How Addictive Is Cocaine?

Cocaine makes you feel awake, energetic, and happy. On the other side, it causes panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and aggression. Even so, people use it. How addictive is cocaine that someone would use the drug in spite of its downsides?

Understanding the Mechanics of Cocaine Use

At the cocaine addiction rehab center in Tacoma, WA, therapists routinely work with good people. They thought they had things under control. However, they arrived at a tipping point where taking the drug wasn’t a choice any longer. How addictive is cocaine?

Experts agree that it takes little more than one cocaine binge to create a dependency. That’s because the use of the drug is tremendously rewarding. Creating a sudden dopamine glut, you’ll want to repeat the experience time and again. However, there’s more to it.

How Addictive is Cocaine after Repeated Use?

The chemicals in the drug directly affect the brain’s chemistry. Triggering dopamine release is only one side of the coin. The other half is a change to the way the brain releases the feel-good neurotransmitter. You may now need the drug in your system just to experience regular dopamine release.

Therefore, you struggle with depression and restlessness when you don’t take it. Some people report nightmares. They’re tired and have a difficult time getting going. They can’t focus, which then makes work or school challenging to manage.

This is the psychological aspect of addiction. You tell yourself that you can’t pass the next exam or handle the big project without the drug. You promise yourself to quit using right afterward. However, then something else comes up, and you think you need the drug.

Treatment Helps You Leave a Cocaine Habit Behind

Treating cocaine addiction is possible. At a rehab facility, you work with therapists who understand what you’re dealing with. They customize a care protocol to help you heal. Possible modalities include:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy for coping skills development that undoes negative connections between thoughts and actions
  • Dialectical behavior treatment that boosts your ability to control intense emotions in adverse situations
  • Dual diagnosis therapy for co-occurring psychiatric conditions that could include depression or anxiety
  • Trauma treatment, which benefits people who have a background with adverse events
  • Standard and extended care options that give you up to 90 days to heal from cocaine addiction

During treatment, you learn why you used the drug in the first place. Some clients realize that, for them, the drug covered a bigger underlying problem. They might have had depression that the drug offered relief for. Others realize that they have poor stress management skills.

Each individual has a different reason for using the drug. However, once they develop an addiction, the ability to choose goes out of the window. They use to feel normal. Most importantly, they use it because their bodies tell them to.

Enlist the Help of Therapists Today

Addiction’s a disease that requires treatment. It’s not something that you can fix on your own. As is the case with other chronic illnesses, you wouldn’t try to fix them on your own. Rather, you’d visit a doctor.

The same goes for chemical dependency. Don’t try to white-knuckle it on your own. So, how addictive is cocaine in your case? Find out by talking to therapists at Bayview Recovery by dialing 855.478.3650 now.

How Addictive Is Cocaine?

Cocaine makes you feel awake, energetic, and happy. On the other side, it causes panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and aggression. Even so, people use it. How addictive is cocaine that someone would use the drug in spite of its downsides?

Understanding the Mechanics of Cocaine Use

At the cocaine addiction rehab center in Tacoma, WA, therapists routinely work with good people. They thought they had things under control. However, they arrived at a tipping point where taking the drug wasn’t a choice any longer. How addictive is cocaine?

Experts agree that it takes little more than one cocaine binge to create a dependency. That’s because the use of the drug is tremendously rewarding. Creating a sudden dopamine glut, you’ll want to repeat the experience time and again. However, there’s more to it.

How Addictive is Cocaine after Repeated Use?

The chemicals in the drug directly affect the brain’s chemistry. Triggering dopamine release is only one side of the coin. The other half is a change to the way the brain releases the feel-good neurotransmitter. You may now need the drug in your system just to experience regular dopamine release.

Therefore, you struggle with depression and restlessness when you don’t take it. Some people report nightmares. They’re tired and have a difficult time getting going. They can’t focus, which then makes work or school challenging to manage.

This is the psychological aspect of addiction. You tell yourself that you can’t pass the next exam or handle the big project without the drug. You promise yourself to quit using right afterward. However, then something else comes up, and you think you need the drug.

Treatment Helps You Leave a Cocaine Habit Behind

Treating cocaine addiction is possible. At a rehab facility, you work with therapists who understand what you’re dealing with. They customize a care protocol to help you heal. Possible modalities include:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy for coping skills development that undoes negative connections between thoughts and actions
  • Dialectical behavior treatment that boosts your ability to control intense emotions in adverse situations
  • Dual diagnosis therapy for co-occurring psychiatric conditions that could include depression or anxiety
  • Trauma treatment, which benefits people who have a background with adverse events
  • Standard and extended care options that give you up to 90 days to heal from cocaine addiction

During treatment, you learn why you used the drug in the first place. Some clients realize that, for them, the drug covered a bigger underlying problem. They might have had depression that the drug offered relief for. Others realize that they have poor stress management skills.

Each individual has a different reason for using the drug. However, once they develop an addiction, the ability to choose goes out of the window. They use to feel normal. Most importantly, they use it because their bodies tell them to.

Enlist the Help of Therapists Today

Addiction’s a disease that requires treatment. It’s not something that you can fix on your own. As is the case with other chronic illnesses, you wouldn’t try to fix them on your own. Rather, you’d visit a doctor.

The same goes for chemical dependency. Don’t try to white-knuckle it on your own. So, how addictive is cocaine in your case? Find out by talking to therapists at Bayview Recovery by dialing 855.478.3650 now.

Dave Cundiff, MD, MPHDr. Dave Cundiff, MD, MPH (Medical Reviewer)

Dave Cundiff, MD, MPH is an experienced leader in the field of Substance Use Disorder treatment. He works with patients suffering from Substance Use Disorder to evaluate their medication needs and prescribe treatments accordingly. In addition, he regularly participates in all-staff debriefing sessions involving peers, nurses, and other prescribers. He also reviews and advises on policies, procedures, and techniques for treating substance use disorder.

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