become noticeable in someone who is addicted to Vicodin. They may have problems keeping up with their daily routines, and it is common for financial issues to arise. It is particularly difficult to stop taking Vicodin once you are addicted because the withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable.