Cocaine – even referred to as the “caviar of street drugs” due to its high cost – is betting heavily on America’s inclination to get high. The status-heavy drug extracted from coca bush found in abundance in South America, has a steep street value due to its ever rising demand.
This drug stimulates the central nervous system and is very addictive. The powdered form of cocaine is either smoked, snorted or dissolved in water to be injected into the bloodstream. Cocaine has powerful negative effects on heart, brain, and emotions and can be the cause of sudden death.
According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report titled “Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” about 1.5 million people aged 12 or older in the United States were current users of cocaine in 2014. The users of this drug encompass all ages, occupations, races and economic levels.
Repeated cocaine use builds tolerance which leads to over-indulgence in the drug to get a high. It gradually leads to dependence and the user gets addicted to it. There is no “safe” frequency of cocaine intake and stopping its use can lead to withdrawal which can be medically serious. Sometimes, withdrawal also draws the user to have suicidal thoughts.
It is always advisable to consult experts at cocaine drug rehab centers to properly assess the neurobiological, social, and medical aspects of the patient’s drug abuse problem. A cocaine addiction rehab can help an individual attain an initial period of abstinence from the drug and avoid any implications for relapse. A holistic approach for detoxification to get rid of cocaine from the body while managing the symptoms of withdrawal is the first phase of treatment. Detoxification should be followed by medications and behavioral therapies to have a long-lasting impact on the patient.
Seeking professional treatment from a recognized cocaine addiction treatment center can ensure individualized treatments with multipronged approaches to curb cocaine addiction. The treatment should be tailor-made, suiting the patient’s needs and the severity of addiction, both physically and psychologically. An integration of behavioral and pharmacological treatments may ultimately prove to be the most effective approach to treat withdrawal symptoms, avoid relapse and render a cocaine-free life to the patient.