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Cocaine Addiction & Treatment

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive substance extracted from coca leaves. Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a very high potential for abuse and addiction. The powdered (hydrochloride salt) form of the drug is what is normally referred to as “cocaine,” as opposed to the other form of cocaine known as “crack.” Powder Cocaine is typically snorted nasally in “lines” or dissolved in water and injected. The high from cocaine does not last long, so many users go on binges, repeatedly using the drug for days at a time pursuing the pleasurable feelings. Some of the widely used street names of cocaine are:

› Blow
› Free-base
› Coke
› Snow
› Zip
› Beam
› Yea
› Angie

How Cocaine Affects the Body

Cocaine causes an intense euphoric high quickly due to the route of administration (snorting nasally or injecting directly into the bloodstream). Once the drug reaches the brain (within seconds), dopamine is released which causes a great sense of pleasure. Since it is a stimulant, cocaine is commonly known as a party drug. The high from cocaine does not last long; so many users and addicts go on binges for days at a time pursuing the initial pleasurable feelings.

Cocaine has devastating effects on the body and can lead to overdose, death, and heart damage. Many cocaine-related deaths are caused by side effects such as cardiac arrest–cocaine constricts blood vessels and it increases heart rate and blood pressure. If routinely snorted, cocaine can lead to deterioration and damage of the nasal septum and chronic running or bloody noses. If the drug is injected, the user increases his or her risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases. Hepatitis can even be contracted by using the same device to snort cocaine as an infected user. Adverse psychological symptoms can also occur, regardless of how frequently cocaine is used, including full-blown paranoid psychosis and auditory hallucinations.

Cocaine Withdrawal, Detox, Treatment, and Rehabilitation

Regular use of cocaine can lead to strong psychological dependence (addiction). Those who abruptly stop their cocaine use can experience cocaine withdrawal symptoms as they readjust to functioning without the drug including intense depression and physical discomfort. The length of cocaine withdrawal varies from person to person, and on the amount and frequency of use.

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:

› Agitation
› Depression
› Intense craving for the drug
› Extreme fatigue
› Anxiety
› Angry outbursts
› Lack of motivation
› Nausea/vomiting
› Shaking
› Irritability
› Muscle pain
› Disturbed sleep

Residential rehabilitation which includes cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective method to support the addict in changing his or her pattern of living with this exhaustive addiction.