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Cocaine Addiction Treatment

7 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team

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With more than 2.2 million individuals using cocaine in the United States and more than 1 million with a cocaine use disorder, this illicit drug seriously threatens public health. The use of cocaine, including the popular crack cocaine, has led to substantial morbidity in addition to progressively increasing healthcare utilization rates. The death toll due to cocaine overdose is on the rise, and, as surveys suggest, it has already doubled between 2011 and 2016 in certain ethnic groups. Even in the current era where opioid use is hurting more people than ever, cocaine continues to hold its ground as an equally dangerous drug. Hence, developing and implementing different cocaine abuse treatment programs are the need of the hour.

man reaching for different opioids and drugs

This article will highlight how to treat cocaine addiction while answering some of the most common queries related to coke rehab and treatment center.

There are multiple potentially dangerous side effects that may occur due to continuous cocaine abuse. The most serious risk this drug poses to the user’s health is heart damage. Cocaine can induce acute and long-term cardiovascular issues, including hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, ischemic heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. Intravenous use of this drug also links to inflammation and infection of the heart chambers and valves.

Other common symptoms of cocaine side effects that make seeking cocaine addiction rehabilitation necessary include:

Aortic rupture
Inflammation of the heart muscle
Chronic reductions in heart function, leading to a poor state of health and overall quality of life

What’s worse, cocaine-induced cardiac damage also increases the risk of brain damage and even stroke by interrupting the blood supply to the brain. The drug also hurts the kidney by inflaming the microstructures in them. Even if you are using it occasionally for recreation, you are putting yourself at risk of developing neurological changes that can continue to affect you for years to come. These neurological changes may manifest as deficits in attention, decision-making skills, and cognitive performance.

Other risks that may stem from unchecked cocaine use or abuse include acquiring bloodborne infections like hepatitis C or HIV. To keep yourself safe from these potential risks, seeking cocaine treatment for addiction is necessary while there’s still time.

Rehab

If you or someone you love suffers from cocaine addiction, it’s never too late to seek treatment. Multiple rehabs are working all across the United States that offer various cocaine treatment options at the following levels of care:

Medical Detox

For most cocaine addicts, detox is the first vital step toward long-term sobriety. Most rehabs offer medically-supervised detoxification services that take place either in clinics, hospitals, inpatient clinics, or outpatient campuses. The purpose of a detox is to throw out any leftover cocaine residues from the body so clients can finally begin recovery. Withdrawals often occur during detoxification processes with various uncomfortable symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, delayed thinking, increased appetite, and unpleasant dreams.

Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is yet to develop any medication that specifically manages the withdrawal symptoms related to cocaine. Also, because cocaine does not lead to intense discomfort or put a person in medical danger during detox, there is usually no need to prescribe any medicine to make withdrawal easier.

Residential Treatment

Inpatient cocaine addiction treatment centers allow clients to enjoy the security and stability of rehab while being under 24/7 surveillance by the medical staff. The programs involve various combinations of behavioral therapies discussed in the following sections of the article.

Partial Hospitalization

As a part of partial hospitalization programs, clients enjoy more freedom than they can in residential care. Such programs suit those who are highly motivated to recover and have already completed residential cocaine addiction treatment.

Intensive Outpatient Programs

Intensive outpatient programs of IOPs help cocaine addicts visit the treatment facility during the day while returning home at night. IOP works best for clients with mild cocaine addiction that does not require round-the-clock monitoring.

Transitional Living Programs

Transitional living homes or sober houses cater to cocaine addicts who have completed inpatient or outpatient programs. These houses provide them with a sober environment where they practice implementing the skills they learned in previous programs under expert supervision.

Despite the ongoing research on the potential pharmaceutical treatments for cocaine addiction, no FDA-approved medications are available so far for its detox or long-term management. So far, the primary treatment for cocaine addiction is delivered through behavioral therapies.

As per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the following rehabilitation therapies can significantly help in the management of cocaine abuse:

Motivational Interviewing

As the first step in cocaine abuse treatment, motivational interviewing assists patients in recognizing how their addictions are straining their relationships and destroying their goals. This therapy aims to help them overcome apathy and develop enough motivation to seek recovery.

Contingency Management

Stimulants like cocaine are highly addictive, especially since they can hijack the reward circuits in the brain. To reverse these effects, contingency management therapy can help repair these faulty patterns through positive, rewarding behaviors. As a part of this therapy, clients may receive rewards for taking the prescribed medication, attending a meeting, or successfully passing a random drug test.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

With CBT, patients learn how to avoid obstacles that may jeopardize their sobriety and trigger unhealthy thought patterns. This type of therapy is also important for patients who are battling other mental health issues alongside cocaine addiction.

Community Reinforcement

This method focuses on the positive behaviors identified through contingency management and uses them to build a support network around the patient. Community reinforcement includes job skills training, relationship counseling, recreational activities, and many other components.

FAQs

Is cocaine addictive?

Yes, as a serotonin/dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibiter, cocaine helps release these feel-good chemicals inside the brain. With constantly high levels of these neurotransmitters, the brain receptors become desensitized to them, leading to changes in its reward circuit. The reward circuit gradually adapts to the presence of extra dopamine thanks to the persistent cocaine use and slowly becomes less sensitive to it. Due to this reduced sensitivity, people require higher or more frequent doses of cocaine to feel the same high as they did before, eventually leading to addiction.

What are the most common signs of cocaine addiction?

The following are the most common signs of cocaine addiction:

Frequent cravings or urges to use cocaine, along with a failure to resist them
Failure to complete major tasks at home, school, and work due to excessive use of cocaine
Continued cocaine use despite knowing the side effects and complications it causes
A constant need to keep increasing the dose of cocaine to feel the same high
Developing uncomfortable symptoms as soon as you stop taking cocaine

Why do people develop cocaine addiction?

The following are the risk factors leading to cocaine addiction:
The genetic makeup of a person
Environmental triggers, like traumatic events or chronic stress
Early exposure to drugs or alcohol, for example, by living with an alcoholic parent

HOW THE BALANCE CAN HELP WITH Cocaine

The Balance RehabClinic is a leading provider of luxury addiction and mental health treatment for affluent individuals and their families, offering a blend of innovative science and holistic methods with unparalleled individualised care.