Many people try cocaine recreationally during their lifetimes, especially when they’re young. 
For some, cocaine use is easily limited to the occasional recreational dose. Unfortunately, a full-flown addiction can develop for others, and a cocaine treatment center may be essential for regaining long-term sobriety. If you or someone you care about is looking for a San Antonio area drug detox center, contact The Right Step Hill Country. We’re excited to get you started on the road to recovery and can be reached at 1.844.675.1628 or via online message.
What Is Cocaine and Why Is It Addictive?
Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant derived from coca (Erythroxylum coca) leaves. The substance has been used medicinally for over a century because of its pain-killing properties. However, it also has a high potential for recreational use and abuse due to the short-term high it produces.
With repeated use, cocaine can have lasting impacts on the brain. It floods the reward system and causes dependency, meaning those who use it need more and more to get the same effect. Beyond this, cocaine also links with the brain’s stress circuitry. Thus, cocaine use can both cause increased stress and simultaneously become the user’s primary way of managing it. Sadly this also means stress sometimes triggers cocaine relapse, and people battling stress-linked disorders are at heightened risk for cocaine abuse.
The drug has a short half-life, meaning it leaves the body quickly. This leads some people who use it to engage in binge behavior. They may take multiple doses back to back over the course of a day or night or might take a considerable quantity, to begin with. In the latter case, the drug’s effects can include anger, hostility, and even violence rather than simply a euphoric high. Binge behavior related to cocaine only increases the likelihood that addiction will develop. Here are a few signs it may be time to get professional help:
- You’ve become tolerant to the drug and need higher and higher doses to feel the same effect.
- If you typically partake by snorting the drug, you have burst capillaries or other skin injuries around your nostrils.
- You’re struggling with hallucinations or paranoia.
- You’re frequently angry or feel anxious.
- Meaningful relationships are suffering due to your dependence on or compulsive pursuit of the drug.
- Finances have become a concern due to excessive cocaine purchasing.
What Happens in a Cocaine Detox Program?
Withdrawing from cocaine can be quite uncomfortable, but fortunately, it is typically less dangerous than some other substances, such as opioids. Nonetheless, detoxing in a qualified program can work wonders for those in recovery by reducing the chance of relapse and helping them access key resources such as a healthy diet, rest, and mental health care.
During the cocaine detoxification process, those in recovery can experience side effects like the following:
- Mood symptoms like anxiety and depression
- Lack of mental understanding in the form of fatigue, slow thinking, or poor concentration
- Sleeping more than usual
- Experiencing a heightened appetite for food
- Undergoing intense cravings for cocaine
- Occasionally, dysphoria or depression
Providers will ensure those in recovery are safe, have access to nutritious meals and exercise, and can get as much rest as possible. There is no medication specifically suited to manage cocaine cravings, but doctors may sometimes prescribe more general pain management medication.
Access to mental health care is also vital to any quality cocaine treatment program following the first crucial step of chemical detox. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown to be particularly useful since it helps clients reframe negative or self-defeating thoughts with more positive self-talk. CBT can be a powerful tool in managing cravings or underlying traumas that may inform their pattern of drug use.
Other therapeutic approaches, such as contingency management and relapse prevention techniques, can help them plan for their cocaine-free lives following treatment. Frequently this entails identifying triggers and finding ways to avoid them during early sobriety and carefully managing exposure as time goes on. Group therapy can also be a powerful tool in cocaine use disorder treatment. A supportive community of peers can offer both compassion and accountability in the healing journey.
Begin Your Recovery Journey at Hill Country’s Effective Cocaine Detox Center in San Antonio, TX Today
If you or someone you love is living with cocaine addiction, know you’re not alone. Cocaine use is incredibly common, and due to the drug’s addictive nature, it’s easy to fall into destructive patterns. Know that help is just a phone call or email away, and the caring team at Hill Country is eager to assist you. Call our San Antonio treatment center at 1.844.675.1628 or message us online.