Cocaine Addiction in Atascocita, TX

Cocaine, a nervous system stimulant, was originally discovered for use in certain medical applications. In its most common application, however, it is an illegal recreational drug that is smoked, snorted, inhaled or injected for the euphoria that it helps produce. Addiction, unfortunately, happens quickly enough to take users by surprise. At the our rehab center for cocaine addiction in Atascocita, we help explain to patients and their families how treatment for cocaine addiction works.

How Cocaine Addiction Happens

When cocaine enters the brain through the bloodstream, it acts to intensely expose the brain's reward center to the neurotransmitter dopamine. When affected in this way, the reward center produces massive amounts of pleasure over a period of several minutes. Since cocaine is a stimulant, its use also results in heightened levels of energy, alertness, blood pressure and heart rate. These effects on the heart are known to cause stroke or cardiac arrest in some.

The brain's reward center has a crucial role to play in the day-to-day functioning of the brain. It is responsible for making life feel rewarding, pleasurable and acceptable on a day-to-day basis. When repeatedly commandeered by cocaine, however, the reward center loses the ability to regulate its own function. It begins to depend on the presence of cocaine to operate. When dependent on cocaine in this way, the brain is said to be physically addicted to it.

Psychological addiction can come about, as well. The reward center is designed to learn deep-seated attachment to experiences that cause pleasure; in this way, use of cocaine is able to create a very deep attachment to the drug. The attachment tends to manifest as irresistible cravings.

Those who remain addicted to cocaine for very long begin to experience serious health effects as a result. They may undergo extreme weight loss, seizures, cardiac arrest, stroke and sudden death.

When the brain becomes dependent on cocaine, quitting becomes a great challenge. Since the brain's reward center physically depends on cocaine to function, removal of the substance throws the brain into disarray, causing terrible withdrawal symptoms. Most of those who attempt to face these symptoms on their own fail, and simply return to their cocaine abuse. Professional cocaine addiction recovery is important.

How Is Cocaine Addiction Treated?

At our rehab for cocaine addiction in Atascocita, we explain to addicts that the withdrawal symptoms of cocaine tend to be different from those seen in withdrawal from alcohol or heroin. Rather than manifest in a physical way, these symptoms tend to be psychological. Addicts attempting to detoxify (the term used to describe the process of weaning the brain off addiction) can feel relentless agitation, depression, insomnia, anxiety and fear. Mixed together with the waves of craving, the experience can be hellish, indeed. Most of those who attempt to tackle the process on their own give up.

Since there are few physical withdrawal symptoms associated with cocaine addiction, the detoxification addiction treatment process requires an approach different from the one used to treat addiction to alcohol or heroin. The approach mostly involves a combination of psychiatric medications and behavioral therapy.

While one in three emergency room admissions in the country can be traced to cocaine use, only one in six admissions to addiction rehabs in the country have anything to do with the drug. Many people simply do not seek cocaine addiction rehab. It's important that the do, however.

While there are no drugs specifically recommended by the FDA for use in cocaine detox, addiction specialists can rely on their experience to make expert, off-label prescriptions. Modafinil is used to promote dopamine production in the brain, thereby helping with depression and insomnia; topiramate helps lower anxiety and agitation. Disulfiram and Antabuse are used against the cravings experienced.

When addicts approach our cocaine addiction rehab center for care, the aim of the first series of consultations is usually to identify the most effective treatment programs in Atascocita. For patients who have long-standing addictions, or addictions complicated by poor physical health or psychiatric health, an inpatient program that offers close medical, psychiatric and psychological supervision is essential.

Inpatient rehab for cocaine addiction can run for weeks, a period of time usually considered sufficient to help the brain regain normal function. In some cases, treatment can run three times as long for patients who have very established addictions.

Relapse Prevention

Once the detoxification process is able to free the addict of the immediate symptoms of addiction -- cravings and withdrawal symptoms -- the process of relapse prevention in Atascocita must begin -- psychological addiction to cocaine, once it appears, isn't ever completely overcome. The recovering addict needs to engage in long-term therapy to gain psychological skills that help him resist and overcome. Relapse prevention is the long-term therapy that helps with this aim.

At our drug and alcohol addiction treatment center for cocaine addiction in Atascocita, our relapse prevention program is one of the strongest in the industry. If you or a loved one would like help or advice with a cocaine addiction, our experts are always willing to help. You only need to call (877) 804-1531.