Author: Anjali Talcherkar, PhD

Percocet is a combination prescription painkiller comprised of the opioid, oxycodone, and a non-opioid pain medication, acetaminophen. Percocet is typically prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain. However, it has a high potential for misuse, dependence, and addiction. If you are struggling with a Percocet addiction, treatment is available. Inpatient and outpatient Percocet recovery programs provide you with the therapy you need in order to abstain from opioid use.^1,2

In this article: 

• Signs You May Need Percocet Addiction Treatment
• Types of Treatment for Percocet Addiction
• Therapies for Percocet Addiction
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Percocet Addiction
• Holistic Interventions
• Recovery Support After Treatment

Signs You May Need Percocet Addiction Treatment

It can sometimes be difficult to discern whether you have a Percocet addiction or not. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the following signs may indicate a Percocet addiction:³

• Taking larger or more frequent doses of Percocet than intended
• Failing to quit or cut down on Percocet use despite efforts to do so
• Experiencing strong Percocet cravings
• Spending an inordinate amount of time obtaining and using Percocet, as well as recovering from its effects
• Using Percocet results in failure to fulfill major obligations at work, school, or home
• Continuing to use Percocet regardless of social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by Percocet
• Neglecting important recreational, social, or occupational activities in favor of Percocet use
• Using Percocet in dangerous situations, such as while driving
• Continuing to use Percocet despite the knowledge that it is causing or exacerbating physical or psychological issues
• Experiencing tolerance, meaning you need higher doses of Percocet to get high
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to quit or cut down on use

If you are concerned that you or someone you know may have a Percocet addiction, you aren’t alone. Countless people have been in your position and have made the positive choice to enter treatment and quit opioid abuse. If you are ready to make a change, call 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) to speak to a treatment support specialist about Percocet rehab programs near you.

Types of Treatment for Percocet Addiction

Before committing to a Percocet addiction treatment program, you may be interested in learning more about what types of treatment programs are available so that you can choose the right one for you.

Detoxification

Percocet withdrawal symptoms can be extremely painful, which is why it can be difficult to go through withdrawal alone. It’s common to return to Percocet use to relieve these withdrawal symptoms, creating a cycle of compulsive use. Thankfully, professional detox, which is the first step in addiction treatment, can help relieve Percocet withdrawal symptoms and keep you safe and comfortable.

During detox, your doctors or clinician may prescribe medications to relieve your opioid withdrawal symptoms. Common medications used during oxycodone detox include:^4,5,6

• Buprenorphine: As a partial opioid agonist, it can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms in a person with an opioid use disorder without producing rewarding effects.
• Methadone: A synthetic opioid agonist that eliminates withdrawal symptoms and relieves drug cravings by acting on opioid receptors in the brain. Although it occupies and activates these opioid receptors, it does so more slowly than other opioids.
• Clonidine: Clonidine is a prescription medication available as a patch, an oral tablet, and an oral extended-release tablet. Clonidine helps reduce Percocet withdrawal symptoms including, irritability, agitation, restlessness, anger, anxiety, and fogginess.

Inpatient Treatment

During inpatient treatment, you will reside at the treatment facility for the duration of your program. An inpatient Percocet addiction program may last anywhere from 30 days to 90 days, depending on your needs—sometimes even longer.

Inpatient programs are the most intensive treatment options available, and they typically occur in hospital-type settings. You receive 24/7 monitoring and care while you recover from Percocet abuse. One of the main benefits of inpatient treatment is that you are able to escape from your everyday drug-using environment so that you can focus solely on your recovery.

There are different types of inpatient programs, such as:

• Luxury treatment centers: Programs for those who prefer a resort-like setting for Percocet addiction recovery
• Executive treatment centers: Programs for high-level business professionals who still need access to high-speed internet and private phones
• Holistic inpatient programs: Programs for individuals who want a comprehensive treatment plan that includes complementary and alternative approaches like art therapy, medication, and yoga

Every inpatient treatment program has a different philosophy as well as different treatment modalities they utilize. Some programs may integrate 12-step meetings with NA or AA during treatment while others may have a secular treatment philosophy. Make sure to ask about treatment philosophy, amenities, and more when researching rehabs.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient programs allow individuals to live at home and attend a day program, with therapy frequency ranging from a few times per week to several hours every day. Outpatient rehab is convenient for people who are motivated to stop using Percocet but require the flexibility of a program that will work around their schedules.

There are several types of outpatient treatment programs for Percocet abuse, including:

• Partial hospitalization programs: Also called “day programs,” this option offers the most intensive form of outpatient treatment.
• Intensive outpatient programs: Intensive outpatient programs are not as time-consuming as partial programs, but they are still more intensive than standard outpatient treatment.
• Standard outpatient therapy: With this least intensive option, you will attend therapy one or two times per week.

Therapies for Percocet Addiction

When you enter a rehab program, you first receive a biopsychosocial evaluation by a mental health professional. They will use this information to create a treatment plan that is tailored specifically for you. When researching Percocet addiction treatment programs, you’ll want to make sure to ask that they utilize individualized treatment plans, as it is imperative that your treatment meet your needs. Most therapeutic interventions depend on the rehab and services they are equipped to offer.

