3 Addictions

When considering doing a cocaine detox, it is highly advisable to detox in a medically supervised and well-monitored setting to ensure you are comfortable and safe throughout the entire process. This is because cocaine detox symptoms can differ for each person depending on how long you used cocaine and how much of it you used.

Addiction treatment for cocaine abuse or addiction disorder typically starts with medical detox. This phase of the rehabilitation process involves trained medical professionals and addiction specialists who assist as you eliminate the drug from your body and experience withdrawal.

A cocaine detox helps you break down and eliminate any harmful addictive substances present in your body, allowing it to resume normal functioning without them. This process also helps to decrease the drug’s dangerous effects on your body as it leaves your system.

Trying to stop using cocaine suddenly without medical help can be dangerous, and it is not advisable. This is known as quitting cold turkey, which can increase the chances of having an uncomfortable reaction after getting used to having cocaine in your body. This can give rise to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, resulting when the brain reacts to chemical changes caused by the absence of the drug.

Withdrawal symptoms experienced during cocaine detox can include:

• Suicidal thoughts
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Cravings
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Exhaustion
• Shivering and shaking

Since the process can be potentially dangerous and incredibly uncomfortable, it is ideal to have someone who understands medical detox monitoring throughout. Detoxing in a comfortable environment also helps the patient to work through the discomfort and pain of cocaine withdrawal. Specialized detox centers provide access to all the basic levels of care to safely guide recovering individuals through the withdrawal process while providing staff on hand to offer support.

Before going through medical detox, individuals will undergo a medical assessment to assess the extent of their substance use disorder. This will help the treatment team and medical care providers determine what to recommend for the patient. They will develop a customized treatment plan based on the duration and severity of your cocaine use. Other contributing factors include your current overall health and medical history.

Psychological Problems Experienced During Cocaine Detox

Most people who go through cocaine withdrawal will have their symptoms peak and diminish within one or two weeks. However, individuals with poly-drug abuse problems or who have been abusing cocaine for a long time may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms, which can stay on for months and even years.

Such recovering users might get continuous, recurrent drug cravings and a possible diagnosis of major depression. Considering how intense and unpleasant the symptoms can be, recovering cocaine addicts are at a higher risk for relapse when they attempt to detox without professional intervention or medical assistance.

At times, people who are experiencing cocaine withdrawals can get powerful hallucinations or delusions. This can also increase their likelihood of self-harm or harming others if they don’t conduct their cocaine detox in a supervised and safe environment.

Medication

During the recovering patient’s medical assessment, the addiction treatment team will determine the best medication to include in the treatment plan to meet their needs. When the patient goes through cocaine detox, the qualified staff will monitor the withdrawal symptoms and administer medication accordingly. You may also be given a replacement medication to help you taper off cocaine safely and comfortably.

The treatment staff will also assess the person for any underlying mental or physical health problems while also checking if there is another drug abuse problem. The patient will be observed during the crash or acute withdrawal phase, which happens at the beginning of cocaine detox. The staff will monitor for any serious health problems during this stage while administering medication for insomnia, muscle pains, and body aches.

Safe Practices During a Cocaine Detox

It is always best to maintain healthy habits during a cocaine detox to maximize safety and comfort throughout the process. This can include engaging in physical activity or exercise and eating a balanced and nutrient-rich diet. Maintaining one’s health allows the mind and the body to properly deal with the challenges experienced.

People recovering from cocaine abuse or addiction are usually advised to eat and rest as much as possible. This is because the drug is known to repress the user’s appetite, so most people who undertake cocaine addiction treatment tend to be underweight and malnourished.

Keeping your mind occupied with various safe forms of entertainment also helps to distract you from the symptoms you’re experiencing and pass the time. You can dive into reading, listening to music, watching television, or taking evening walks to take your mind off the cocaine detox process.

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and healthy beverages. Most importantly, avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee and stay away from alcohol. Staying in a drug-free environment like a rehabilitation facility can also help you stay clean compared to detox from home. So if you feel you may be dependent on the drug or need extra help, you can check into an outpatient or inpatient program.

During the next stage of withdrawal during cocaine detox, the staff in the treatment facility will keep observing patients or any residual emotional and physical side effects. Social workers, doctors, and therapists will develop a continuous maintenance plan for the patient. This can include attending therapy sessions and establishing programs to avoid relapse with assistance from supportive doctors and therapists.

Once you have completed cocaine detox, you will work with your addiction treatment team and healthcare provider to determine whether an inpatient or outpatient program will address your recovery needs best. The ideal option is that which meets your needs to ensure your best chance for success.

Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs, and even using it once can immediately lead to misuse and eventually a cocaine addiction. This can leave you in need of support and cocaine addiction treatment. Cocaine addiction can be harmful to your life and the people around you, but you should not be ashamed. People become addicted to certain drugs for various reasons. Still, with the right professional care and treatment, you can get back control over your life, deal with your dependence, and get back to living a happy, healthy life.

The initial step to recovery is realizing and accepting that you have a problem with cocaine addiction. It is usually the hardest step, after which you can get cocaine addiction treatment to help you quit using cocaine. A medical professional can encourage you to recognize your dependency and help you sort out this issue. This includes finding new ways to cope by establishing positive attitudes and improving one’s self-esteem. When undergoing cocaine addiction treatment, you will receive treatment from qualified professionals who can provide comprehensive care best suited to your goals and needs.

Even though cocaine addiction treatment is very useful, getting the best care can be challenging. It can be overwhelming to find out if overdose treatment is required, deal with insurance coverage, and determine if you’ll need to go through other levels of care. Once you develop a substance use disorder, it can be hard to see how to treat that condition or where to go. Most of the time, cocaine addiction is successfully treated through a professional treatment program. Extensive treatment for cocaine addiction should be a versatile process specifically developed for each individual.

Even though the treatment can differ in each facility, most options for cocaine addiction treatment have several important aspects in common. These include helping the affected individual to achieve the following:

• Learn alternative coping mechanisms required to keep on the recovery journey outside a rehab setting
• Know the underlying reasons for their addiction
• Deal with any co-occurring mental health conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety
• Addressing the initial withdrawal or overdose symptoms that can occur during cocaine addiction treatment

Rehabilitation care is readily available, but each option for cocaine addiction treatment will vary for each individual, and what works for someone might not work for another person. Navigating all the alternatives can be challenging, but you need to assess your options carefully and select a trustworthy treatment facility to boost your likelihood of success.

Rehab treatment facilities usually understand how complicated cocaine addiction treatment is and that it usually involves various personal, environmental, familial, social, and physical factors. This is why it is important to customize cocaine addiction treatment to suit the individual’s needs. There are usually qualified staff members who take their time to understand each patient going through care and assess their requirements from each perspective by providing evidence-based treatments in a supportive environment.

Cocaine addiction treatment programs often start with medically-managed detox after various degrees of recovery care. This depends on the individual’s needs and the intensity and duration of their addiction. The best treatment for cocaine addiction usually includes paired dual diagnosis treatment, group therapy, individual therapy, outpatient rehab, and inpatient rehab.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Treatment

Inpatient rehab for patients suffering from cocaine addiction involves the client living at the treatment facility under the supervision of clinicians, nurses, and doctors. This allows for around-the-clock support, care, and observation by medical professionals in a supportive setting. As the patient works through their cocaine addiction treatment, they go through varying levels of care requiring gradually fewer hours of treatment every week. This includes intensive outpatient care and partial hospitalization programming.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Treatment

This type of treatment might be a better option for individuals whose addiction is less severe or those who are unable to leave their families or jobs to engage in full-time inpatient treatment. Outpatient rehab is also taken as a demotion from exhaustive inpatient treatment. This level of treatment involves the individuals living in a supportive home environment or sober living. The individual will develop a part-time schedule for their treatment around their home and work responsibilities. Patients taking part in outpatient treatment as part of a continuous level of care find it offers them a chance to progress out of cocaine addiction treatment more easily.

Therapy

This involves in-person and group meetings to help with addiction treatment and mental health problems. Due to the developments in current technology, some cocaine addiction treatment facilities and programs also offer teletherapy, telehealth, and online counseling services. All these methods have proved to be quite efficient in treating mental health and substance abuse issues as long as there is a good internet connection.

Therapy makes up the foundation of a cocaine addiction treatment program. During rehab, patients usually engage in CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy to deal with the patient’s psychological dependence on cocaine. The participants also have group therapy sessions to bond with others on the same recovery journey. They also get to share personal experiences and gain an understanding of all the factors that contribute to cocaine addiction. These therapeutic methods help to encourage and empower individuals who are in recovery.

Paired Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Mental health problems and addiction frequently happen together with co-related causes. When they occur simultaneously in individuals, they are known as co-occurring disorders, which is called a dual diagnosis. Sometimes, individuals suffering from mental health problems will try using drugs to self-medicate. Substance abuse can also worsen symptoms associated with mental health diseases. This means that you have to address both conditions to increase the chances of success for cocaine addiction treatment.

A comprehensive treatment involving all these therapeutic methods makes sure that the affected individual successfully deals with all the complicated factors affecting their cocaine addiction.

Meth, short for methamphetamine, is a recreational drug that functions as a stimulant. It increases your energy level, alertness, brain activity, and talkativeness. You also get a pleasurable, euphoric “high” soon after you take the drug.

