Because chronic use results in powerful psychological and physical addiction, alterations to brain chemistry and potentially permanent bodily damage, cocaine has long since been considered one of the most addictive stimulants in existence. Just in 2007 alone, national estimates suggested that 1.6 million individuals across the country suffered from cocaine addiction – often with debilitating or even fatal results. In fact, it’s estimated that one-third of all drug-related emergency room visits involve the use of cocaine.
Efficacy of Cocaine Addiction Treatment Help
Despite the addictive nature of cocaine, recovery from addiction is attainable with professional cocaine rehabilitation services. For many cocaine users, the duration of use and need for medically supervision during the cocaine detox and addiction treatment process necessitate inpatient care in order to achieve long-term sobriety.
What Causes Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain – particularly in a region of the brain known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Cocaine blocks the removal of the dopamine that is used to stimulate the synapses and act as a reward system within the brain. This causes the dopamine to constantly rebind to the synapses and continually reward the brain. As a result, the user feels the euphoric high associated with cocaine when the drug is present in the system, triggering the beginnings of a physical and psychological addiction to the cocaine.
In order to maintain the ability to achieve a cocaine high, it becomes necessary to increase the dosage of the cocaine over time as tolerance develops. This phenomenon is exacerbated as the presence of dopamine becomes expected by the brain, causing natural production levels of the neurotransmitter – associated with comfort and pleasure – to shift downward. As a result, the user only feels a sense of normalcy while cocaine is present in the body. In the period in between uses, or during attempts at cessation, the user feels a chemical imbalance brought on by chronic cocaine usage, triggering the association with the drug and causing the user to crave cocaine again.
Signs of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction often occurs amid hallmark physical signs of use. Over time, the physical signs of a person experiencing a cocaine high can include blood shot eyes accompanied by dilated pupils, hypertension (high blood pressure) and core temperatures that exceed normal levels. Additionally, cocaine addiction is often marked by a lack of appetite and insomnia. Many cocaine users experience nasal congestion, bloody noses or nasal wheezing (colloquially termed “coke nose”) due to the breakdown of tissues in the nose from insufflations (snorting) of the drug. Cocaine users may also experience rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) or irregular and skipped heartbeats (arrhythmia) as the drug begins to act on the Central Nervous System (CNS).
Psychological harm can also result from chronic cocaine use. Signs of chronic cocaine use may include high bursts of energy and focus, particularly during the peak of a cocaine high. Cocaine users may also experience negative emotions while cocaine is active in the body as well, including sensations of irritability, aggression and restlessness. Many individuals also exhibit disproportionately high levels of confidence while under the influence of cocaine – even including delusions of grandeur.
Withdrawal Symptoms and the Need for Cocaine Detox
Due to the briefness and intensity of a cocaine high, cocaine warning signs of withdrawal symptoms may set in with extreme rapidity. In fact, many users experience withdrawal from cocaine within an hour of the last dose of the drug. This phenomenon, also known as a cocaine “crash,” actually marks the onset of withdrawal as deficiencies of important neurotransmitters – particularly dopamine – begin to be felt and experienced by the brain and body. As a result, cocaine users often experience feelings of anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, malaise, an increased appetite, and even paranoia. In fact, once the cocaine high has worn off, users tend to exhibit deep depression and fatigue until reuse occurs.
Beyond these dynamics, a craving for more cocaine is the strongest and most marked symptom that persists throughout withdrawal – often long into the detoxification process itself. Because of the long-term chemical alterations that cocaine causes in the brain, psychological cravings can outlast the physical aspect of withdrawal by far. Until the brain has experienced enough of the chemical imbalance triggered by chronic cocaine use to resume natural production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, cravings and withdrawal symptoms may persist. In many cases, psychological counseling, medical supervision and occasionally, psychiatric medications may be necessary in order to safely and comfortably guide cocaine addicted individuals successfully through the withdrawal phase of recovery.
Dangers of Detoxing from Cocaine Alone
The intense psychological withdrawal symptoms associated with cocaine cessation can result in depression, anxiety or even psychosis in chronic cocaine users. Psychological counseling can be critical for users in danger of mental breakdown, depression, anxiety or suicide. Also, many cocaine users relapse into use – or turn to other drugs (most commonly alcohol or marijuana) – in attempts to self-manage psychological withdrawal symptoms, giving rise to ancillary addictions.
Dual Diagnosis and Cocaine Addiction
In addition, as with many addictive drugs, many users begin using cocaine in the first place to medicate undiagnosed mental illnesses or other emotional issues such as unresolved trauma. The stress of quitting cocaine may give unidentified or suppressed psychological symptoms an opening to reappear at full strength. A medically supervised detox program can help treat the underlying problems with talk therapy or pharmaceuticals such as antidepressants or anti-psychotics. This is normally called a dual diagnosis rehab issue.
Cocaine Detox and Treatment for Cocaine Withdrawal
As of yet, there is no pharmaceutical remedy for cocaine withdrawal, despite experimental use in controlled studies. However, there are several therapeutic strategies intended to help users through the throes of cocaine withdrawal, such as community reinforcement therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and individual counseling (also referred to as traditional “talk therapy” or “cognitive therapy”). Good nutrition, proper vitamin intake and moderate exercise are essential for a user undergoing cocaine detox as well, in order to facilitate a return to full health. Additionally, vital signs may need to be monitored in order to ensure against complications during the cocaine withdrawal process. All these factors for successful recovery can be provided by a fully supervised cocaine detoxification program.
