Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Addiction Intervention Treatment in Florida

Cocaine and crack cocaine addiction intervention services and drug rehab in Florida include options for all drug addiction severity. Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant, native to South America, causing dangerous drug addiction. It is a common street drugthat goes by many different names and can be ingested a couple of different ways but, in every circumstance, is highly addictive. Cocaine addiction has a crippling effect on those who abuse the drug, making intervention and drug rehab services in Florida essential for those working to reclaim their lives.  

What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack Cocaine, and How are They Used?

The powdered form of cocaine is referred to as cocaine or coke, while the rock form is referred to as crack or crack cocaine because of the crackling sound it makes when smoked. Cocaine is a hydrochloride salt in powdered form, while crack cocaine is derived from powdered cocaine, mixing it with water sodium bicarbonate. After cocaine and the baking soda are combined, the mixture is boiled, and a solid rock-like substance forms. Once it is cooled, it is broken into smaller pieces, these pieces being sold as crack. These rock forms are generally white, cream, tan, or light brown.

Crack cocaine and cocaine also produce different highs, intensity, and the duration of the high differs. Cocaine that is smoked produces the effects quicker, resulting in a more intense but shorter high, causing the drug user to use the substance continually. When cocaine is snorted,it can take longer to feel the effects, but the high tends to last longer. Powder cocaine, when snorted,can be felt in about 1-5 minutes, peak within 20-30 minutes, and dissipate within 1-2 hours. When powder cocaine is injected, it can be felt in under a minute, peak in 3-5 minutes, and last anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

What are the Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Addiction?

Cocaine causes a short-lived, intense high that is immediately followed by the opposite. Those who abuse the drug often don’t eat or sleep properly. The drug can greatly increase your heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. It can also make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious. Short-term effects of cocaine useinclude the following: loss of appetite, increased blood pressure/body temperature, contracted blood vessels, increased breathing, dilated pupils, disturbed sleep patterns, nausea, bizarre/erratic/violent behavior, hallucinations, irritability, intense euphoria, anxiety/paranoia, depression, intense drug cravings, panic and psychosis, convulsions, seizures, and sudden deaths from high doses.

Drug rehab programs in Florida begin with drug detox to manage the lingering effects of cocaine use. Typically,drug detox does not last long but is important because of the physical and psychological damage cocaine causes. Long-term effects of cocaine use include the following: permanent damage to blood vessels of the heart and brain, high blood pressure, liver, kidney, and lung damage, destruction of the tissues in the nose (if sniffed), respiratory failure (if smoked), infectious diseases and abscesses (if injected), malnutrition/ weight loss, severe tooth decay, hallucinations, sexual problems (reproductive damage and infertility for men and women), disorientation, irritability and mood disorders, increased frequency of risky behavior, delirium and severe depression.

What Causes Cocaine Addiction?

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug that increases the level of dopamine in the user’s brain. Dopamine is used to send messages between nerve cells, also known as a chemical messenger. Dopamine is heavily responsible for how we feel pleasure; it is a big part of our uniquely human ability to think, plan, focus, feel pleasure. When cocaine is ingested, it causes feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Cocaine, however, prevents dopamine from being recycled, causing a large amount to build up, stopping the communication between cells. The increased amount of dopamine in the brain reinforces drug-taking behavior.

Drug-seeking behavior and the underlying issues are addressed at residential or outpatient drug rehab programs in Florida. Anyone using cocaine is at risk of becoming addicted, but some factors increase the risk. Those risks include the following: family history of cocaine or other drug dependence, addiction to alcohol or other drugs, and mental illness such as depression. For whatever reason an addict takes cocaine, the same rings true: repeated use builds tolerance, increasing the quantity and frequency of cocaine to maintain the same effects they wish to experience.

Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Drug Addiction Treatment and Detox in Florida

Because of its highly addictive properties, seeking help at a detox and drug rehab center in Florida are highly recommended. The first or initial step in treating cocaine addiction is detox. Detox is the process of flushing the substance from the body and managing any withdrawal symptoms that appear. Withdrawal symptoms begin within 24 hours after use has stopped and can linger for days or weeks, depending on the extent of use. Common withdrawal symptoms include cravings, intense hunger, depression, anxiety, restless sleep, extreme tiredness/exhaustion, angry outburst/ overall agitation, and inability to experience a pleasure. Drug rehab and drug detox centers in Florida are properly equipped to manage cocaine withdrawal symptoms safely.

Following detox, the next phase of drug rehab involves either a residential or outpatient drug rehab center. Residential or inpatient drug rehab is the highest level of drug rehab services for those struggling with cocaine addiction. Treatment involves living at a facility and attending in-person therapies and meetings. Outpatient drug rehab treatment is ideal for those who are motivated to get sober but cannotstay at an inpatient drug rehab center. Each treatment plan should be tailored to the individual’s needs and should treat the body, mind, and spirit. Once detox and drug treatment are complete, it is important to participate in aftercare support. Common aftercare includes peer support groups, 12-step meetings, and sober living homes.

Family Intervention for Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Drug Addiction in Florida

Family intervention in Florida is a carefully planned meeting between the family/loved ones and an addict. This meeting is planned without the knowledge of the person struggling with drug abuse. It is meant to motivate a person who is addicted to cocaine, or other substances, to seek the help they need to achieve sobriety and live a drug-free life. Due to the highly addictive nature of cocaine, it is often hard for addicts to recognize they need help. In addition, they are unwilling to accept treatment causing the family to organize a family intervention.

Planning and executing an intervention can be very complex and emotionally charged. If done incorrectly, it can have negative effects on the situation. To minimize the added strain on the family and friends of the addict and maximize the positive outcome of the intervention, it is best practice to hire an interventionist. A family interventionist in Florida is a professional who will be able to help the family navigate the planning, the days leading up to the intervention, and set clear consequences for the addict if they are unwilling to seek help.

Sources-

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine.

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-are-long-term-effects-cocaine-use.

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-are-short-term-effects-cocaine-use.