Understanding Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction remains one of the most common addictions today. This is because many people still use cocaine without realizing the dangerous effects it may have.
Cocaine is also still widely available, and its use remains highly prevalent. The good news is that there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help with cocaine addiction.
What Is Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine addiction is when one cannot stop using cocaine once they have started.
Cocaine addiction is often viewed as a “three-part illness.” It is the mental obsession with using the substance, the physical craving and dependence, and what is known as the “spiritual malady.” This is why one feels that they need to use a substance to try to “escape from themselves.”
How Common Is Cocaine Use?
Cocaine use is more common than many people may realize. It is used by countless people around the world every single day, many of whom will become addicted to the substance.
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) affects millions of people. According to the peer-reviewed journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, “Cocaine use disorder (CUD) – the compulsive use of cocaine despite its medical, psychological, and behavioral consequences – is a severe public health problem, affecting millions of people globally. In the United States (US) alone, approximately 2.2 million people use cocaine regularly (compared to 600,000 methamphetamine users), 1.5 million of whom meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for CUD.”
Why Do People Become Addicted to Cocaine?
Many people become addicted to cocaine because they simply don’t realize just how addictive the substance can be. This is because the addictive nature of cocaine is often minimized in popular culture.
People also become addicted to cocaine because they find themselves “chasing” the euphoria that often accompanies early cocaine use. However, that feeling becomes harder and harder to produce and thus requires more and more drug use. This ultimately leads to drug addiction.
Signs & Behaviors
What Are Common Signs of Cocaine Use?
Now, while the signs and symptoms of cocaine use and cocaine addiction are going to vary based on the individual, there are some universal signs that one can look out for.
The following are just a few of the common signs and symptoms often seen in cocaine users:
- Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems (like constipation)
- Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
- Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Experiencing trouble at work or school
- Not being able to stop using cocaine once started
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough
- Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and well-being
- Exhibiting excessive mood swings
- Engaging in risky behaviors
- Causing harm to oneself or others
- Having suicidal ideations
How Does Use Change Mood and Behavior?
It is very common for people struggling with cocaine abuse and cocaine addiction to exhibit drastic mood swings and engage in risky behaviors.
Your mood can be directly connected to what you put in your body. When that substance is cocaine, it can cause your mood to shift drastically from one extreme to the other. This can lead to both verbal and physical altercations.
Many people dealing with cocaine cravings find themselves engaging in behaviors they otherwise would never do. This includes risky behaviors that could lead to negative legal consequences.
What Patterns of Use Are Common?
Many people start to use cocaine “recreationally” and discover that the increase in dopamine helps them to enjoy “the moment” better. However, this is often followed by a devastating and depressing “crash.”
This leads to a pattern of use that is common in people struggling with the effects of cocaine addiction. An individual will use until they run out of the drug and then engage in dangerous behaviors to get more, so they don’t experience cocaine withdrawal symptoms. It becomes a vicious cycle.
What Social or Work Behaviors Suggest a Problem?
People who struggle with substance use disorder (SUD), including cocaine addiction, often also struggle socially and on the job.
Many people find that cocaine helps their productivity at first. However, this is soon superseded by the need to use cocaine on a regular basis. The drug becomes more important than the task it was intended to help.
Many teens who struggle with cocaine addiction often find their grades dropping. This is when family members can step in and try to help. This help may include substance abuse treatment, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, or group therapy.
Risks & Effects
What Immediate Health Risks Does Cocaine Cause?
There are many immediate health problems that can arise from cocaine use and cocaine addiction.
Cocaine can affect your whole physical being. According to the Journal of the National Medical Association, “Cocaine has also been associated with acute rupture of the aorta, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden death. Cocaine has multisystem toxicity involving neurologic, psychiatric, obstetric, pulmonary, dermatologic, and gastrointestinal systems.”
The good news is that there are many treatment options for cocaine addiction. The key is to find the right treatment plan for you.
What Long‑Term Effects Occur?
There are many long-term effects that can happen from extended cocaine use. Of course, the most dangerous is overdose and overdose death.
Over time, cocaine use can set you up for a fatal heart attack. It can also lead to many issues of mental health, including cocaine-induced psychosis.
Cocaine use can also have many long-term negative effects on the family. After all, addiction is a “family disease.” That means that it affects far more than just the individual who is struggling.
Addiction is like a tornado destroying everyone and everything in its path. Family therapy is often recommended to help the whole family heal at the cellular level.
How Does Cocaine Affect Mental Health?
Cocaine can have devastating effects on the functionality of one’s mental state.
Cocaine can change the way one views oneself and the world around them. This negatively skewed view can lead to anxiety and depression.
