Cocaine is a stimulant drug that can lead to a powerful psychological addiction in users. Using the drug becomes an obsession that is of greater importance than any prior values, and use and addiction can induce behaviors that were uncharacteristic in the user’s pre-addiction life. For the cocaine addict nothing is more important than taking more cocaine regardless of the damage it does to life and relationships. Recovering from cocaine addiction is a long and difficult journey, and it will require a strong support system. Unfortunately addiction is frequently accompanied by isolation and damaged relationships. In order for recovery to occur a person must reach out for and accept the help of others.
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Why Can’t Someone Recover from Cocaine Addiction without Help?
One of the most vulnerable periods of a person’s recovery is shortly after a person has left a rehab treatment program. It is during this time that supportive relationships are most needed. Someone exiting cocaine addiction rehab may feel empowered by the treatment and begin to think that he or she can handle recovery and temptations alone. The person may start to think that he or she can handle cocaine use every now and then or believe he or she could use a different substance such as alcohol. This is when relapse becomes likely. No matter how great one’s rehab experience and training might have been, support is necessary to in remaining clean. A recovering cocaine user needs others to listen, encourage and hold him or her accountable. Isolation and recovery are never a successful combination, as together they will almost certainly lead a person back to drug use.
Who Can Someone in Cocaine Addiction Recovery Rely on for Support?
There are many people ready and waiting to help you recover from cocaine addiction. Be intentional in your relationships and be honest and open about your challenges. Accept help when it is offered. Family and friends want to see you succeed. You also need to be involved in a support group. While in a support group you can gain insight and encouragement from others who truly understand what you are going through. You can also find a sponsor to mentor you through the process of recovery. A mentor is someone who has been where you are and can teach you what to expect and how to overcome cocaine addiction cravings and temptations. Continue relationships with counselors and therapists who can help you overcome unhealthy thought processes and lifestyle patterns that may contribute to relapse. Any and all positive relationships can help you get and stay clean from cocaine. If a problem is discovered early, a total cocaine addiction relapse can often be prevented, before it becomes a larger problem. It is possible to lead a happy and healthy life after cocaine addiction, but it cannot be done alone. Reach out to those around you for support and allow them to help you reach your full potential.
Cocaine Treatment Program
The treatment of substance abuse is on the rise in this country. Unfortunately, the increase in those seeking addiction treatments is only reflective of the considerable increase of drug addiction that has reach epidemic proportions, according to many research studies.
Characteristics of a Cocaine Addict
According to many treatment providers the following are common statistics regarding cocaine abuse:
- Cocaine is the most commonly cited drug of abuse
- Most cocaine addicts smoke crack
- Most cocaine addicts are multiple-drug users
Impact of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction negatively impacts a person on many levels:
- Biological changes in the brain
- Physical changes particularly due to diminished nutrition, improper sleep, and limited exercise
- Social isolation or change in former social activities to those activities that focus on acquiring and using cocaine; no longer is the person involved in community, cultural, or healthy activities.
- Familial changes predominantly because the addict does not want to have anyone close to them acknowledge their addiction, or interfere with their drug use.
- Financial factors because of the need to allocate so much money to getting cocaine, or as a result of a person losing their job because their cocaine addiction has caused diminished performance.
- Spiritual changes due to isolation as well as no longer attending to their spiritual needs
Treatment for Cocaine Addiction
Because a cocaine treatment program needs to assess the psychobiological, social, and pharmacological aspects of the addiction, it is critical to match the best treatment regimen to the needs of the person. This may include adding to or removing from an individual’s treatment regimen a number of different options. One of the key strategies in the treatment program is to consistently evaluate the components of the program and make modifications as necessary.
Typically, the first step in any treatment program is to stabilize the person which usually includes detox to remove the overwhelming chemical toxins that is consuming the individual. From there, the program focuses on establishing an environment and support system in which the person can learn new behaviors and patterns. This stage of the treatment initially focuses on helping the person understand their old habits and acknowledge the triggers that drove them to use cocaine.
Once the triggers are identified, the person is given cocaine abuse support to restructure their life style to avoid these triggers and or replace the way they respond to the triggers. Avoiding these situations is the ideal strategy, however, that may not always be possible, and so addicts need to also learn how to cope more effectively with a range of problems and behaviors associated with their addiction.
Many successful treatment programs rely on many different resources from experienced counselors, to other recovering addicts, to clergy, to physicians, to mental health experts, nutritionists, and more. The goal is to take advantage of the various skills that these people bring to the recovery plan.
Another avenue of support for cocaine addicts, particularly after an inpatient program, or in conjunction with an outpatient program, is the twelve-step programs. This support is unique in the fact that the addict is actually learning from other recovering addicts and also contributing to the recovering of others.
What happens after treating cocaine addiction?
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant taken for its euphoric effects, including increased energy and mental alertness. Cocaine highs last for a relatively short amount of time, typically between 5 and 30 minutes, so in order to sustain the high the drug must be administered frequently. Cocaine works by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain and affecting the reward systems. These effects contribute to psychological addiction and physical problems. Cocaine addiction can have a lasting impact on a person’s life, and the scars left behind can be difficult to heal. However, with the right treatment a full recovery is possible, and healing can occur.
Healing from Cocaine Addiction Involves More Than Just the Physical Body
Many people associate healing from drug addiction with healing the physical aspects of the addiction. While a cocaine addiction can have devastating effects on one’s health and wellbeing, this is only one aspect of the addiction. Not only does cocaine use often stem from psychological issues, it also can create issues such as anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. These problems can then affect other parts of a person’s life, including relationships, emotions and finances. True recovery happens when a person is able to uncover and deal with the negative issues contributing to and caused by the addiction.
In order to heal completely from cocaine addiction, it is important to uncover what led to cocaine use in the first place. Was it a desire to escape, boredom or another reason entirely? These are the root issues that will need to be understood and treated during the process of rehab. A successful rehab program uses a variety of elements in order to treat the whole person and provide the tools and skills needed to stay clean for a lifetime. The process might begin with counseling and therapy to uncover some of the root issues and negative thought and behavior patterns associated with cocaine use and create new, healthy ways to cope with these problems. This might be a difficult and perhaps even painful process, but a life free from cocaine use is worth the effort. Every addiction is different, so treatment should be individualized. It is common for the individual to struggle with mental disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder that will need to be treated alongside the addiction in what is called Dual Diagnosis or integrated treatment.
Healing from Cocaine Is Possible with Support
Many people have found support groups to be a source of great healing. The support of other people such as family, friends, and religious communities is crucial in the recovery process, however there is something particularly encouraging about talking about one’s struggles with those who can truly understand and sympathize. At a support group one can be truly honest about the struggles of addiction and gain insight from peers along with a source of accountability. Building healthy relationships is an important part of the recovery process, so it is important to seek out friendships that will encourage clean living. Recovery from cocaine addiction is a difficult journey, but with the right support it is possible.
