Cocaine Addiction

Rehab-Finder.Org: Your First Step on the Road to Recovery

How is cocaine addiction affecting your life? Do you find that you’re spending more time looking for that next high? Are you experiencing an artificial boost in confidence that allows you to feel like you have superpowers? You might feel elated for a moment, but as the drug wears off, you sink lower than before.

What about your daily duties? You might find that work or school, even your obligations to your family, are not as important or too challenging to complete. Is this where you want to be, what you want to do?

Let us help you!

Understanding Cocaine’s Power

Any addict will tell you, cocaine is a disruptive force in their lives. You don’t have to continue down that path, because we’re here to help you. First, let’s discuss how cocaine stimulates your mind and body and why it’s so important to seek treatment if you’re addicted.

When you first started cocaine, you might have been told you’ll be the life of the party and you could keep going all night long. It’s a common trick dealers use to snare you into their nets and keep you as a repeat customer.

These are not your friends.

They don’t care about you.

They only want your money.

They get richer while your life spins helplessly under the power of the drugs they push on you.

Before you know it, you’re at their mercies. Your money is spent and your life is controlled by cocaine.

Isn’t it time you regained control of your life and stopped these thieves from ruining your future?

Cocaine and Crack Cocaine: Different Forms, Same Deadly Addictions

Cocaine comes in two forms: powder and crack cocaine. They are made differently and have different costs. Both are wildly addicting.

Cocaine is the powder form. It’s a fine white powder derived from the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca plant which is found in South America. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, it comes into this country in the powder form. From there, it is sometimes processed into crack when it’s dissolved in a mixture of water and ammonia or baking soda.

The powder form of cocaine is snorted through the nose. Within 20 minutes of ingesting, this form of the drug reaches the brain and produces a short-lived feeling of euphoria, mental alertness, and boundless energy.

Crack cocaine (also known as base cocaine) comes in a crystal form that is smoked. It has the same effects as cocaine, but takes only 20 seconds to reach the brain.

Cocaine is considerably more expensive than crack cocaine. Both however have the ability to turn lives upset down and even kill people. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse concludes that 5400 people died from cocaine overdoses in 2014 alone, with hundreds of thousands more sent to rehab.

What Does Cocaine Addiction and Abuse Look Like?

Perhaps you thought you’d try cocaine just for the fun of it. After all, everyone else was doing it and it looked like fun. You felt more confident and beautiful when you were at parties and bars, like you always wanted to feel. But then, you need to feel that way again, this time for a presentation at work or to get through the day. Soon, it took more cocaine to experience that euphoric feeling that gave you the energy you needed. The money you once had is now dwindling as you pay for your habit. Where do you go now?

Addiction is a disease. Once you get hooked, it’s like a never-ending downward spiral. It’s medically known that people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol lose control. Cocaine is a particularly powerful drug that is hard to beat.

Don’t go deeper into this hole. Let us help today.

Could You Be Abusing Cocaine?

Cocaine has a vice-like grip on your brain as it ravages brain cells to give you that high. It targets your “pleasure center,” i.e. your brain’s dopamine. With continued abuse, it no longer becomes a matter of using cocaine to feel good. You need it to avoid sinking into a terrible low.

Do these symptoms sound familiar?

• Appearance: People using cocaine have dilated pupils, loss of smell, stuffed or runny noses or nosebleeds from snorting, track marks (injections) or burned lips and fingers (smoking).
• Heart: Cocaine makes your heart race fast while it constricts your blood vessels, racing your blood pressure. You could suffer from an enlarged heart, have heart attack, stroke, or go into cardiac arrest.
• Digestive Problems: With cocaine, your appetite will decrease. You could suffer from bowel gangrene. You could have problems swallowing.
• Other Health Risks: Increased headaches are common. Severe allergic reactions are possible and potentially lethal. Also, because your judgment is decreased, you might engage in risky sexual behavior, increasing your chances of contracting HIV or Hepatitis C.
• Mental State: While using cocaine, you might feel euphoria, overconfidence, excitement, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. You might feel more mentally alert, but your decision-making ability is diminished. After long-term use, you may also become depressed, need to sleep, feel exhausted, and have intense cravings. You might become irritable, anxious, and restless.

Overdoses can be lethal. Here are some of the key symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Cold sweats
• Strokes or convulsions
• Heart attack or cardiac arrest
• Severe, full-blown paranoia (temporary)

Facing Addiction Takes Courage. We’re Here to Help.

Addictions are illnesses. Society often forgets that people who are fighting to recover from drug abuse deserve treatment that retains their dignity and respect. You don’t need to feel guilty or ashamed for seeking help. A good rehabilitation program can help you maintain a positive frame of mind which will enhance your recovery.

