Cocaine Addiction Treatment Center ​

UNDERSTANDING COCAINE ADDICTION

Introduction to Cocaine Addiction​

Cocaine addiction is a common problem throughout the nation. In 2018, cocaine ranked as the second most common drug associated with fatalities in America. Additionally, in 2019 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicated nearly six million people in the United States used cocaine in the last year.

Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant. This plant is native to several countries in South America. The leaves are harvested and processed into a fine white powder. The powder can be introduced into the body in several ways. The most common of these is by snorting it through the nose. However, it can also be rubbed on the gums or mixed with liquid and injected into the veins. Many drugs like cocaine go by “street” names. The list of street names or slang terms for cocaine is long. Some of the more familiar include blow, Flake, Snow, Coke, and C.

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug. When used, it acts upon the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to produce abnormally high feelings of energy and euphoria. The “high’ achieved by using cocaine is generally far above what the body can produce through naturally occurring processes. Depending on how cocaine is used, the effects of the drug can be almost immediate. These effects are very intense, yet they do not last long. Unfortunately, the quickly diminishing effects often bring users back for more substantial and more frequent doses as they crave the “high” they felt when first taking cocaine.

THE CARE YOU DESERVE

Our Cocaine Rehab Center​

Recognizing and acknowledging a struggle with cocaine is the first step toward healing and recovery. It is essential to seek addiction treatment at a cocaine addiction rehab center like Findlay Recovery Center to overcome a cocaine addiction. It is not uncommon for someone who struggles with cocaine to have difficulty admitting they have a problem or to refuse treatment; however, long-term, untreated cocaine addiction can be fatal. In addition to any of the above side effects of cocaine use, cocaine also has a lasting impact on how the brain produces and releases dopamine. These changes cause you to believe you need to use cocaine to feel “normal.” Although cocaine withdrawal does not typically produce significant physical symptoms (as seen when detoxing from alcohol or opioids), psychological symptoms can vary widely and be challenging to manage without treatment support.

At our cocaine rehab center, treatment for cocaine addiction typically focuses on helping you achieve behavioral change through evidence-based treatment models proven to help people overcome a range of addictive behaviors. The most common behavioral therapy used to treat cocaine addiction is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive-behavioral therapy encourages the individual to examine negative thoughts and behaviors to help better understand the roots of their addiction and how to change addictive behaviors. A wide range of other popular treatment models is used to help address the behavioral difficulties that further cocaine addiction. Those often include contingency management or motivational incentives, therapeutic communities, and community-based recovery groups such as 12-step programs. Some of the most well-known 12-step programs tailored to help those with cocaine addiction include Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous. Support groups such as these can help those in recovery continue to face their challenges while receiving help from others who understand how difficult achieving and maintaining recovery can be. 

Understanding Long-Term Impacts

The severity of the long-term effects of cocaine use depends on the severity of one’s addiction. Without treatment, someone who uses cocaine more frequently and at higher doses is more likely to develop potentially life-threatening symptoms and side effects of ongoing cocaine use. With chronic or prolonged use, cocaine will inevitably have a harmful impact on many vital body systems and vital organs, including the brain, lungs, heart, gastrointestinal system, and kidneys. Other possible effects of long-term cocaine use include:

• Elevated blood pressure 
• Chills 
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Coma
• Seizures
• Sweating
• Changes in sleeping patterns and insomnia
• Confusion
• Heart attack
• Violent and aggressive behavior
• Stroke
• Death

Although each of the above short and long-term signs of cocaine use is possible in all cases, it can be difficult to notice signs of cocaine addiction until the addiction has taken over. It is helpful to understand that early signs of cocaine addiction may be things like craving cocaine and continually seeking to use it despite knowing of the harmful consequences that come with its use. Other early signs of cocaine addiction you may notice are changes in your loved one’s behavior, the presence of drug paraphernalia, physical and psychological changes, and the presence of withdrawal symptoms when you or a loved one stop or reduce using cocaine.