How Does Polydrug Use With Alcohol or Opioids Influence Risk?
Taking multiple substances at once can greatly increase the chances of overdose and overdose death. This can be especially true with cocaine and alcohol and/or cocaine and opioids.
Cocaine can cause you to drink far more than your body can handle. This can lead to alcohol poisoning and could even be fatal.
Cocaine use can also lead to the risky use of other substances. This includes the use of opioids, which can be fatal. This is especially true with the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Danger & Escalation
How Can You Tell Use Is Escalating to Addiction?
When someone can’t stop using cocaine after they have started, they may have escalated to cocaine addiction.
Cocaine addiction is present when you can’t stop thinking about cocaine when you are not doing it, and when you are doing it, you can’t get enough. Cocaine addiction is also escalating when struggles at home or work become apparent.
What Signs Indicate Overdose or Life‑Threatening Complications?
It is important to recognize when a loved one may be experiencing a life-threatening overdose.
If someone who is using cocaine becomes unresponsive or begins to show signs of respiratory failure, it is time to seek medical help as soon as possible. Time is critical. It could save their life.
What Symptoms Require Emergency Care Now?
Any symptoms or side effects that show an individual to be unresponsive require emergency care right away.
If a loved one is struggling to breathe, it is time to seek medical help. If a loved one is sweating uncontrollably or slurring their words, it is time to seek medical help. It is also time to seek medical help if they appear to be struggling with reality or appear to be in a state of psychosis.
Recognizing When to Seek Help
When Should Someone Seek Professional Help for Cocaine Use?
It is important to remember that it is never too early or too late to seek professional help for cocaine addiction.
The window that someone is willing to accept help for addiction is often very short. That is why connecting a loved one with support groups, a treatment program, or a treatment center, and/or individual therapy as soon as possible is critical.
What Signs Mean Immediate Attention Is Needed?
There are many signs that show that immediate attention is needed.
Anytime a loved one expresses that they may be struggling with their cocaine use is a time for immediate attention. Of course, any obvious physical ailments should cause you to seek medical attention as well.
What Should I Do If I Need Immediate Support?
It is important to reach out to emergency services if immediate support is needed. After that, a reputable recovery center can assist you with the next steps.
A rehab center that focuses on detoxification is often the next best step after getting immediate help. Finding a safe and secure detox is critical because the process can be uncomfortable and lead to a quick relapse if not administered appropriately.
Treatment for Cocaine Addiction
What Evidence‑Based Treatments Are Effective in Treating Cocaine Addiction?
There are many evidence-based treatments for cocaine addiction. Evidence-based treatments are the most common way that cocaine addiction is treated.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is perhaps the most well-known psychotherapy for treating cocaine addiction. This is also because it has been shown to be the most effective. There are also other effective psychotherapies like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
Can Holistic Treatment Help With Addiction?
Yes, many holistic treatments can help with cocaine addiction. They can also help with relapse prevention.
Yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation are great holistic options. Holistic healing methods have been shown to have many benefits.
The following are just a few of those health benefits:
- Better strength and posture
- Acquiring a better sense of self
- A greater focus on mindfulness
- Improved breathing
- Creates empathy
- Finding a better sense of mental balance and clarity
- Helping one connect with others and heal relationships
- Increased positivity and wellness
- Connects individuals with new, relatable people
- Encourages spirituality
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Can help individuals who struggle with suicidal ideations
Does Treatment Address Co-Occurring Disorders?
Yes, treatment can help address co-occurring disorders, as well as help with long-term recovery.
Many people who struggle with addiction also struggle with comorbidities of mental health. The good news is that many of the means, methods, and modalities that treat addiction also treat mental illness in tandem.
When Is Medication-Assisted Treatment Appropriate?
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
MAT is not commonly used for cocaine addiction. However, it may be utilized if someone is struggling with co-occurring addictions, especially a cocaine and opioid addiction, which may be helped with a medication like methadone.
What Aftercare, Relapse‑Prevention, and Community Support Options Aid in Recovery?
There are many treatment facilities that focus on aftercare, relapse prevention, and community support. This includes support that focuses on recovery meetings.
Many people find that working with others is the best way to achieve long-term recovery. After all, recovery is about the “We,” never the “Me.”
The primary text of 12-Step recovery discusses how working with others is the best way to avoid a relapse. It states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail.”
FAQs
Recovery from cocaine dependence does not require medication. However, it is important to listen to your specific medical provider when it comes to your personal plan of recovery.
While prescription medication is not regularly used for recovery from cocaine addiction, there are many supplements that can be helpful. Infusion therapy has also been shown to be highly beneficial for long-term addiction recovery at the cellular level.