Your treatment plan may include a combination of therapies, interventions, and methods to help you abstain from Percocet use, including:^7,8,9

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Addresses the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to help replace unhealthy behaviors with healthy behaviors, as well as modulate feelings
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): Improves emotional regulation skills, distress tolerance, and communication skills, as well as teaches mindfulness
• Family counseling: Improves communication, repairs relationships, and teaches family members effective behaviors that don’t enable the individual with an addiction
• Group counseling: Involves sharing and learning from one another, improves sober social skills, and teaches conflict resolution strategies
• Motivational Interviewing (MI): Enhances patient motivation to attend Percocet addiction treatment
• Educational groups: A variety of topic groups on specific issues, such as anger management, trauma, and the effects of drugs on the brain
• Recreational activities: Includes activities like outdoor excursions, fitness workouts, games, and movies
• 12-step support groups: Offers support, guidance, and encouragement in a sober community (AA and NA)
• Relapse prevention groups: Teaches relapse prevention skills, including drug-refusal strategies, coping skills, and impulse control
• Employment training: Focuses on pathways to careers, interviewing skills, skills needed to maintain employment, and more

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Percocet Addiction

After the withdrawal period has resolved and you’ve been medically stabilized, you may begin medication-assisted treatment (MAT)—this involves taking an opioid dependence medication, such as methadone or buprenorphine, in conjunction with therapy and counseling.⁶

Both methadone and buprenorphine, which are opioid agonist medications, relieve Percocet cravings by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. Unlike opioids of abuse, such as Percocet, methadone and buprenorphine don’t produce euphoria, and they are safe to take long-term.⁶

Naltrexone, which is an opioid antagonist drug, is sometimes used to treat opioid use disorder. This medication blocks the activation of opioid receptors in the brain. This means that if you take Percocet while on naltrexone, you won’t get high.⁶ In its oral form, it must be taken every day, which has resulted in poor patient adherence—if someone wants to return to opioid use, they can just stop taking the Naltrexone. But, in 2010, Vivitrol, an injectable, long-acting form of naltrexone was approved for treating opioid addiction. The effects of Vivitrol last for several weeks so it’s a great option for patients who struggle with taking a medication every day.⁶

Holistic Interventions

In addition to standard treatment procedures, such as CBT and detoxification, a holistic rehabilitation center offers complementary and alternative treatment methods with the intention of treating the whole person: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Various holistic treatments might include:^11,12

• Tennis, swimming, fitness
• Acupuncture, massage, herbal medicines, and Reiki
• Nutritional counseling
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Music or art therapy
• The option to attend church/temple
• Spiritual growth classes
• Equine therapy
• Ropes courses
• Rock climbing
• Tai chi
• Outdoor excursions
• Vision boards and/or imagery

Recovery Support After Treatment

Aftercare planning occurs as you transition out of your residential treatment program. Team members and medical staff assess your needs and develop an ongoing treatment regimen upon discharge from your program. Leaving rehab can be scary—you are exiting your safety nest. Having a strong recovery support plan in place will provide an extra blanket of security, especially for times you may feel vulnerable.

Examples of aftercare services that provide ongoing support include:¹³

• Sober living homes
• Outpatient treatment
• Alumni support groups
• 12-step support groups like NA or AA
• Non-12-step support groups like SMART Recovery

Support groups provide you with the community connection and accountability to sustain recovery.¹³ Twelve-step fellowships can be found all over the world and online, making them widely accessible and cost-effective.

If you are unsure of how to pay for treatment or need help locating the right program for Percocet addiction, feel free to give our support team a call at 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) . Our caring staff is dedicated to helping you every step of the way.

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Resources

1. Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Drug scheduling.
2. Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2014). Percocet (Oxycodone and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP). 
3. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. (5th ed.).
4. Wakim J. H. (2012). Alleviating symptoms of withdrawal from an opioid. Pain and therapy, 1(1), 4.
5. Chu, L. F., Sun, J., Clemenson, A., Erlendson, M. J., Rico, T., Cornell, E., Obasi, H., Sayyid, Z. N., Encisco, E. M., Yu, J., Gamble, J. G., Carroll, I., & Clark, J. D. (2017). Ondansetron Does Not Reduce Withdrawal in Patients With Physical Dependence on Chronic Opioid Therapy. Journal of addiction medicine, 11(5), 342–349.
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Medications used to treat opioid disorder research report.
7. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2016). Treatment approaches for drug addiction.
8. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide.
9. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (1999). Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment.
10. Toljan, K., & Vrooman, B. (2018). Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)-Review of Therapeutic Utilization. Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 6(4), 82.
11. Lake, J., Helgason, C., & Sarris, J. (2012). Integrative Mental Health (IMH): Paradigm, Research, and Clinical Practice. Explore, 8 (1), 50–57.
12. Khanna, S., & Greeson, J. (2013). A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 21, 244-252.
13. Laudet, A. B., Savage, R., & Mahmood, D. (2002). Pathways to long-term recovery: a preliminary investigation. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 34(3), 305–311.