Soma is a powerful muscle relaxant that blocks pain sensations between the nerves and the brain. Its intended use is for patients undergoing physical therapy and prescribed by medical professionals only. In such cases, soma medicine and therapy work in surgery to help the patient recover from an injury or muscle problem. Unfortunately, soma is commonly sought and abused among today's drug users. It acts quickly on the nervous system by blocking receptors in the brain, causing the user to feel relief from muscle pain. When taken in doses above and beyond medical indications, soma can have an effect similar to that of marijuana. Users taking soma in exceedingly high doses report feeling giddy, euphoric, relaxed, and carefree. Users are also prone to soma addiction.
Many soma abusers admit to mixing the drug with alcohol and other substances to intensify soma's effects. Doing so is dangerous and potentially lethal. Other drugs commonly abused in conjunction with soma include:
- Codeine
- Diazepam
- Heroin
- Hydrocodone
- Vicodin
- Meprobamate
- Propoxyphene
When someone has crossed the line from experimenting with soma recreationally or taking it as prescribed by a doctor - into a territory where they now face a soma addiction - there is no turning back. Addiction is an insidious demon that often brings its victims to their knees. Soma abuse is no different than any other substance in the sense that some people are more prone to abuse and addiction than others.
Once addicted, using somas is no longer fun; the soma addict compulsively seeks out the drug despite negative consequences and their best intentions to stop. Soma addiction is characterized by the loss of control over how and when the user ingests the drug. It becomes imperative for the soma addict to seek out the drug and continue using it in an increasingly difficult attempt to evade inevitable withdrawal symptoms. When a user is addicted to soma, he or she requires higher and higher doses of soma to feel the same effects, indicating a tolerance. Combine this with the compulsivity associated with an addiction, and the person may appear to have shifted personalities. Additional indications of an addiction to soma include:
- "Doctor shopping" i.e. bouncing from one physical therapist to another in order to find a physician who will prescribe soma.
- Bouts of dependence and withdrawal characterized by changes in personality, mood swings, irritability and restlessness depending on the stage of the latter.
- Abusing soma i.e. taking it in a way other than the way in which it was prescribed. For example, crushing soma pills and snorting them, or shooting soma directly into the bloodstream.
- Lying and manipulating to cover up drug-based behavior.
- Losing interest in activities that were previously high priorities in the addict's life.
Varying situations with similar underlying elements are common among soma addicts - and individuals addicted to other substances as well. In order to recover from soma addiction, treatment is recommended. It is necessary for soma addicts to undergo detoxification from the drug in order to flush their body of the substance. The detoxification process is uncomfortable and unpleasant, thus making it evermore crucial for the soma addict to be surrounded by caring professionals throughout the process. Many detox specialists prescribe counter-indicative drugs so that the soma withdrawals are as painlessly as possible.
Common soma withdrawal symptoms:
- Strong craving cycles
- Heightened sensitivity to stress
- Memory impairment
- Stomachache
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures in some cases
- Insomnia
Once the flushing and detoxification of soma has commenced, the recovering soma addict can begin to experience life again. He or she will learn to deal with life on life's terms rather than chasing an illusionary trance in order to escape problems and evade intrinsic emotions.
