While not everyone who uses cocaine recreationally becomes addicted, for those who do, the lasting effects can be quite serious. It’s, therefore, important to get quality support if you or a loved one has developed cocaine dependency. Gaining some understanding of how cocaine affects mental health is a great place to start.
In many cases, cocaine use correlates with a mental health concern, making a dual diagnosis treatment center necessary. For quality cocaine addiction treatment near Austin, TX, call 1.844.675.1628 to reach The Right Step Hill Country or connect with us online.
What Are the Effects of Cocaine on Mental Health?
Cocaine stimulates the body’s central nervous system, causing a powerful but short-lived burst of energy and euphoria. The drug, originally derived from coca leaves, has been used medicinally for its related pain-killing properties. Its chemical high, however, makes it a popular recreational drug as well. After prolonged use, it can make lasting changes to the brain by repeatedly flooding the reward system and creating dependency. Those who use the drug can lose their natural capacity to regulate their brain chemistry. This causes them to depend on the drug for basic mood stabilization.
Unfortunately, cocaine is also linked to the brain’s stress circuitry, meaning it not only relieves unpleasant feelings but causes them. Those who use cocaine thus enter a vicious cycle. Making matters worse, the drug leaves the body quickly. This leads users to take multiple hits back-to-back or within a short period of time. Binging in this way increases the risk of developing long-term tolerance and addiction and worsens symptoms.
These negative mental health symptoms include:
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Paranoia
- Extreme anger or anxiety
- Violent thoughts
- Violent behavior toward self and others
- Misplaced priorities related to career, core relationships, etc.
- Poor decision-making and impulse control
To better understand how cocaine affects your mental health and how to get the treatment that you need, call The Right Step Hill Country today at 1.844.675.1628.
Understanding Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Cocaine Addiction and a Co-Occurring Psychiatric Condition
In many cases, cocaine use co-occurs with mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s also common for those who use cocaine to use other substances as well.
The first step in finding out what course of treatment will work best for a possible dual diagnosis is professional evaluation. A doctor or psychiatrist can help you understand how symptoms and behavior correlate to both mental health and behavioral concerns.
In the next treatment step, detox, clients check into a treatment center or hospital. There they receive short-term 24/7 supervision and care during withdrawal. Medical staff monitor their vitals, ensure sufficient nutrition, and potentially administer mild pain medication.
Therapy Options
Behavioral therapies can have a significant impact on working with cocaine abuse. Motivational incentives such as voucher systems that reward negative drug tests over time can be particularly effective. This is because those recovering from cocaine addiction already have over-stimulated reward centers. Replacing the drug with more positive incentives like tickets to sporting events or restaurant gift cards can thus be a natural fit.
Talk therapy is also important in working with cocaine use disorder treatment, especially when it co-occurs with mental health concerns. Approaches like cognitive-behavioral and dialectical-behavior therapy teach self-regulation by helping clients identify self-defeating thought patterns and replace them with more positive ones. They likewise encourage resilience by cultivating clients’ ability to remain non-reactive in the face of triggers to use.
Get Help with Recovery from Cocaine Use Disorder at Hill Country in Wimberley, TX Today
Don’t wait to seek help with cocaine addiction recovery. While this substance is sometimes seen as a harmless “party drug,” its high addiction potential makes it worth taking seriously. Learn more about the quality dual diagnosis treatment options for cocaine use disorder at Hill Country by calling us today. Our team looks forward to assisting you in getting the best care possible and answering any questions about how cocaine affects your mental health. We’re available at 1.844.675.1628 or use our online contact form.