Cocaine Addiction - Treatment, Symptoms and Causes

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that causes an increase in energy and mood by increasing the dopamine in the brain. It increases heart rate and makes the person feel increased pleasure.  It accounts for the maximum drug abuse addiction treatment in the hospitals. Cocaine abuse can cause psychiatric disorders and can ultimately lead to the death of the individual.

Cocaine exists in two types: the powdered form and the crystal form. The powdered cocaine is generally snorted or dissolved in water and injected into the person. The rock form of cocaine called crack is smoked. Smoking cocaine is the most popular way of cocaine ingestion whereas injecting cocaine into the bloodstream produces a lasting effect in a person.

Cocaine is generally taken with other drugs like heroin which causes additional psychological effects in drug users.  Drug abuse is very common among teens. It affects the everyday life, work and family of the drug user. The regular intake of cocaine makes a person tolerant to it. This increased tolerance causes increased intake of the drugs for desired effects. Drug addiction can be fought by will power and with the help of medication and counselling.

Cocaine addiction can occur due to various genetic and environment factors.

• Genetic Factors: Cocaine abuse is known to run in families where a member is a drug addict.

• Environment Factors: The environment in which a person is raised plays a major role in whether he becomes an addict later if life. Social and economic factors also result in drug abuse.

• Brain Chemicals: A person may get addicted to cocaine due to its effect on the brain. Cocaine increases the dopamine in the brain which is responsible for generating a positive feeling when one does a pleasurable activity like eating a chocolate. This rush causes an increased intake.

• Negative Emotions: Continuous intake of cocaine makes the person intolerant to the drug and causes negative emotions like depression. He then craves for more to feel heightened pleasure.

The increased drug abuse causes psychological and physiological damage to the brain and can cause drug related death. The use of cocaine along with alcohol can cause increased chances of death in the addict.

Early detection can help in the speedy recovery of the person. If your family member is suffering from cocaine addiction, there are various signs to look for

• Social Isolation- Avoiding family and Friends

• Dilated Pupils and black mark on the eyes that are oversensitive to light

• Running and Bleeding Nose

• Mood Swings and Depression

• Loss of appetite for food

• The person may become talkative and seem more confident

• Cocaine can also cause heart related issues and cardiac arrest which leads to death

• The injected drug causes needle marks on arms or legs and discarded syringes

The long term use of cocaine causes psychological damage to the user. He may undergo depression, inability to sleep and agitation. An increased dose of the drug is also required to achieve the desired effect.

Medication and visiting counselling centres can do very much in speedy recovery of cocaine addiction. It can help you to overcome the addiction and help lead a better life. Behaviour therapy is also found to be very effective in treating addictions. There are several rehab centres that provide the necessary treatment and care for drug addicts. Treatment for abuse can be done with the patient moving into the centre where he receives complete care or it can also be done while living at home. The inpatient program is a good way which provides the care to remove the triggers and treats the patient under an environment which helps him to develop the resistance against cocaine. The patient can also stay at home if he wants to stay along with family and friends who can support his recovery and can be done along with observance by a medical professional. The sooner the treatment is done the higher chances that the addiction can be stopped and less psychological damage to the individual.

Prevention Programs: There are several programs that reduce the risk of drug use and are available for various ages. These programs foster the right thinking and help to fight addictions.

Counselling: Talking to a family member or a trained professional and sharing your thoughts can help a lot in preventing addictions.

Rehab Centres: Rehab centres should be visited if one is already struggling with addictions. There are a thousand rehab centre where one can get the right help.

Educations: A person can educate oneself through internet research or reading books about the harms of cocaine. This can avoid the use of  cocaine in the first place itself.

Cocaine withdrawal occurs when a user dependent on cocaine completely stops its intake. It occurs because the body gets physically dependent on it. The withdrawal symptoms of cocaine are mostly psychological. Cocaine withdrawal is different from alcohol and other drugs as there are no physical symptoms associated with it. The symptoms can occur immediately after the drug intake is stopped and can last for months.

• Mood Swings and difficulty concentration

• Loss in Sleep

• Tiredness

• Depression can occur which causes low energy and fatigue

• Heart related issues

• Being easily irritated and increased anxiety

• Increased craving for cocaine use

The type of symptoms depends on the type of drug used and the duration. Always advice must be taken from doctors and trained professionals to combat cocaine addiction.