Cocaine is one of the oldest and most potent stimulants. Over 5,000 years ago, history tells us that the ancient Incans chewed the coca plant leaves to counter thin mountain air’s impacts on their health. However, by 1659, Albert Niemann, a German scientist, extracted cocaine from the coca leaves, and by the 1880s, the medical community prescribed it to their patients. However, in 1922, the United States made its use illegal, and it is now one of many illicit drugs in the United States, because it can quickly become addictive. At Bayview Recovery, we are proud to provide a cocaine addiction rehab center to our patients. For more information about our substance abuse treatment programs, please contact Bayview Recovery today at 855.478.3650.
Cocaine and Crack Dependency
Cocaine and crack are highly addictive drugs, even for first-time users also. These powerful stimulants are derived from the coca plant native to South America. Unfortunately, their abuse can require a cocaine addiction rehab center.
But the pleasurable effects of the drug — euphoria, happiness, and energetics — can be difficult to resist, and many users will find they have developed a dependency. Crack can be even more addictive than cocaine because of the way users take the drug.
Cocaine prevents your body from reabsorbing dopamine, a naturally occurring substance responsible for feeling pleasure as well as excitement. As a result, dopamine will continue to flow freely through your body with cocaine use, and users can sustain these highs for longer and longer periods of time.
Whether you were introduced to cocaine through prescriptions or crack through other means, the drug’s induced effects on the central nervous can be difficult to resist, and sustained use can quickly bring on devastating medical consequences.
The strong urge to continue using cocaine or crack once you’ve started means a cocaine addiction treatment center, along with medically-supervised detox in a substance abuse treatment program in Washington state will be necessary to sever your dependency. Bayview Recovery’s cocaine addiction rehab center can help supervise your detox and provide a full slate of therapeutic and behavioral treatments coupled with a personal commitment to getting you safely past your addiction.
Cocaine and Crack’s Short-Term Abuse Symptoms
Cocaine and crack affect all aspects of the body, and even short-term abuse can then lead to many serious health problems.
For example, symptoms of cocaine and crack abuse include:
- Tachycardia (racing heartbeat)
- Restlessness
- Cardiovascular problems
- High blood pressure
- Tremors
- Coordination issues
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea
- Elevated body temperature
Cocaine and Crack’s Long-term Abuse Symptoms
Cocaine and crack abuse have many long-term symptoms, and therefore the symptoms you have may vary depending on the form in which you take the drug.
For example, if taken long-term, users can expect:
- A decreased appetite
- Malnourishment
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Coordination issues
- Higher risk of Parkinson’s
If snorted, users can expect:
- An impaired sense of smell
- Nosebleeds
- A constant runny nose
- Swallowing issues
If taken orally, users can expect:
- Decreased intestinal blood flow
- Bowel decay
If injected, users can expect:
- Risks of blood-borne diseases, such as Hepatitis C and HIV
Cocaine and Crack Withdrawal Symptoms
Cocaine and crack stimulate the parts of the central nervous system responsible for pleasure and also give users a sense of high energy. Without the drug, users will experience severe, negative as well as opposite physical and emotional responses.
Withdrawal symptoms include:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Difficulty sleeping
- Insomnia
- Concentration problems
Bayview Recovery’s Cocaine Addiction Rehab Center
If you are currently on cocaine and want to get off of it, then you will need a medically-supervised detox followed immediately by a comprehensive rehab program. Of course, Bayview Recovery’s cocaine addiction rehab center can help you with both. We can work closely with your detox provider and provide a full suite of treatments and therapies designed to supplant your need for cocaine and crack. Our treatment options include:
There is no magic or mystery to our approach at our cocaine addiction treatment center. We simply place more emphasis than any other treatment facility on understanding not only the problem but also you. We have the resources to do this and the experience. And our results — many healthier, happier guests — tells us this is the right approach for a quality recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Call Bayview Recovery today at 855.478.3650 to learn more about our individualized approach to recovery, and how it can help you end your addiction to cocaine and crack. Your story doesn’t have to end with addiction, and we can help you turn to a new chapter in your life, one that’s authentic and deeply deserved.