Codeine is a very popular prescription drug used to relieve moderate-to-severe pain, as a cough suppressants, and also as an anti-diarrhea medication.
Codeine is an alkaloid that is found in opium. Typically in the United States codeine is synthesized from morphine. Codeine is available as a prescription medicine and is also manufactured illegally from legal substances.
Drug addiction can result from codeine abuse. With prolonged use tolerance and dependency can be developed from even prescription use. If you have been taking codeine for longer than 5-7 days, it is recommended that you step down dosage. Stopping cold, can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Codeine is also used and abused recreationally for an euphoric effect. Overdose from codeine can lead to death.
Prolonged use of codeine – use longer than six months – has been linked to depression and other mental health related problems. Most Codeine drug rehab programs deal with a dual-diagnosis situation. In a dual diagnosis the drug addition and mental health problems both are treated. A physical dependency is treated through withdrawal and detox treatments. The mental dependency and mental health problems are dealt with through counseling and life skill treatments.