Cocaine / Crack Addiction
Cocaine and crack induce a powerful state of happiness and euphoria by inhibiting the body’s reabsorption of dopamine, the hormone which controls feelings of pleasure and anticipation. Since your body cannot reabsorb dopamine while on cocaine, you remain in this highly pleasurable state as long as you use the drug. While prescribed for medical reasons as a legitimate pain-killer, these same effects make cocaine and its relative, crack, drugs that many will seek out and abuse as a recreational drug, despite its illegality and serious health risks.
Symptoms of Crack and Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine and crack can lead to a wide variety of health issues affecting every aspect of your natural body function.
Symptoms of cocaine and crack abuse include:
- dilating pupils
- nausea
- elevated body temperature
- high blood pressure
- cardiovascular problems
- tremors
- issues with coordination
- restlessness
- racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
Long-term Effects of Cocaine Abuse
Long-term effects of cocaine and crack abuse vary by length of use and quantities used, but all symptoms can be serious or life-threatening. These symptoms include:
If taken long-term:
- decrease in appetite
- malnourishment
- irritability
- restlessness
- paranoia
- hallucinations
- coordination impairment
- increased risk of Parkinson
If snorted:
- impaired sense of smell
- nosebleeds
- chronic runny nose
- issues swallowing
If taken orally:
- bowel decay due to impaired blood-flow
If injected:
- increased risk of blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV
Symptoms of Withdrawal from Cocaine and Crack
Cocaine and crack produce an energetic high, and when you stop taking the drug, you will experience the opposite effect which can be both painful and dangerous.
Symptoms of withdrawal include:
- depression
- fatigue
- troubled sleep
- insomnia
- inability to concentrate
Cocaine and Crack Users Need a Medically-supervised Detox
Cocaine is unique among drugs in that you will not necessarily experience intense physical symptoms during withdrawal; however, you will experience severe, uncomfortable and frequently dangerous psychological symptoms which will require you to undergo a medically-supervised detox to protect your safety and well-being. These feelings — such as irritability, restlessness, lethargy, numbness and depression — can often be unbearable and lead you to self-harm or relapse. Relapse poses special dangers, as you are more likely to experience an overdose during a relapse than at any other time and that could lead to accidental death.
Doctors, nurses and behavior specialists will monitor you on a 24×7 basis to ensure your physical safety and to assist with medications that can help make your detox bearable and allow you to complete it. Completing your detox will not only stop the negative impact that drugs have on your system but also enhance the quality of your follow-up treatments, such as addiction therapy. A successful detox is one of the key indicators of long-term sobriety after treatment.
An Integrated Approach to Cocaine and Crack Treatment Gives You a Better Quality Recovery
If you have an abuse or addiction problem, your drug of choice will inevitably affect all aspects of your life, so to have a successful recovery, you can’t simply treat addiction as a medical problem. You have to treat it holistically. This means that you treat all aspects of your use, and for some, that means addressing old wounds, habitual behaviors and recent traumas all which may have contributed to your addiction.
The Serenity Recovery Center embraces this holistic approach, and you will experience this qualitative difference in all of the recovery options we offer, from a medically-supervised detox to individual and group therapy as well as alternative treatments and the interactions you will have with our counselors throughout your stay. Each stage is designed to emphasize compassion and understanding, qualities which you will rely on during your stay and which you will apply to yourself after treatment while you manage your sobriety.
The Serenity Recovery Center has helped thousands of addicts achieve a quality and lasting recovery through this approach, and we want to help you win your battle with addiction too. Now that you have taken the hardest step let The Serenity Recovery help you the rest of the way. You can have a life free from drugs, and The Serenity Recovery Center can help you achieve that goal.