A person usually will not become addicted to a drug overnight, and often, it takes more than one use of the substance for serious, compulsive drug-seeking activity to occur.

For individuals who begin abusing a drug and decide to stop before becoming addicted, the process of quitting usually isn’t as difficult.

However, the longer you use narcotics recreationally, the more likely it is that you will require treatment in order to stop.

Narcotics are Highly Addictive

These drugs can seem harmless in many ways, especially because many of the commonly abused narcotics are prescribed in abundance to treat pain, but taking them without a doctor’s prescription or in higher doses than prescribed is dangerous.

This kind of act performed over and over is very likely to lead to addiction, and those who take narcotics recreationally are abusing these drugs. The only narcotics that are not available by prescription are the illicit substances heroin and opium.

Taking these drugs in any amount is highly dangerous, but taking any other kind of narcotic recreationally is also a serious matter.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Environment and the personality of the user are important in producing addiction,” as is the amount and frequency of your abuse.

Although addiction does not always occur with the recreational use of these substances, it is a likely outcome and will require treatment once it occurs.

Narcotic Abuse is Serious

Not only are these drugs addictive by nature, they can also cause a fatal overdose when taken in large doses.

As stated by the National Library of Medicine, “Permanent lung damage, seizures, unsteadiness and difficulty walking, tremors, and reduced ability to think clearly may all occur” with overdose, as well as coma, severe respiratory depression, and death.

Drinking alcohol while taking these drugs, something many recreational users do, only increases the risk of overdose and respiratory depression.

A person does not have to be addicted to narcotics to overdose on these drugs when taking them recreationally, but those who are addicted will be more likely to experience this outcome.

It is important to remember how serious the recreational use of narcotics truly is and how dangerous it could become, especially for those who do so on a regular basis.

The Recreational Use of Opioids

Those who use these drugs often in order to get high are putting themselves in a dangerous position.

You may not require treatment in order to stop right away, and the side effects you experience from the drugs may, at this time, still be minimal.

However, there is always a chance that your abuse or its effects may become more severe, causing you to need treatment.

The recreational use of these drugs is illegal for a reason: it is very dangerous and likely to cause a severe addiction syndrome that, even with years of treatment, may never fully disappear.

If you are a current recreational user of narcotics and you are concerned that you may require treatment, seek it now before your situation becomes worse. Call 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) today to find rehab centers in your area.