Cocaine Addiction

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Overview

Cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. It is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. It also is a strong central nervous system stimulant that increases levels of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with pleasure and movement and is known to interfere with normal functions.

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Statistically, cocaine addiction recovery is anywhere from 3% to as high as 76% depending on the cocaine addiction treatment chosen. Our exclusive, private amenities offer the discerning client an opportunity to gain control in their lives while learning to enjoy the freedom of cocaine. Those addicted to cocaine or crack can find help with behavioral treatments including both residential and our aftercare outpatient approach. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combined with Motivational Therapy (MT) have proven to be effective in treating these types of addictions.

Cocaine

Cocaine use began to rise in the 1960s, prompting Congress, in 1970, to classify it as a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it was potentially susceptible to abuse and could produce dependency. Cocaine use declined significantly during the early 1990s, but it remains a significant problem and is on the increase in certain geographic areas and among certain age groups. Nearly one percent of Americans are currently using cocaine.

Physical Effects

The effects of cocaine generally last about two hours. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash" that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue. Once having tried cocaine, users cannot predict or control the extent to which they will continue to use the drug. The long-term effects of using cocaine can include extreme agitation, violent mood swings and depression. Cocaine abusers can suffer a temporary state of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which they lose touch with reality and experience auditory hallucinations. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest. Some serious short and long term health risks associated with Cocaine are:

Cocaine also makes the heartbeat and breathing faster, and raises blood pressure and body temperature.
Cocaine causes the blood vessels to thicken and constrict, reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart. Cocaine raises blood pressure, which can explode weakened blood vessels in the brain.
Cocaine use in pregnancy may increase risk of miscarriage and premature delivery.
Cocaine use while breastfeeding transmits cocaine to the nursing child.

Addiction is characterized by binges (usually of 4 to 24 hours, one to seven times per week), movement to intravenous use or smoking, extreme euphoria, and disregard for anything other than the drug. Researchers are looking for medications that help alleviate the severe craving experienced by people in treatment for cocaine addiction, as well as medications to counteract other triggers of relapse, such as stress. But like all forms of drug abuse, cocaine abuse/addiction is a multifaceted phenomenon involving environmental, social, and familial as well as physiological factors. Addiction does not need to be permanent; complete rehabilitation is possible and has been achieved by many.