When a Family Member or Friend Is Addicted, You Need Support

Cocaine abuse can rip apart families or kill friendships. It’s heartbreaking to watch someone you love go down this path and it can be all-consuming for you as well. If you’re trying to cope with a loved one’s addiction, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Familiarize yourself with what this addiction entails
• Avoid being accusatory or judgmental
• Be careful not to enable
• Know what the triggers are and eliminate them best as possible
• Keep the person’s environment drug-free
• Encourage and provide time for the person to attend support meetings
• Practice tough love and let him or her face any consequences from addiction
• Establish agreed-upon boundaries
• Learn all that you can about recovery
• Let him or her know that they are valued and loved

What to Expect When You Withdraw from Cocaine

We’re not going to sugarcoat this. Detoxification is a challenging process and perhaps frightening at times. This is why we’re committed to help you find the right environment and professionals to help you undergo detox in a safe and comforting environment. There are some common withdrawal symptoms that many cocaine addicts experience during the first phase of their recovery. You might expect to have:

• Intense Cravings: It is common as your brain’s dopamine (“pleasure center”) is being reset that you might crave cocaine even more than before. This is normal as your body wants what made you previously feel so good. Your goal will be to replace that feeling with something else that you find satisfying, like reading or exercise and physical activities (which release endorphins).
• Stronger Appetite: You might find that as your appetite is no longer suppressed by stimulants, you’re once again hungry.
• Feeling Tired: Cocaine puts your body through a lot. When you’re on it, you’re energized and sleeping less. Now you need rest.
• Trouble Sleeping: As you go through withdrawal, you may experience vivid nightmares that challenge your sleep and cause insomnia.
• Depression and Other Mood Impacts: Your body’s detoxification process means eliminating the drugs that once gave you that euphoric feeling. Remember, these pleasure centers of your brain were damaged and need to recover. This takes time and it’s not uncommon to be depressed, anxious or irritable. As your brain resets, you’ll find these feelings will subside.

What to Expect From Cocaine Treatment and Rehabilitation

Transitioning from a cocaine-fueled lifestyle to clean living will take work. You’ll find yourself torn between wanting to return to that life and rediscovering yourself. It won’t be easy as you face some uncomfortable truths or areas in which to improve. But remember, rehabilitation is not about what you’ve lost, but what you’ll regain as you heal. Most especially, it’s about being happy and drug-free.

You should be proud of yourself that you’re ready to move forward with your life, clean, sober, and ready to explore the opportunities you missed under the vice grip of cocaine.

Your treatment will center on in-patient care to get you through the worst of your withdrawal and help you avoid situations which might cause a relapse. Your program will include support from start of treatment through aftercare programs and outpatient care as you return to normal living.

There are no set number of days in which you’re expected to recover. Each person’s addiction is different as is his or her response to treatment. At minimum, a treatment plan should be at least three months or longer. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the biggest risk is a relapse if the person rushes through treatment too fast. People who are only treated for withdrawal tend to resume using cocaine again. The best treatment not only deals with detoxification, but also strategies such as cognitive behavior therapy to help prevent relapses. Bottom line: it takes time to recover, but the end result is worth it.

If you’re ready to learn more about how rehab for cocaine addiction works and the centers we work with to help get you on the path to wellness, please contact us. Our experts are ready to help you take this next crucial step on kicking your cocaine habit.

The Rehab Experience, Step by Step

• Your Arrival: When you first arrive at the rehabilitation center that’s right for you, you’ll be evaluated by the medical team who will be guiding your treatment. They’ll learn about you and discuss the program they have planned to help you recover.
• The Detox Experience: As your body withdraws from cocaine, your team will monitor you closely in your room and provide any support you need. This process can range from a day to a week or longer. Remember, each person’s experience will be different.
• Rehabilitation for Success: Once your system has eliminated the toxins that once controlled you, it’s time to start on the road to recovery. Your individualized program can contain any number of elements, including group sessions, meetings, and resources to help you stay drug-free.
• Re-Entering the World: After your in-patient treatment is complete, your program continues with aftercare programs designed to help you re-adjust to your new, sober life. The support you need is there to help you stay drug-free and enjoy living once more.

What Is the Cost of Treatment?

One of the many services Rehab-Finder.Org provides is assistance with finding both the right treatment plan for your addiction, but also your wallet. We take the guesswork out by helping to facilitate between your insurance provider and the treatment center. With rehabilitation facilities across the U.S., there is one that’s right for you. We’ll even help you secure transportation if needed to seek treatment in a different city or state if this is the best option for you.

Find the right treatment center for you

We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help you. Our services are free of charge. We just want to see you get well.

You Can Do This. We’re Here to Help You.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already accepted that it’s time to make a change and kick your cocaine addiction. We’re happy for you that you’re ready to take this step. It might be the most difficult experience you’ve ever endured, but the end result of stopping cocaine abuse is far better than the alternative. You should be proud of yourself that you’re ready to move forward with your life, clean, sober, and ready to explore the opportunities you missed under the vice grip of cocaine.

Don’t let this thief steal any more of your precious money or your entire life. You’re doing the right thing by taking back control. We’re so happy to help you take that first step right now. You deserve to enjoy life again.

Please pick up the phone and let us help you beat cocaine! Call us today at 877-251-4813.