According to recent statistics, the rate of cocaine abuse in the United States has been steadily increasing since 2018. In 2021, an estimated 3.9 million people age 12 and older misused cocaine in the past year. The highest rate of current cocaine misuse was found among young adults ages 18-25, at 8.4%, followed by adults ages 26-49 at 4.7%. Cocaine addiction also disproportionally affects men more than women, with 4% of men in 2021 reporting past year cocaine use compared to only 2.3% of women.
At Bayview Recovery, we are proud to provide a cocaine addiction rehab center to our patients that offers comprehensive treatment plans for cocaine and crack addiction. For more information about our substance abuse treatment programs, please contact Bayview Recovery today.
What is Cocaine?
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.
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.
What is Crack?
Crack can be even more addictive than cocaine because of the way users take the drug. Crack is an illicit drug made from cocaine. It can be smoked, injected, or inhaled and results in a quick, intense high that dissipates quickly. Crack’s effects are highly addictive and can cause serious health problems including paranoia, hallucinations, heart palpitations, stroke, respiratory failure, and even death.
Cocaine and crack prevent 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.
The drug’s induced effects on the central nervous can be difficult to resist, and sustained use can quickly bring on devastating medical consequences.
Cocaine and Crack Dependency
Cocaine dependency or addiction is a chronic disorder characterized by compulsive cocaine or crack use and an inability to control the amount used despite experiencing negative consequences. People with cocaine dependencies often have difficulty stopping their use even when they have tried, and they may experience withdrawal symptoms if they attempt to quit.
Symptoms of cocaine dependence include:
- Cravings for the drug
- Increased tolerance to the effects of cocaine
- Preoccupation with obtaining and using the drug
- Difficulties in stopping its use despite negative consequences
- Withdrawal symptoms such as dysphoria, fatigue, irritability, and depression
If you’re suffering from dependency, you’ll need to visit a cocaine addiction treatment center, starting with a medically-supervised detox. 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: