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Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms Overview

Although cocaine withdrawal is not as physically demanding as other drug withdrawals, it does present its own set of obstacles. Withdrawal is a set of physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person stops using or reduces their consumption of a substance like alcohol or prescription or recreational medications. If you quit taking a substance with a high potential for addiction unexpectedly or abruptly, or dramatically reduce your use, you may suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms.

Depending on the type of substance and your biological makeup, the strength and length of these withdrawal symptoms might vary greatly. The majority of cocaine users inhale the white powder through their noses. Because cocaine is a controlled drug, any use of it is considered abuse.

Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant that acts on the brain by increasing dopamine levels, a brain chemical linked to pleasure and reward. Cocaine has a deleterious effect on every organ of the body over time, with the potential for serious long-term consequences. It has the potential to alter the DNA of brain cells, nerve cells, and proteins, among other long-term consequences.

Cocaine's potency and duration are also affected by how it is used. The effects of snorting it are rather temporary, lasting around 15 to 30 minutes. Smoking or injecting cocaine produces a more powerful high that lasts just 5 to 10 minutes. To sustain the intended effects, most Coca-Cola users will dose repeatedly. Overdosing is more likely when the medication is injected rather than snorted. Although there are indisputable physical indications of addiction, it is frequently the psychological addiction that is the most difficult to break.

Addicts to cocaine must use it in order to feel normal. Dependence on a substance leads to the development of tolerance as well as withdrawal symptoms.

Many people who experiment with cocaine do so in settings where other drugs are also being used. As a result, many people who are addicted to cocaine may also be addicted to other drugs like alcohol or marijuana. Polydrug usage is particularly harmful since it raises the chance of a deadly overdose.

Cocaine and alcohol are regularly combined, to the point that alcohol might be a trigger for Cocaine users in recovery. As a result, it is critical to refrain from using any drugs while recovering. Using Heroin and Cocaine together (a "speedball") is likely the deadliest of all Cocaine-based drug combos. Some people apply it to their gums using a brush, while others dissolve it in water and inject it with a needle.

Others ignite the rock crystal and inhale the resulting smoke. The medication sends a lot of dopamine, a natural chemical messenger in your body, to the pleasure centres of your brain. The accumulation generates a high, which is characterised by heightened sensations of energy and alertness. Stronger, more frequent dosages might induce long-term chemical changes in your brain.

Your body and mind become used to the medicine. This can make it difficult to think, sleep, or retrieve information from memory. It's possible that your response time is slower. You're also at a higher risk of developing heart, stomach, and lung issues.

What are the signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction?

Withdrawal from certain narcotics, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can cause significant physical withdrawal symptoms; however, withdrawal from cocaine is primarily psychological.

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms include:
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Slowed thinking
  • Slowed activity or physical fatigue after activity
  • Exhaustion
  • Restlessness
  • Inability to experience sexual arousal
  • Anhedonia, or the inability to feel pleasure
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Suicidal thoughts or actions
  • Vivid, unpleasant dreams or nightmares
  • Physical symptoms, such as chills, tremors, muscle aches, and nerve pain
  • Increased craving for cocaine
  • Increased appetite

While cocaine detox can be done on an outpatient basis in certain cases, medical detox is necessary in others. If a person has relapsed following previous withdrawal efforts, the 24-hour monitoring provided by medical detox can be quite beneficial. Furthermore, if the client has any co-occurring mental health illnesses, medical detox followed by inpatient addiction treatment can successfully address both withdrawal management and mental health treatment needs.

An increased risk of suicide is one of the more troublesome withdrawal consequences linked to acute stimulant withdrawal. People who try to quit using cocaine once they've been addicted might experience extreme melancholy and mood fluctuations, as well as suicidal thoughts. Regular cocaine usage causes the brain to adapt to the drug's continuously heightened dopamine activity.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the reward circuit gets disturbed over time and becomes less responsive to dopamine. A person may require increasingly huge doses of cocaine to feel happy at this point; without it, they may become very sad and unsatisfied with life.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

The first step towards recovery is deciding to get treatment for Cocaine addiction. It's also the most crucial one. When someone acknowledges having a cocaine addiction, the only option is to go ahead.

Detox and treatment in an inpatient rehabilitation centre centre are commonly used to treat cocaine addiction. Even though psychological dependence on cocaine is a serious disorder that is difficult to overcome, these treatments considerably boost a person's chances of a complete recovery.

If you're thinking about getting assistance for Cocaine addiction, it's a good idea to get a drug abuse evaluation from an addiction expert to figure out what kind of care you need. This decision is based on several variables, including the intensity of the addiction, the living situation, and mental and medical requirements.

Most treatment programmes run 30 to 90 days, although they can extend longer depending on the requirements of the individual. An inpatient programme can assist a recovering cocaine addict in learning how to live a healthy lifestyle without the use of the drug.

The following are some of the programs that offers in Abhasa Rehabilitation centre:

  • Counselling
  • Art therapy
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Dialectical behavioural therapy
  • Support groups
  • 12-step or alternative programs
  • Relapse prevention education
  • Aftercare planning
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