Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine is one of the drugs with the highest use rates in the world, mainly due to the euphoric effect it has on addicts. It is very easy to fall into the cocaine trap. All it takes is one try for the body to ask you for more, after which you spiral into an addiction that will be almost impossible to escape.
Cocaine addiction is extremely dangerous, increasing the risk of health issues and death or engaging in risky or illegal behavior. Whether you are struggling with cocaine addiction or you have a loved one who needs a wake-up call, you should always reach out to professionals as soon as you become aware of the problem.
What Is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a drug that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca Lam. This is a type of coca plant that is commonly cultivated in South America. For a very long period, indigenous groups from the Andean region were in love with coca leaves. They would chew them in order to get the stimulating effect they could offer and decrease hunger.
A long time ago, in the 1900s, the purified form of the drug was often added as an ingredient in many tonics and elixirs, which doctors would use to treat different illnesses. They also used it for anesthesia. While it can be used in medicine nowadays, its use is more restricted due to the addictive potential it carries.
What Does Cocaine Do?
Cocaine is a stimulant, powdered drug that can easily make people addicted. The drug is known to make you feel energic and euphoric. Once you try cocaine, you will keep looking for its effects, which will make you consume the drug in larger quantities or more frequently.
For this reason, it is thought to be one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. When you start using it, giving up on the drug is almost impossible. You risk dealing with certain symptoms that might worsen over time or may end up causing permanent damage to your body.
The highly addictive drug is used in many ways. One of the most common forms is the powdered one. Sometimes, dealers dilute it with flour, cornstarch, baking soda, or other substances in other to earn more cash.
The drug may also be mixed with amphetamine or procaine. As for consumption, a lot of people like snorting it, others love rubbing it onto their gums, while others resort to dissolving it in water and then injecting it into their bodies with a needle.
The other type is known as crack, and it comes in rock form. This one is smoked, but it is just as addictive, and that is because it tends to have a quicker effect. However, the effect lasts for a shorter amount of time, leading to larger quantities being used to generate that feeling of pleasure.
Signs You Are Addicted
It is not difficult to notice that someone has started using cocaine, because they will show some clear signs. Their behavior will suddenly change, being out of the ordinary. After all, cocaine affects the brain and the body, making you feel alert and more euphoric than usual.
If you are addicted to cocaine, you may notice these aspects when it comes to your behavior:
- You are suddenly spending a lot of time thinking about when and how to get cocaine, and whether you will have enough money for it
- You cannot stop using the drug even if you try to do it, and you are craving the drug more and more
- All of a sudden, you are distancing yourself from your family, friends, and work, or they are leaving you
- You are well aware of the destructive impact cocaine has on your body, yet you cannot stop or do not want to stop
- If you try to decrease the amount of cocaine you are using or you try to stop using it, you are dealing with intense cravings, agitation, depression, and restlessness
Effects Of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine affects the mind and body, so using it will cause both short-term and long-term consequences. Here are some effects of cocaine addiction:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Paranoia
- Irritability
- Psychosis
- Impulsive behavior
- Being dishonest about your whereabouts and activities
- Lots of swearing
- Liver and kidney damage
- Cognitive impairment
- Getting into risky or illegal behavior (borrowing or stealing money)
- Boost of confidence
- Loss of appetite
- Dilated pupils
- Increased heartbeat
- Changes in concentration and focus
- Increased body temperature and blood pressure
- Mood swings
- Inability to make good decisions
- Sensitivity to touch, light, or sound
- Euphoric, alert state
No symptom of cocaine addiction should be ignored. Whether you are the one suffering from the addiction or someone close to you is, you should reach out to a professional who can help you.
Getting Treatment Through Therapy
Getting treatment for your addiction is necessary if you want it to stop. While there is a special medication that could help you during rehab, it might not be enough to stop the addiction. Treatment should also come in the form of therapy, so you can get help for the underlying psychological issues that may be the cause behind the substance abuse.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy will sometimes be used to help you address the reasons behind cocaine addiction. It will also help you find ways to cope with things in different, healthier ways.
Another method commonly used is contingency management, which is based on incentives for abstinence and other things, like improved social interactions.
How We Can Help
Real Deal wants to see you fully recovered and happy. For this reason, we offer different programs to help you recover from your cocaine addiction, such as detox, inpatient & outpatient treatment, and individual therapy. All these things could help you ditch your addiction, work for a better and more fulfilling life and prevent a relapse.
Seek help for your cocaine addiction right now! The sooner you reach out, the sooner you will be able to recover.