Cocaine Addiction Treatment
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is strong stimulant, derived from the leaves of the coca plant that is native to South America.
Cocaine is also known as coke, C, flake, snow, crack, and blow.
Cocaine impacts the neuropathways in the brain and makes the addict feel highly energetic, talkative, confident and euphoric. Addiction to this drug develops rapidly, even after using it only a few times.
What is Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs and causes numerous overdoses and hospital admissions worldwide. Cocaine addiction has severe and permanent effects on the user and those around them.
The most common intake method is usually snorting, which causes a high or “rush”. This effect lasts for about an hour, and the user will crave to use it again to maintain the high and prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Cocaine and Addiction
An addiction can be physical, meaning your body craves the drug. It can also be psychological, meaning the person desperately desires the drug’s effects.
Cocaine can be consumed in a variety of ways. It can be inhaled through the nose or injected into a vein. And it can be used via genital or rectal routes. It can also be smoked after being processed into a form called crack cocaine. Whatever the method of intake, addiction occurs very rapidly.
What are the effects of Cocaine?
Cocaine boosts dopamine (a naturally-occurring neurotransmitter in the brain) activity which causes the addict to experience feelings of pleasure and euphoria.
This happens by the cocaine preventing dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitters from being taken up into the nerve cells. These neurotransmitters accumulate and stimulate the surrounding nerve cells that trigger an acute pleasure sensation.
Cocaine also adversely affects sleep and appetite. Though some persons claim that cocaine helps them to think more clearly and makes them more active, sustained use leads to intense craving and dysfunctional behaviour.
Continued use of cocaine leads to a higher tolerance for the drug – the individual needs more cocaine to feel the same effects. This leads to using more significant amounts, which adversely impacts the person’s physical and mental condition.
Psychological impact of cocaine addiction includes:
- Paranoia and panic
- Hallucinations
- Aggressive behaviour
- Irritability and anxiety
- Depression
- Impaired judgment
- Dysfunctional behaviours
Physical effects of cocaine addiction may include:
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain and headaches
- Chest pain
- Increased and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Heart attack
- Seizure
- Stroke
Cocaine addiction is also associated with several severe medical conditions that include gangrene of the bowels, respiratory problems and hepatitis.
What is the cause of Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine impacts neurological systems in the brain. Repetitive cocaine use alters systems associated with pleasure, memory, and decision making. A cocaine addict loses the ability, and craving drives the person to keep using. The user wants to repeat the initial euphoric sensation and keeps on “chasing the high”.
The neuroadaptation of the brain function increased dosage due to tolerance, impaired judgement, and craving lead to cocaine addiction, which becomes hard to quit without professional intervention.
Who is at risk for cocaine addiction?
Anyone who experiments even once with cocaine is at risk for becoming addicted. Other factors that increase the risk of cocaine addiction are:
- Family history of drug dependence
- Addiction to alcohol or other drugs
- Mental disorders, such as bipolar or depression
What are the symptoms of cocaine addiction?
Symptoms may include some or all of the following:
- Continued use of the drug despite problems caused by the usage
- Tolerance for the drug – requiring more quantity to achieve the same high
- Not able to stop or reduce use of the drug
- Withdrawal symptoms when usage stops
- A negative impact on quality of life – health, relationships, education, employment
- Spending excessive time and money looking for and using cocaine
- Psychosis, hallucinations, fears
- Anxiety and irritability
- Lying, stealing to maintain the habit
What is cocaine withdrawal?
When an addict stops using cocaine, they undergo withdrawal, which can be an extremely difficult experience. Intense cravings and uncomfortable side effects accompany it. Withdrawal symbols include:
- Tiredness
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Sleeplessness
- Depression
- Body aches
A supportive environment with medical inputs is essential at this stage.
What are the treatment options for Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine addiction treatment can be a challenging and complex process. The negative impact on all areas of the addict’s life has to be addressed – physical, psychological, social, emotional and familial. A holistic approach is the most effective to prevent relapse.
Recovery from cocaine addiction is a complex and gradual process, requiring a multi-dimensional approach. It is also a highly relapse-prone disease. If not treated, it destroys families and kills the addict.
If you or someone you love is addicted to cocaine, get help before it’s too late!