Cocaine addiction treatment programs are often part of addiction treatment facilities because cocaine abuse is a huge problem in the United States. In fact, before the current opioid epidemic sweeping the country, the U.S. went through a crack cocaine epidemic in the late 1980s and the 1990s.
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that’s illegal in America. A cocaine dose increases a person’s alertness, attention, and energy levels. The illicit drug also sends high levels of dopamine into the parts of your brain that control pleasure. Cocaine comes in a few different forms. The most common is a fine, white powder, but it can also be made into a solid rock crystal. Most people using cocaine snort the powder into their noses. Some rub it onto their gums or dissolve it in water and inject it into their bloodstream. Others heat the rock crystal and breathe the smoke into their lungs.
You may require a cocaine addiction treatment program in Baltimore, MD, no matter how you use this drug. Contact Baltimore Detox Center today by calling [Direct] or reaching out to our team online.
What Are the Side Effects of Cocaine Addiction?
You don’t need to be struggling with cocaine abuse to experience the short-term side effects of using cocaine. The illicit drug’s effects arise almost immediately after a single dose and disappear within an hour. Small amounts of cocaine can make someone feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and hypersensitive to sight, sound, and touch. Cocaine use can also temporarily decrease the need for sleep and food. Some users find that cocaine helps them perform simple tasks more quickly, although others experience the opposite effect.
The duration of cocaine’s euphoric effects depends on how a dose of it is taken. The faster the body absorbs cocaine, the more intense the high and the shorter its duration. Snorting cocaine produces a relatively slow onset of the high, but it may last for 30 minutes. In contrast, the high from smoking cocaine is more immediate but may last only up to 10 minutes.
Other short-term physiological effects of consistent cocaine use include the following:
- Bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior
- Constricted blood vessels
- Dilated pupils
- Feelings of irritability, anxiety, panic, restlessness, and paranoia
- Increased heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure
- Tremors, vertigo, and muscle twitches
Severe medical complications can occur with cocaine use. These complications can include cardiovascular effects, such as disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks, and neurological effects, such as headaches, seizures, strokes, and coma. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of seizures or cardiac arrest.
What Are the Dangers of Cocaine Addiction in the Long Term?
The short-term side effects of cocaine use are different from long-term ones. Over time, with repeated exposure to cocaine, the brain starts to adapt so that the reward pathway becomes less sensitive to natural reinforcers. Circuits involved in stress also become increasingly sensitive, leading to increased displeasure and negative moods when not taking the drug. These combined effects make someone struggling with addiction more likely to focus on seeking cocaine instead of relationships, food, or other natural rewards.
Because of the body’s natural process of building a tolerance to an addictive substance, long-term cocaine users may take the drug during binges. A person on a binge may suffer from an overdose. Before an overdose, though, increased intake of cocaine can lead to symptoms such as:
- Increased irritability
- Paranoia
- Restlessness
- Panic attacks
- Full-blown psychosis
Specific ways of cocaine dosing can produce their own adverse effects. Snorting cocaine can lead to loss of the sense of smell, hoarseness, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, and a chronically inflamed, runny nose. Smoking crack cocaine can worsen asthma and overall damage to the lungs. People who inject cocaine have puncture marks called tracks, most commonly in their forearms, and they are also at risk of contracting infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. People in cocaine addiction recovery are also at high risk for relapse, even following long periods of abstinence.
When Should You Consider a Cocaine Addiction Treatment Program?
Have you observed the side effects of cocaine use in the short term or the dangers of long-term cocaine use in yourself or someone you love? If so, you should consider getting admitted into a cocaine addiction treatment program. Cocaine addiction is difficult to overcome without professional help.
Treatment for a cocaine addiction typically involves medical detox and therapeutic care in an inpatient rehabilitation program. Residential care significantly increases a client’s chances of a successful recovery. However, it’s not always easy to carve out time and find a way to pay for a long but comprehensive addiction treatment program.
Learn More About Baltimore Detox Today
If you’re looking for a cocaine addiction treatment program in Baltimore, MD, contact Baltimore Detox Center today. Call [Direct] or reach out to our team online.
