Cocaine Addiction

Conquer Your Cocaine Addiction

Coke, dust, line, rock, crack—cocaine has many different names and is the second most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It’s often glamorized as a party drug, but there’s nothing glamorous about what happens when the high wears off.

When you use cocaine, it causes the brain to release a large amount of dopamine—the hormone that makes us feel happy, excited, and energized. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour for the drug to wear off. And when it does, it’s not pretty.

What happens when you have a cocaine crash?

When someone comes down from a cocaine high, they’ll sometimes be described as being “strung out.” That’s because the most common symptoms of a crash include

Extreme fatigue and sleepiness
Inability to feel pleasure
Depression
Irritability
Anxiety
Paranoia
Mood swings

The very first time you use cocaine, it changes the brain’s pathways and how it produces chemicals related to stress and pleasure. The brain learns to associate cocaine with good feelings from the high, so when you start crashing, the brain creates a craving for the drug to get back that high. That cycle is what creates cocaine addiction.

What exactly is cocaine?

Cocaine is an extremely powerful stimulant, sharing the drug class with caffeine. However, cocaine is much, much stronger. As an illicit drug, cocaine can only be purchased illegally, usually on the streets from a dealer.

Cocaine is made using the leaves of South America’s coca plant. It’s also extremely expensive and usually sold by the ounce or gram. Dealers often take advantage of the drug’s white powder form by mixing in things that look similar—cornstarch, sugar, flour, laundry detergent, and anything else they’d like.

Someone using cocaine can take the drug by injecting, smoking, or snorting it.

What is crack cocaine?

Crack cocaine is made using the by-products that come from making pure cocaine. It’s much cheaper than pure cocaine, making it a more common choice for low-income people addicted to cocaine. Crack cocaine looks like a small rock and is sometimes an off-white or pink color.

Common street names for cocaine

Coke
Dust
Toot
Line
Nose candy
Snow
Powder
Girl
White girl
Flake
Rock
Crack

What are the dangers of cocaine use?

There are many dangers of using cocaine, the biggest two being addiction and potentially death. The short-term and long-term dangers of cocaine are equally dangerous, including:

Insomnia
Vomiting
Irritability
Nasal infections
Chest pain
Hallucinations
Rapid breathing
Nose bleeds
Twitching
Bruxism or grinding teeth
Constricted blood vessels

Can I stop using cocaine on my own?

We do not recommend attempting an “at-home” detox or otherwise trying to stop using on your own. Because it’s a highly addictive substance, cocaine creates severe withdrawal symptoms, including:

Headaches
Irritability
Paranoia
Fatigue
Insomnia
Restlessness
Nightmares
Depression
Increase in appetite
General malaise

Cocaine is highly addictive and leaves its users with an intense craving to do more cocaine. These cravings make it practically impossible to stop yourself from using, because your brain will do anything it can to trick you into finding and using cocaine.

If you somehow manage to successfully clear your body of cocaine, you still may face the environmental factors that may contribute to your use, including:

Pressure from friends or family to use the drug
Living or working in a high-stress environment
Having other mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, or a personality disorder
Exposure to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or trauma
Access to cocaine

You may even have a genetic predisposition for addiction. Some research suggests that genetics account for 50% to 75% of addiction disorders.

How do I get help for cocaine addiction?

By choosing a cocaine detox program, you get a controlled environment run by detoxification specialists who know exactly how to help you. When you complete your detox, you’ll then get to follow it up with therapeutic exercises and treatment to help better understand yourself and lower your risk of relapsing and using again.

Cocaine Detox

Cocaine detox is the first step in flushing cocaine out of your body and eventually leaving a cocaine addiction behind for good. Cocaine addiction is mostly psychological; in contrast, opioid addictions are more physical. However, it does mean going through withdrawal symptoms.

During a cocaine detox, you can be helped with withdrawal symptoms, so you can find a sense of stability. Detoxing from any drug can be hard, which is why it’s so imperative you have a team of professionals with you to guide you through it. Cocaine detox offers you a safe place during this time, away from the stress of home and your day-to-day life, and this is why a cocaine detox is the best bet for anyone with a cocaine addiction to really get sober.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Once you get addicted to cocaine, it can be hard to stop using—and maybe just as hard to convince yourself that you want to stop. But if you truly want to end your cocaine addiction and you’ve completed a detox program, then you’re ready to enter a drug rehab treatment program.

Cocaine drug treatment offers cognitive behavioral therapy, group and individual counseling, family therapy, holistic therapies (like tai chi, yoga, chiropractic care), life coaching, 12-step program meetings, relapse prevention, and aftercare programs.

Cocaine drug rehab sets you on the right path while also helping you combat the long-term cravings of cocaine use. The long-term cravings to use cocaine are a drug user’s biggest obstacle, but with programs such as relapse prevention education, 12-step meetings, and counselor-guided therapy, these cravings can be overcome.

Cocaine treatment can last from 30 to 90 days depending on how much help someone needs. It is recommended that people with a cocaine addiction stay at least 90 days in drug rehab to help build longer sobriety and a stronger recovery plan to give them a better chance at remaining sober when they leave.

Admitting you have a cocaine drug addiction is the first step in getting better. Now, it’s time to get detoxed and begin healing in a rehabilitation center.

At Palm Partners Recovery Center, we offer a vacation-like locale that allows you to get the full rest and relaxation you need to focus fully on yourself and recovering from your drug addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling with cocaine addiction, please contact us by chatting with an addiction specialist below or calling (561) 278-5800.

Sources:

https://www.palmpartners.com/drug-addiction/cocaine-addiction/

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/cocaine-addiction/

https://sunrisehouse.com/cause-effect/comedown-cocaine-ecstasy/

https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction/addiction-risk-factors