If you are searching the internet about the outcomes of cocaine use, the signs that someone may be using, or what kind of treatment is available, you or a loved one is likely suffering from an addiction to cocaine.
Cocaine use impacts over 5 million people annually, and claims many lives daily. The good news is, help and treatment are readily available.
Get help for your loved one or yourself at Findlay Recovery. Our comprehensive detox and addiction treatment program is designed to support clients in the early stages of recovery and help them develop long-lasting skills that are necessary for sustainable sobriety.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant drug. This stimulant is made naturally using the coca plant, native to Central and South America. According to the DEA, 90% of the cocaine in the United States comes from Columbia, where it is grown, harvested, and then processed into the drug before being shipped to the United States.
Cocaine is the most common illegal stimulant in the United States. Approximately 5.2 million people used cocaine in the last year, while 1.3 have a diagnosable cocaine use disorder. Cocaine is also deadly. In 2020, over 19,000 people died from a cocaine overdose. That is approximately 53 people per day.
Cocaine is so dangerous because of the way that it impacts the body and how it is used. Cocaine increases the functions associated with the central nervous system, including heart rate, breathing, temperature, and digestion. This can easily lead to overdose-related heart attacks and seizures.
Cocaine, unlike opioids, does not have a drug to help stop an overdose. This is especially common when individuals binge use cocaine. Cocaine works quickly in the system, and its effects often wear off within an hour. Individuals must continue to take hits of the drug to maintain the high, but because of how cocaine impacts the body, each hit is dangerous and can cause the body to overdose.
What are the Signs of Cocaine Use?
Individuals who are using cocaine may experience many psychological and physical symptoms. Cocaine addiction causes individuals to spend a majority of their time thinking about, using, and recovering from use.
Psychologically, cocaine users may be jittery, more likely to take risks, energetic, and talkative. Because it stimulates the body, cocaine users are often more excitable during use, but this can also lead to the development of sensitivity. Individuals who use cocaine frequently may bypass the happiness and excitement related to use and experience paranoia, anxiety, and irritability. They may also be more prone to erratic behavior and violence.
Physically, cocaine speeds up the body’s functions. As a result, users can experience disturbances in heart rhythm, heart attacks, headaches, seizures, or even comas.
What are Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms and Treatment?
When an individual stops using cocaine or ends a cocaine binge, they crash almost immediately. During this crash, individuals will experience cravings, feelings of fatigue, anxiety, irritability, and paranoia. While this typically wears off after a day, individuals may experience long-term side effects like cravings and depression. Cocaine withdrawal has often also been linked to suicidal thoughts.
Researchers are currently working on multiple pharmacological approaches, but none have been widely tested. However, several have proven that monthly vaccinations designed to block cocaine and its ability to increase antibodies can dramatically decrease use and support the treatment process.
The most commonly recommended treatment for cocaine use disorders is behavioral therapy designed around supporting clients through the depression and cravings that last months following the previous use of cocaine.
How to Find Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Ohio
Cocaine addiction treatment in Ohio is available through inpatient, intensive outpatient, and outpatient facilities. In addition, based on the need determined by the severity of your addiction to cocaine, many individuals begin the cocaine addiction treatment process with detox and inpatient treatment.
We recommend our new, state-of-the-art facility, Findlay Recovery. Our Ohio inpatient treatment programs are designed to support clients in the early stages of addiction treatment and help them address major initial concerns around substance abuse, future planning, and learning.
Contact our admissions counselors today to see how we can support you on your recovery journey.
