As we live in a digital world today, we get all the information regarding growing drug consumption. We can easily Google the percentage population engrossed in drug abuse or people who die every year due to drugs. But did you know that the traces of drug addiction are being tracked for the past many centuries? It’s not a new age of ill-activity, but drug abuse had always been a part of society as evil. However, its usage has highly increased in the recent past. The fast-paced life has given us a comfortable life, but along with the gift of stress.
Stress is one of the major reasons behind growing drug addiction. Among different kinds of drugs – marijuana, hashish, weed, CBD oil, cocaine is some of the most popular illegal drugs among youngsters.
Let’s Understand What is Cocaine?
Made from the coca plant, native to South America, cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug. It mostly comes in a fine white powder. Though, it can also be transformed into a solid rock crystal. Cocaine users snort the powder into their noses. While some rub it on their gums or dissolve it in the water or inject it within the body with a help of a needle. Most of the cocaine users also heat it up and breathe the smoke into their lungs.
Factors affecting cocaine drug addiction:
It is difficult to find the exact cause of drug addiction. However, there are various factors that may contribute to cocaine drug addiction:
- A suppressed mental disorder like – depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and trauma.
- The genes of a person also make him/her vulnerable to cocaine drug addiction.
- Exposure to an environment where drug consumption is normal.
- Emotional stress due to personal or financial difficulties.
- Friend circle who pushes individuals towards more and more drug consumption.
- Low esteem or low self – worth.
Dangers of Cocaine abuse:
By the time when people reach the cocaine addiction stage, they start caring about its ill-effects on the body. As soon as they try to reduce cocaine abuse, the damage had already happened, creating most of the health issues.
Dangers to health:
- Irregular heart rate
- Impotency or infertility
- Lung damage
- Learning or memory problems
- Respiratory issues
- Kidney damage
- High blood pressure
- Dental issues
It has also seen that drug addiction causes the risk of violence, fosters motor vehicle accidents, and makes it quite hard to make wise decisions. The cocaine drug addicts hardly care about their physical conditions. In fact, when someone tries to sympathize with their deteriorating health, they always try to convince themselves that they are perfectly well.
Dangers to the psyche:
Chronic drug abuse can alter a person’s brain structure and function, resulting in long term psychological effects like:
- Anxiety
- Panic disorder
- Increased aggression
- Hallucination
- Insomnia
- Sleep issues
- Memory issues
- Weak concentration
Dangers to relationships:
Cocaine drug addiction impacts relationships badly. The user gets separated from the loved ones. The drug addicts become secretive, isolated, and defensive. As the drug addiction progresses, they even try to abandon children, spouses, or other close relationships, so that they can pursue drug abuse without any restraints.
Dangers during Pregnancy:
Illegal drug use by pregnant mothers may pose serious dangers to her unborn baby as given below:
- Low birth weight
- Miscarriage
- Premature delivery
- Brain damage to the infant
- Stillbirth
Loss of self:
Last but not the least, another most ill-effect of pregnancy is ‘loss of self’. It mainly happens when personal relationships are destroyed and people give up their dreams for the sake of drugs. There is a complete loss of identity. People are left with no more aspirations and aims in life. They become slaves of drug addiction.
Symptoms of cocaine consumption:
Cocaine users showcase strange signs and symptoms of cocaine consumption. Let’s look at it one by one:
- Consume it even after its adverse effects on the body: Cocaine users can’t stop themselves from using the drug, even if they want to. They snort it even after witnessing bad results physically and suffering chaos among family, work, or relatives.
- Strange signs when the drug wears off: A person undergoes a strange feeling when the effect of drugs starts reducing, they may feel shaky, depressed; suffer from a headache or constant sweating. They may feel tired.
- Undergoes a lot of confusion: Cocaine addiction makes a person face a lot of confusion in his/her day – to – day life. His/her concentration power gets weakened. A cocaine addict starts forgetting things easily.
- Uneven sleep patterns: A person either start sleeping a lot or he/she doesn’t feel like sleeping a lot. This also leaves a strong impact on appetite. A cocaine addict person either starts eating a lot and the appetite gets reduced.
- Think about different ways to access cocaine: A cocaine addict gets obsessed with cocaine. He/she continuously thinks about various means to arrange cocaine, even if one has to go out of the way. The cocaine addicts also spend a lot of time thinking about how they feel after drug consumption or how is the feeling of high.
- Face trouble doing normal things: Cocaine drug addicts face a lot of trouble doing normal daily activities like cooking or driving. Their central nervous system is badly affected which doesn’t allow them to perform their normal tasks efficiently.
- Start enjoying a new set of friends: Drug addicts enjoy a lot of time spending with a new set of friends. They hang out with them to indulge in drug activities.
Withdrawal symptoms of cocaine addiction:
Sudden withdrawal from drugs often brings harsh effects on a person. The body attempts to reach a new state as it dispels the user’s drug of choice. This drug withdrawal brings massive fluctuations in brain chemicals and a patient suffers from significant mental & physical health repercussions. People who attempt to stop cocaine consumption majorly suffer from severe depression and mood swings. With regular cocaine consumption, the brain adapts to the consistently elevated dopamine activity. When a sudden break happens from cocaine intake, then they start feeling depressed and dissatisfied with life.
Though cocaine withdrawal symptoms are not as harsh as other drugs, however, it has its own set of symptoms like:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Restlessness
- Exhaustion
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Slow thinking
- Suicidal thoughts
- Chills and tremors
- Muscle aches
- Nerve pain
- Unpleasant dreams
Cocaine treatments available at rehabilitation centers:
Making your mind to undergo cocaine treatment for recovery is definitely the first step towards recovery. The treatment process increases a person’s chances to overcome psychological dependence upon cocaine.
Let’s look at the cocaine treatments available at rehabilitation centers:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT is a popular method to teach patients to recognize the toxic thoughts they usually get triggered. Patients develop coping strategies to stay away from cocaine addiction. This therapy develops a sense of accountability which is essential for staying motivated and banishes the psychological dependence on cocaine.
- Individual counseling: During individual counseling, a counselor interacts with the patient and tries to understand the pains and fears of an individual. He/she tries to get away from all the insecurities and encourages self-exploration. The patient feels emotionally light after venting out his/her blocked emotions.
- Group Counseling: Group counseling is a kind of psychotherapy that involves meeting with a lot of individuals who also suffer from cocaine addiction. During Group sessions, people share their experiences and listen to the experiences of others. This gives them enough strength thinking about the fact that they are not alone in the battle of fighting back against cocaine addiction; there are a lot many other people who suffer from cocaine addiction.
- Art therapy: Art therapy is the right combination of creative process and psychotherapy which facilitates self-exploration. By using colors, imagery, the cocaine addicts get the chance to express their thoughts and feelings, which otherwise would have been difficult to articulate.
Cocaine Treatment at AnattaRecovery
Here at Anatta Recovery, we offer focused treatment for cocaine addiction. Our empathetic therapists encourage cocaine addicts to identify drug dependency and help them cope up through building positive attitudes and self – esteem. Contact us today and start the new phase of life filled with optimism and peace.
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