Meth has powerful effects, making the drug prone to abuse. When you have been using the drug for a time, you also become vulnerable to meth withdrawal. The withdrawal symptoms are generally not fatal, but they can become sources of great discomfort.

Meth withdrawal often happens when you stop taking the drug after taking it habitually. The sudden absence of the drug makes it difficult for your brain to adjust, and this is what leads to withdrawal symptoms.

If you are wondering what meth withdrawal feels like, read on for more detailed descriptions of the symptoms.

How soon does withdrawal start and how long does it last?

Based on research, withdrawal from meth occurs in two stages. The first stage can happen within 24 hours of your last dose of meth. The withdrawal symptoms may be at their most intense at this time. Over the course of a week, they will gradually subside.

The second stage often occurs over the next 2 to 3 weeks. Symptoms are less intense at this time.

Some users may suffer from lingering withdrawal symptoms lasting for months. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome, or PAWS.

What are the withdrawal symptoms?

Each user will have different withdrawal symptoms depending on how severe their case is. There are common symptoms, though, such as these.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common symptom of meth withdrawal. Research indicates that as much as 30% of individuals withdrawing from meth suffer from anxiety disorders.

Depression

Depression is another common withdrawal symptom, and it is considered normal when you are getting off meth. In most cases, depressive symptoms die down about 3 weeks after the last dose. But in some people, depression can persist for a longer time.

Meth cravings

The sudden absence of meth in your system will trigger intense cravings for the drug. Your brain becomes stressed as it adjusts, and the discomfort you feel may strongly compel you to take meth again. Cravings are frequent symptoms for people withdrawing from this drug.

Increased appetite

When you were still using meth, you may have noticed being less hungry. This is a common effect of the drug. But when you are in withdrawal, the opposite happens — your appetite will increase. In particular, you will crave carbohydrate-rich food, especially at the beginning of the withdrawal period. These food cravings may last for 2 to 3 weeks.

Sleepiness and fatigue

When you were on meth, you would feel that your energy level is so high that you can go on without sleep. But once the drug is gone, your energy level will drastically drop, making you feel sleepy and tired most of the time. These effects are most pronounced during the first week of withdrawal. Some users may even suffer from hypersomnia, a condition characterized by sleeping for around 11 hours a day. Experiencing vivid dreams is also common.

Psychosis

Psychosis refers to a range of different psychological symptoms that make you feel detached from reality. During meth withdrawal, the usual symptoms are auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations. In other words, you may hear, see, and feel things that are not really there. Additionally, you can have delusions, which are ideas that seem true to you, but in reality are untrue.

Why does withdrawal happen?

Meth makes your brain release lots of dopamine and serotonin. These two molecules are involved in producing feelings of reward and satisfaction. Eventually, your brain’s supply of dopamine and serotonin will run out, and once you suddenly stop taking meth, withdrawal will kick in.

The discomfort you feel from withdrawal will continue until your brain has replenished its supply of dopamine and serotonin. This can last for a few days to weeks.

What are the best coping strategies for withdrawal?

Withdrawing from meth can be really uncomfortable. Even then, there are ways to make it more tolerable. Here are a few techniques you can use while withdrawing from this drug.

Keep yourself busy

If you can “distract” yourself with productive activities, like a creative hobby or sports, you can put your mind off any meth cravings. The cravings may be quite intense in the first few days, but they will slowly subside within about 2 weeks. The more you can keep yourself busy, the less time you will have to entertain meth cravings.

Exercise

Exercise is known to release brain molecules that put you in a good mood. Additionally, when you exercise while withdrawing from meth, it gives the added bonus of keeping yourself physically fit. In turn, your overall state of health will improve, which also helps in your recovery.

Avoid drug triggers

As much as possible, remove yourself from people and situations that encourage you to take meth. This way, you can effectively avoid the risk of relapse while withdrawing from the drug.

Eat healthy

As your appetite returns, make sure your diet is balanced and healthy. Avoid eating more than you usually do, as this may turn into a food addiction. A good state of physical health will help your recovery greatly.

Are medications necessary?

Medications are only prescribed by doctors when necessary, usually when you are going through a medically assisted detox procedure. This is the best way to quit meth, as you will be supervised by medical professionals through the entire process. They will ensure the safest and most comfortable process of withdrawal for you.

Some medications used in meth detox are:

• Bupropion (Wellburtin)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Modafinil (Provigil)
• Naltrexone (Vivitrol)

These medications deal with meth cravings, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and other common discomforts experienced during withdrawal.

Quit using meth safely

To ensure the best outcomes of recovering from meth withdrawal, seek professional help right now. Talk to your doctor or a recovery professional and you will know the best treatments for your needs.