Cocaine is a stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant. It is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance and it is also known as “coke,” “blow,” “snow,” and “flake” among other nicknames. It is a central nervous system stimulant, topical anesthetic, and appetite suppressant. Cocaine can be modified chemically into a freebase from for smoking called “crack cocaine.” The drug affects the mesolimbic reward pathway and as a result it is highly addictive. Cocaine is both physically and psychologically addictive. Cocaine produces euphoria, mental alertness, and hyperactivity in its users. Cocaine is the currently most abused stimulant in the United States, and the drug is abused recreationally all throughout the world.
Because of the prevalence of cocaine addiction, there are several advanced treatment options available for cases of cocaine addiction. Each individual case of cocaine addiction is treated separately, and many cases can be treated at cocaine rehab centers. Cocaine rehabilitation typically involves several different treatments including individual and group counseling, detoxification, monitoring to avoid relapses and abuse of other drugs, treatment of related mental disorders, and continual outpatient monitoring and treatment of patients after their initial cocaine rehabilitation is completed. Cocaine rehabilitation centers offer a cocaine addict one of the best chances that they have for a complete recovery, and many cocaine drug rehab centers are very experienced and successful at treating cases of cocaine addiction.
Cocaine Addiction Symptoms
The effects of cocaine vary between different individuals. A cocaine addict will have a higher tolerance to the drug and will require substantial amounts of the drug to achieve an effect. A person with lower tolerance to cocaine will not require very much of the drug for side effects to occur. Cocaine addiction is a potentially fatal addiction that requires a fast response and intervention by friends and family on the behalf to the addict.
Spotting cocaine addiction is important so that a cocaine addict may receive prompt treatment. A cocaine addict will typically demonstrate the symptoms and side effects of being on the drug at various points throughout the day. They may also demonstrate isolation, changes in sleeping patterns, and increased paranoia. Typically their school and work performance deteriorates. They may steal from friends or family members to support their drug habit. A cocaine addict will require regular use of the drug throughout the day otherwise he or she will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, and anxiety.
Cocaine has several physical and psychological short term and long term effects. Psychological effects include euphoria, hyperactivity, amplified senses, decreased fatigue, aggressive behavior, mental confusion, restlessness, and auditory hallucinations. The physical effects of cocaine are numerous and include hypertension, increased heart rate, increased muscle tension, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, decreased appetite, bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils, perspiration, chills, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, and organ damage. Cocaine use has been linked to stroke, coma, seizures, and death.
Cocaine Withdrawal
Cocaine withdrawal is not easy for a cocaine addict because of the psychological and physical withdrawal effects of the drug. The drug has moderate to several withdrawal symptoms that vary between each cocaine addict and level of addiction. Withdrawal symptoms include depression, dysphoria, agitation, restlessness, intense cravings for cocaine, increased appetite, insomnia, unpleasant dreams, and fatigue. The depression and craving for cocaine can last for several months, and the cravings for the drug can be very powerful. One of greatest dangers during cocaine withdrawal is the potential for relapse. Death may occur if a cocaine addict relapses and overdoses.
Treatment for cocaine withdrawal is possible at cocaine rehab centers. Cocaine rehab centers specialize in the treatment of cocaine addiction. They can monitor and treat a cocaine addict’s physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms with medications and psychotherapy. If a cocaine addict attempts to withdraw from the drug on his or her own, there often will be a relapse. In many cases, other drugs like Valium, alcohol, sedatives, and hypnotics are abused by a cocaine addict, and the addict may require withdrawal from those drugs as well. At least half of all cocaine addiction cases have related mental disorders, particularly attention deficit disorder and depression. When these disorders are treated along with the addiction, a cocaine addict has a much greater chance of avoiding relapse.
Cocaine Detox
Due to the potentially severe symptoms of cocaine addiction withdrawal, cocaine rehab centers offer the best location for a cocaine addict to detoxify from the drug. Cocaine rehab centers offer a number of programs and treatment options for cases of cocaine addiction. They provide continual monitoring, food, medicine, counseling, and other conveniences for the cocaine addict to feel safe and secure as he or she undergoes detoxification and experiences withdrawal effects. Detoxification from cocaine addiction may require up to two weeks for physical addiction symptoms to resolve, and afterward it may take several more weeks for cravings and psychological symptoms to resolve.
A cocaine addict is in danger of relapsing during the detoxification process, and thus continual monitoring is for the patient’s benefit to avoid this. Detoxification without the help of cocaine rehab centers often results in relapse due to availability of the drug and a lack of supportive medications and counseling. Patients can receive psychiatric medications at cocaine rehab centers to help treat the anxiety, depression, and other symptoms that commonly cause a cocaine addict to relapse.
A complete detoxification program will include a preliminary individual evaluation, continual counseling and group therapy, and medical support of the patient throughout the process. Patients that experience severe psychological or physical symptoms during cocaine detoxification are treated quickly and in the best way possible at cocaine rehab centers.
Cocaine Rehab Centers
Cocaine rehab centers are a capable of treating and completely rehabilitating a cocaine addict. Recovering from cocaine addiction requires long term care, and cocaine rehab centers can provide this level of specialized care. They provide a cocaine addict with several different levels and types of treatment of the psychological and physical symptoms and effects of cocaine addiction.
Some of the most commonly used treatments that cocaine rehab centers implement for treatment of psychological symptoms include cognitive-behavioral therapy which helps patients recognize and avoid the situations in which they are most likely to abuse cocaine, multidimensional family therapy which may be used to treat adolescent cocaine addiction cases, and psychological counseling and group therapy which is used throughout the rehabilitation process.
Most of the physical symptoms of cocaine addiction typically occur during the detoxification process, and these physical symptoms may be treated with medications and supportive counseling as symptoms arise. Cocaine addiction cases may be treated with long term residential treatment programs at cocaine rehab centers. These programs may involve a 6 to 12 month stay at the center. Some of these programs are highly successful at treating and rehabilitating cases of cocaine addiction and other drug additions. In other cases, outpatient treatment may be used by cocaine rehab centers to treat a cocaine addict when it is preferable and necessary.
