Cocaine Detox

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Due to the immediate feelings of extreme pleasure and energy that are experienced when an individual takes cocaine, this popular drug is extremely addictive. When a person abruptly tries to quit taking cocaine, however, he or she suffers from some of the following withdrawal symptoms: powerful craving, depression, anxiety, and lethargy.

In fact, cocaine withdrawal symptoms are as intense and as powerful as the withdrawals that are experienced with any other drug. Overcoming cocaine addiction requires rehab. The first step in cocaine rehabilitation is cocaine detox: ridding the addict's body of the cocaine that has accumulated from repeated use and abuse.

Cocaine Addiction

image: female teen upset with cocaine abuse of boyfriend Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Cocaine elicits a sense of intense joy, euphoria, and quick energy that is caused by the brain’s releasing of higher than normal amounts of certain biochemicals such as dopamine and serotonin.

Since, however, cocaine also interferes with the re-absorption of dopamine, if the person is to again experience the desired “high,” he or she needs to take more cocaine.

Cocaine addiction can occur very rapidly and can be extremely difficult to overcome. This fact points to at least one major difference between alcohol abuse and drug abuse: it usually takes significantly longer to become dependent on alcohol than on drugs such as cocaine.

Over 40 percent of corporate CEOs who responded to one survey estimated that the use of alcohol and other drugs costs them from 1% to 10% of their payroll.

Cocaine and Psychological Addiction

image: male nurse pondering future of cocaine abuse patient Regular use of cocaine can lead to strong psychological addiction. Psychological addiction occurs when a person starts to rely on drugs in order to experience “good feelings” such as self-esteem, and freedom from anxiety, self-confidence, and relaxation.

Individuals who suddenly stop taking cocaine usually experience cocaine withdrawal symptoms as their brain and body attempts to readjust to functioning without the drug. The length and intensity of cocaine withdrawal depends on the amount that is taken and the frequency of use. Since no two people are identically alike, cocaine withdrawal also varies from person to person.

Do you want to be more able to tell if your son or daughter is engaging in substance abuse? If so, then look at the following symptoms of substance abuse: mood changes; vehicle accidents; deceit, lying, or secretiveness; decreased motivation; missing money, alcohol, cigarettes, or valuables in your house; cash flow problems; a change in friends.

Cocaine and Physical Addiction

According to some research scientists, cocaine is also physically addictive. Physical addiction occurs when an individual needs drugs in order for their body to function normally.

If the drug is not taken, unpleasant and painful withdrawal symptoms typically take place. What complicates the entire issue, however, is that according to the vast majority of users, the only way to avoid the withdrawal symptoms is to take more cocaine.

While this “quick fix” may appear to be promising in the beginning, increased tolerance and dangerous life choices usually follow repeated cocaine use.

Indeed, cocaine addicts have been known to go to great lengths to get and take cocaine in spite of the fact that it hurts their job or school performance and typically disrupts or destroys their most significant relationships.

Do you have a drug or an alcohol problem? If your drug and/or alcohol use interferes with your employment, relationships, finances, health or has resulted in legal problems, chances are extremely good that you have a drug and/or an alcohol problem.

The Brain and Cocaine Addiction

Unlike alcohol or heroin, which are known to produce severe physical withdrawal symptoms when heavy users abruptly stop their use, the physical withdrawal symptoms experienced by most cocaine addicts are usually less excessive. In fact, unlike the physical addiction and the corresponding strong withdrawal symptoms experienced by heroin or alcohol addicts when they stop using their respective drug, the physical addiction to cocaine essentially takes place in the brain. With repeated use, the brain becomes addicted to cocaine.

According to research findings, thousands of physicians practice while in rehab. What is especially disconcerting about these findings is that medical doctors, perhaps better than any other group of professionals, are well-versed in the dynamics involved in alcohol abuse and drug and alcohol dependency. One would therefore think that doctors would "know better" than to engage in excessive, abusive drinking behavior and/or in substance abuse.

To understand why discontinuing cocaine use leads to agitation and other unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, it is necessary to briefly discuss the relationship between dopamine and cocaine. Dopamine is one of the brain’s natural “pleasure” neurochemicals. Cocaine abuse interferes with the re-absorption of dopamine, thus leading to a surplus of dopamine in the brain.

Since, however, the overall synthesis of this dopamine by the neurons is reduced by cocaine use, the cocaine abuser experiences depression, fatigue, and altered moods because of lowered levels of "usable" dopamine in the brain. Essentially, this dopamine shortage results in feelings of agitation and anxiety and makes a person feel miserable. The “solution,” all too frequently, is to simply take more cocaine. It is this vicious cycle that can escalate and lead to out-of-control behavior that can and does result in severe mental and physical health problems and possibly in death.

