Cocaine Addiction & Treatment: All you need to know

What is Cocaine Addiction?

Cocaine addiction is a complex abuse disorder, that not only impacts one’s physical health but also affects their family and social interactions. The high induced by the drug drives the user to re-use it time and again. But the feeling of euphoria is quite short-lived.

This leads to the frequent use of an increased amount of cocaine at a time for the desired effect, thereby increasing cocaine tolerance.

Signs and Symptoms that one needs cocaine addiction help –

• Isolation while using cocaine
• Unable to function in life without using cocaine
• In order to isolate, disappearing during nights to use cocaine
• Feeling that life is not worth without cocaine
• Experiencing paranoia or hallucinations after taking cocaine
• Always feeling restless, irritable, or discontent when one is sober
• Tried to stop but couldn’t stay sober
• Experiencing financial, relationship, or career-related hurdles
• Cocaine has become an obsession

How Harmful is Cocaine Addiction?

Cocaine consumption over the years tends to interfere with normal functions of the brain and builds dependence on this drug. Cocaine addiction affects the body in various ways, causing depression, psychiatric disorders, heart failure, cerebral hemorrhage, respiratory failure, kidney damage, and even death due to overdose.

Cocaine addiction can impact an individual at various levels, i.e. the addiction can trigger behavioral changes at first and then cause social effects with time. It not only affects the addict’s physical and mental wellbeing but also their relationships with others, whether it is family members, friends, or colleagues. It can affect their finances, employment, and education, sometimes even causing law and order problems.

Problems in Personal Life

Cocaine addiction causes people to become secretive, arrogant, or intentionally offensive. At times, they can even inflict self-harm or indulge in stealing or lying to family members to get the drug. Gradually, they develop feelings of low self-esteem, paranoia, and an inability to trust others which makes them isolate themselves from people around them. These violent outbursts, mood swings, or erratic behaviors in an individual, who is in a marriage or living with someone, can be the cause of acute mental stress for the spouse or partner. It may even lead to a situation where the other person gets addicted.

The entire situation becomes even more complex if children are involved. Kids should not grow up in such an unhealthy atmosphere. Hence, cocaine addiction can cause the whole family to fall apart. Even if you want to help the addict recover from this disorder you will find that it is tough to support them because of the widespread social stigma attached to drug addiction.

Problems in professional life

People addicted to cocaine not only find it hard to lead a normal family life but also suffer at the workplace. They are likely to become unpunctual and their efficiency and productivity may be hampered because of the drug. An unruly, violent, abusive employee is likely to get into frequent tiffs with his co-workers and clients as well.

Cocaine addiction causes major financial problems for the addict; not only does he need money to purchase the drug but, even when he is determined to shake off the addiction, he will have to arrange for funds to pay for treatment, rehabilitation, and joining support groups. He may end up losing his job because of the addiction and this can put a lot of pressure on the family’s income. Addicts are forced to resort to illegal means of acquiring money through committing frauds or stealing. All these factors contribute to a rather volatile environment that is not at all conducive to recovery.

‍

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

When people addicted to cocaine start their battle with this drug addiction, it can take a heavy toll on their mental and physical health because the urge to use this drug is overwhelmingly strong for one to resist it. They will need continued therapy that includes both pharmacological and behavioral treatments along with a strong support system to overcome this addiction and remain sober.

In treating cocaine addiction, psychotherapy is used which involves behavioral interventions; this is for the patient who has undergone detoxification and ready to attend sessions. Behavioral therapy complements this treatment because it encourages the individual to continue their therapy. CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on learning processes to identify behavioral patterns that trigger the use of cocaine. These processes are then used for helping addicts overcome the addiction. Patients are taught to identify triggers and take preventive action accordingly. This self-monitoring and self-evaluation keeps their behavior in check and helps them avoid situations that can tempt them to use the drug again. Contingency Management offers incentives to avoid a relapse by encouraging the addict in positive behavior. Family therapy is done to address all environmental factors that can trigger drug use.

Rehab for Cocaine Addiction

The Cocaine Addiction Treatment program works best as it removes an addict from their existing social and personal setting and puts them into a treatment facility that offers round-the-day care for cocaine addiction. It restricts access to any drugs, eliminating stress from temptation and avoids the relapse. Cocaine addiction treatment options typically involve detox and therapy in an inpatient rehabilitation program.

These programs for cocaine treatment greatly increases a person’s chances of successful recovery as they are under surveillance and proper medical care round the clock. Psychological dependence on cocaine is a serious condition that is difficult to overcome and takes some time.

If you are considering cocaine abuse treatment, it is helpful to seek a substance abuse evaluation from an addiction professional like Cadabams to determine the right type of support. This determination is based on a number of factors including the present living environment, the severity of the addiction, and psychiatric and medical needs.

Why Cadabam’s?

Cadabams offers inpatient rehab for cocaine addiction, which is a safe environment for supervising cocaine detox and treating withdrawal symptoms. Its programs help a recovering user learn how to live a healthy and content life without relying on any type of drug or cocaine. Cadabams rehab program includes the following therapies which are proved to be a great help for cocaine addiction –

• Mental health counseling
• Equine therapy
• Art therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Support groups
• Relapse prevention education
• Aftercare planning

Furthermore, after-care programs are also available with easy access to peer group support that  one requires to say no to cocaine and stay sober. Cadabams rehabilitation center adopts a holistic approach to cocaine addiction treatment, providing access to various therapies, medications as well as psychological support, all at one place.

Cocaine Addiction FAQs

How quickly can someone get addicted to cocaine?

This depends on several factors, which includes the genes of the individual, their gender, age, environment, social interactions and many others. Some people can use cocaine once or several times without any consequences, while another may overdose on the drug right from the first use or become addicted to it within a few uses. Although it is hard to tell how quickly someone can get addicted to cocaine, it is more likely for individuals who have a family history of addiction and substance abuse.

How long does cocaine stay in the body?

Generally, cocaine can stay in the system for about 3 to 5 hours of taking the drug. However, it contains an active metabolite called benzoylecgonine, which can take around 1 to 2 days to leave the system entirely.

How can you tell if someone is addicted to cocaine and needs help?

One of the signs that indicates that someone is certainly addicted to cocaine is when they compulsively seek to use the drug while being aware of its negative consequences. They may not stop using it even after their family issues, debts, loss of job, or physical problems arising from the drug use.

While there are people who believe that they can stop using the drug at their will, most often they won’t be able to do that and will need professional help. If you know someone who has such problems with cocaine use, seek help immediately.

Disclaimer: We strive to treat our patients with dignity and utmost sensitivity. We understand that addiction is a medical disorder and not a sign of weakness. Terms like “drug addict” or “drug addiction” are used not in a derogatory way but to remain relevant to user search trends and common usage. It is important to note that addiction should be referred to as substance use disorder to better address the effects of this psychological condition, and words like “addict”, “junkie”, etc. should be avoided. In case you or your loved ones are struggling with substance abuse disorder and share a unique viewpoint on how we can improve this content for our readers, please reach out to us at info@cadabamshospitals.com.