Cocaine continues to be one of the most commonly abused street drugs in the world. Not only is it trafficked into the United States at astonishingly high rates, but the demand for it is unfathomable. With millions of people addicted to cocaine in America alone, the heightened need for cocaine detox and treatment comes as no surprise.
Many people who are now addicted to cocaine once began their use casually and recreationally. For example, they might have been introduced to it at a party or in a club, or drunkenly decided to take some in an effort to reenergize themselves after a long night of drinking. Others began abusing cocaine in full force and are now struggling with the consequences of doing so.
Regardless of why someone decided to pick up cocaine for the first time, if he or she is now addicted to it, professional treatment is needed. Ending a cocaine addiction, which is clinically known as a stimulant use disorder, can be extremely complicated. Those who make efforts to get sober but then go back to using often grapple with feelings of shame, embarrassment, and guilt for continuing their use. Making continued attempts to stop using but being unable to do so can make an individual feel defeated and hopeless in ever truly being able to stop.
Cocaine Dependence and Withdrawal
The more that an individual uses cocaine, the more that his or her body is going to demand it. The frequency at which an individual has to then use is what leads to the development of tolerance. Tolerance occurs when the body is so accustomed to cocaine that it requires higher doses of it in order for the user to feel its effects. As an individual continues to increase the amount that he or she consumes, the risk of overdose becomes greater. And, so does one’s likelihood of becoming dependent on cocaine. When a dependence has formed, an individual will be unable to stop using cocaine without experiencing withdrawal symptoms reflective of how severe his or her stimulant use disorder is. For many addicted to cocaine, this is something that stands in the way of getting sober.
As with most addictive substances, the withdrawal symptoms that one can experience after abusing cocaine will be dependent on how long he or she has used for, how much he or she was consuming, and how frequently his or her consumption of cocaine was. While each individual’s withdrawal symptoms will be specific to these factors, some of the most common symptoms one can experience can include the following:
- Chills and sweats
- Muscle pain
- Tremors
- Extreme fatigue
- Nerve pain
- Slowed cognition
- Issues concentrating
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors
- Anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure)
- Vivid nightmares
These symptoms can be so invasive and persistent that many cocaine users find it easier just to keep using. And while it usually only takes a few days to a week to get through the thick of the symptoms, several individuals are unable to bear the discomfort, especially when attempting to detox on their own.
Thankfully, professional cocaine treatment is available through drug detox.
Why Choose a Cocaine Detox Center?
Withdrawing from prescription drugs can be painful when it is attempted independently. However, when an individual reaches out to a prescription drug detox, the experience can be much more comfortable and effective.
Detox is the process of clearing the body from any and all addictive substances, including prescription drugs like OxyContin, Ativan, Ritalin, and Vicodin. By removing these substances from the body, an individual can obtain the clarity of mind that he or she needs in order to successfully maneuver through the remainder of his or her treatment.
Depending on the type of prescription drug that an individual is using, prescription drug detox can provide clients with medication-assisted treatment. Medication-assisted treatment, which is also known as MAT, utilizes medications to help treat specific kinds of addictions. In general, MAT helps to decrease withdrawal symptoms and cravings. However, MAT is also used to help keep clients safe while detoxing.
For example, someone who is addicted to one or more benzodiazepines cannot simply just stop using. Doing this can lead to severe and potentially deadly health risks, including heart palpitations, high blood pressure, fever, and seizures. To prevent this, prescription drug detox will provide clients with a lesser strength benzodiazepine to help them slowly but effectively wean off of this kind of prescription medication to avoid complications.
Those who attend a prescription drug detox are not just limited to medical services, as there is a team of mental health professionals available to assist clients during detox.
These professionals can offer clients a shoulder to lean on, as well as several coping skills that are capable of helping them persevere through the duration of their detox. In addition, mental health professionals like psychiatrists can obtain a strong feel for where clients are at in terms of their psychological well-being, which can allow them to make professional treatment recommendations and/or prescribe medications capable of treating concerns related to their mental health.
When a prescription drug detox provides a comprehensive approach to detox, clients are more likely to continue on with their care once they become sober. Cocaine detox offers individuals the ability to detox at their own pace and do so while as comfortable as possible. Staff at a cocaine detox will work with clients to help them get through this first step of treatment and see them through into additional care.
One of the biggest benefits of participating in a cocaine detox center is being connected to medical professionals who can offer care. When ending a cocaine addiction, individuals can feel extremely exhausted and struggle with significant physical pain. Being in the care of medical professionals allows clients the ability to have continuous access to both prescription and over-the-counter medications that can ease their withdrawal symptoms. Doctors, nurses, and other professionals will safely administer any medications deemed necessary for each client and do so with extreme caution. The main goal of utilizing medications to assist clients at this time is to help see them through the pain of withdrawal so that they can become clear-headed enough to effectively participate in further treatment.
In the same breath, psychiatric professionals are also on staff in a cocaine detox. These mental health experts are critical in helping the client, as they can assist them through their bouts of feeling depressed, suicidal, and anxious. By working with these clients, psychiatric professionals can better determine if the mental effects they are experiencing are temporary or more long-term, allowing them the ability to effectively prescribe medications that can help ease their symptoms.
Having psychiatric professionals on staff at our cocaine detox center is also beneficial because they can help clients develop strong coping skills that are effective in clients managing their withdrawal symptoms in a healthy manner.
With a comprehensive approach to detox, those who are making the effort to end their cocaine addiction can do so in a safe, supportive environment that addresses all of their needs.
Get Help Today Through a Cocaine Detox Center
Are you addicted to cocaine? You are not alone. In fact, you are one of the millions of people who are currently struggling with this disease. However, treatment is available so you can not only stop using but also learn how to manage your disease.
Cocaine detox can help provide you with all of the resources you need in order to put your cocaine addiction behind you. Not only does a cocaine detox center help you get through the pain of withdrawal symptoms, but it also helps set you up for success if you choose to go further in your addiction treatment.
Do not let one more day pass you by where you wonder if you should reach out for help. There is no more time to waste. If you do not get treatment for your cocaine addiction, you can suffer severe consequences, including death.
Contact us today to discuss your options for cocaine detox right now. We can help you.
“Detox services are provided at our Experience Recovery Program. Often clients who need drug or alcohol detox will begin their journey at Experience Recovery for addition detox and transfer to Breathe or other programs for continued care. We will make sure you receive the highest care of medical detoxification at Experience Recovery.”