Is cocaine addiction a challenge you face? Or do you love or care about someone who struggles and needs cocaine addiction treatment?
First, congratulations on taking some initiative to seek information from online resources.
Knowing that you have a problem to overcome is a milestone in and of itself!
You know, deep down inside, that it is time to move out of the shadows of denial and beat your addiction.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), cocaine is a potent and highly addictive stimulant.
Cocaine comes from the leaves of the South American-grown coca plant.
Dealers sell this drug in a white, delicate, powdery format. Its fast and powerful high makes it a popular drug for recreational use.
A few commonly known street names for cocaine are the following:
While some cocaine users do use the drug only occasionally or socially, others find themselves hooked on the high before they know it.
Many cocaine users snort it though the nasal passages or inject it into their veins—both provide a quick high. Once dealers “cook” the drug into crack, users might also choose to smoke it.
So the answer to the question of what is cocaine addiction is two-fold. Some users have physical dependency while others struggle with psychological cocaine addiction.
Physical cocaine addiction occurs when a user becomes dependent on the drug to function in day-to-day life. Here are some of the impacts of physical cocaine addiction:
What might be more challenging to conquer than physical cocaine dependency, however, is the mental or psychological addiction to this drug—a powerful need to feel the rush of getting high on cocaine.
Here is an overview of some of the psychological implications of cocaine addiction:
Whether you struggle with psychological or physical cocaine addiction or both, you are doing the right thing to find help.
Because cocaine is so potent in its chemical makeup, some users become addicted in just one use.
Once the drug activates the “reward center” of the brain, it becomes increasingly challenging to quit with every use. That is because of how cocaine impacts your brain.
When you use cocaine, it tells your nervous system to release dopamine, a “feel-good” chemical that helps your brain perceive feelings like pleasure or satisfaction.
This release of dopamine is the reason you feel an intense rush after using cocaine. Unfortunately, with repeated use, your body develops increasing levels of drug tolerance.
That means you need to use it more frequently and perhaps also in greater amounts to feel that same high. This cycle of reward-seeking is the cause of your dependency on cocaine.
This ever-increasing addiction also raises the level of danger towards cocaine overdose and possible death.
Some who struggle with cocaine addiction might perceive crack as a “cooked down” or less lethal form of cocaine.
However, that misconception can be a fatal mistake. Cocaine is, indeed, a purer form of the drug. But that does not mean that crack is less addictive or safer to use.
Indeed, dealers know that they make the drug more profitable by converting it into crack. To make crack, dealers take the powdered cocaine, boil it in water, and add baking soda to cook it into the rock that they sell on the street.
That might not sound so dangerous. Here is where it gets tricky. To stretch the powdered cocaine, dealers will “cut” the cocaine with other powdered products such as baby powder, laundry detergent, household cleansing powders (which often contain bleach), or powdered drain cleansers.
Some of these additives are not water-soluble, Therefore, a dangerous scenario plays out when someone smokes the crack. The smoke vapors inhale into the lungs and then move into the person’s bloodstream.
Once in the circulatory system, these powders and cleansers can form clumps that cause blockages in the person’s arteries, liver, brain, or heart. Both cocaine addiction and crack addiction are life-threatening.
Another urban legend about cocaine addiction involves the thought that using cocaine in conjunction with alcohol.
Some incorrectly say that drinking alcohol can make a high last longer and can help ease the pangs of cocaine withdrawal after you use it. This combination increase the odds of a cocaine overdose.
Additionally, the mixture of the two can be deadly for the following two other reasons.
First, combining cocaine and alcohol changes how your body processes dopamine. That increases the stimulant effect. As a result, those people might experience wild mood swings and decreased judgment.
Second, mixing cocaine and alcohol boosts increases the toxicity of the heart and liver. Sudden shutdown of the liver or an unexpected heart attack can occur without prior warning signs.
You know you need help and started uncovering all the facts about seeking out cocaine addiction treatment.
The adage tells you the truth: There genuinely is no time like the present. However, you must get cocaine addiction treatment from experts who receive special training to treat alcohol and drug abuse disorders.
The medical doctors, therapists, and other staff of the Best Rehabs In Arizona offer the experience you deserve. We understand wholly that no two people walk through addiction and recovery the same.
Thus, we provide customized treatment programs to help you make the transition from addiction to medical detox to recovery as seamlessly as possible. We strive to make your experience as pleasant as it can be.
From using therapeutic interventions to soothe the symptoms of cocaine withdrawal to helping you learn how to cope with life without drugs to learning strategies to prevent relapse, we are there with you.
We are here to help you overcome your cocaine addiction! If you are ready to press your personal “reset” button and end your relationship with cocaine, here are your next steps to take:
In choosing Best Rehabs In Arizona, you are entrusting your wellness to professionals with over 25 years of experience in the addiction recovery field.
We are confident that we can help you!