Without adequate attention to the mental health needs of a person with alcohol or drug dependence, little progress will be made. Often alcoholism and drug addiction remain unsuspected by the doctor, and it may come to light only when medical tests are done for other reasons.

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

When cocaine use is suddenly stopped, a “crash” follows almost instantaneously that is characterized by an intense craving for more cocaine. Although cocaine withdrawal does not typically have visible physical symptoms like “the shakes” and vomiting that are common with heroin or alcohol withdrawal, the level of depression, lack of pleasure, and craving caused by cocaine withdrawal equals or surpasses what is experienced with most other withdrawal symptoms.

According to U.S. research statistics, more than 150 medications interact harmfully with alcohol. These interactions may result in increased risk of illness, injury, and even death.

The good news is that cocaine withdrawal symptoms can disappear completely over time. The bad news, however, is twofold. First, if the abuse has been chronic, various symptoms such as depression and craving can actually last for months. And second, the research literature points out that many people who experience cocaine withdrawal frequently try to self-medicate themselves with anti anxiety medications (such as valium), sedatives, alcohol, or hypnotics.

Obviously, self-medication is ill advised mainly because each “new” addiction results in a shift from one substance to another. Moreover, since at least 50% of the individuals who are addicted to cocaine have a co-existing mental disorders such as attention-deficit disorder or depression, these latter conditions must be addressed and treated along with the person's cocaine addiction.

According to substance abuse and police statistics, more than three fourths of female victims of nonfatal, domestic violence state that their attacker had been using drugs or drinking alcohol. Question. Did the attackers resort to domestic violence because their logic and thinking skills had been negatively affected by the drugs and alcohol or did the attackers need the drugs and the alcohol to supply them with the "nerve" they needed in order to commit their crimes?

Common Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

The following represents a list of common cocaine withdrawal symptoms:

Fatigue
Depression
Lack of pleasure
Generalized malaise
Anxiety
Vivid and unpleasant dreams
Increased appetite
Irritability
Slowing of activity
Agitation and restless behavior
Sleepiness
Extreme suspicion

To help prevent drug and alcohol abuse in children, it's a good idea to begin discussing drug and alcohol use and abuse with kids at an early age and to continue openly communicating about it as they grow older.

Cocaine Detox

Cocaine detox involves stopping the use of cocaine and eliminating the cocaine that remains in the addict's system. As soon, however, as cocaine use is discontinued, the addict experiences withdrawal symptoms. The start of the cocaine withdrawal process, however is typically the most difficult part of withdrawal due to the fact that the addict's body and brain craves more cocaine. Indeed, it is this intense craving for more cocaine that frequently leads to relapse.

Cocaine detox is typically undertaken in residential treatment and uses medications, vitamin supplements, nutritional monitoring, and counseling. It is critical to monitor the addict's vital functions due to the fact that cocaine abuse can result in severely damaged internal organs, especially the heart. Individuals who receive cocaine detox are usually evaluated for physical symptoms and organ damage and can be administered various medications if necessary.

According to a 1995 Weekly Reader survey, while fifty-four percent of fourth through sixth-grade students stated that they learned about the dangers of illicit drugs, only thirty percent of them claimed that they learned about the dangers of drinking and smoking.

Cocaine Detox: Conclusion

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Due to the fact that cocaine elicits a sense of instant energy, euphoria, and intense joy, addiction can occur quite rapidly and can be exceptionally difficult to overcome. When people who are addicted to cocaine abruptly stop taking the substance, an almost immediate “crash” takes place. This sudden let down is typified by an extreme craving for more cocaine. If the person refuses to give in to this craving, he or she will experience a number of cocaine withdrawal symptoms that are signals by the brain that it is trying to adjust to the drug to which it had become acclimated.

Due to the fact that cocaine addiction is exceptionally complex, immediate treatment is imperative if recovery is possible. Like any quality treatment protocol, cocaine treatment approaches need to assess the social, pharmacological, and psychological factors of the patient's drug abuse.

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The hearth of every drug-free workplace program is drug and alcohol testing. The key characteristics of random testing are that it is as completely a neutral and impartial process as possible, that there is equal probability of selection for each employee each time the testing occurs, that it is based on objective, non-discretionary computer software operated and maintained by an outside contractor, and that employees stay in the selection pool, even if previously selected for testing. Names of employees are not included in the database, merely some indicator such as employee number.

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