Ruby B. Johnson has been a clinical practitioner since 2003. Since 2003, Mrs. Johnson has been an adjunct professor, community educator, and advocate. Her areas of practice are substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive sexual behaviors, and attachment disorders. She owns Inamorata LLC (www.inamorata.me) and Johnson Conflict Resolution (www.johnsonconflictresolution.com), and is the CEO and organizer for PolyDallas Millennium© LLC (www.polydallasmillennium.com).
Between 2014 and 2015, the states that had the most cocaine use among 18 to 25 year olds were:
(Source:Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
The most effective treatment for cocaine addiction combines pharmacological and behavioral interventions.(Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Most patients who seek treatment for cocaine addiction are crack users.(Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
In 2014, 12.4 percent, or 5,856, of overdose deaths were caused by cocaine. (Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
In 2015, there were 6,784 cocaine-related deaths around the country. Of these fatalities, 1,899 were female and 4,885 were male. (Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
When people getting rehabilitation for cocaine are given cognitive behavioral therapy, they are more likely to achieve long-term abstinence from the drug.(Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
After completing cocaine rehab, those who participate in aftercare programs are more likely to abstain from using the drug.(Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Short-term effects of cocaine use include nausea, irregular heartbeat, paranoia, and irritability. People who use the drug on a long-term basis may experience nosebleeds, restlessness, auditory hallucinations, and severe bowel decay.(Source:National Institute on Drug Abuse)
If you or someone you know is addicted to cocaine, it is important to get help immediate to prevent overdose (or worse). The most effective cocaine rehabs combine detox, which is designed to get cocaine out of their system, with behavioral counseling that teaches them the lifestyle changes that need to be made in order to prevent a relapse.
While programs do vary, the process of rehabilitation for cocaine tends to follow the same steps in the same order.
Death by overdose is the most serious risk of cocaine addiction. If you believe someone you know and love is experiencing an overdose, do the following before reporting to a cocaine rehabilitation center:
When someone is overdosing on cocaine, time is of the essence for treatment. Every minute counts in terms of preventing stroke, heart attack, permanent injuries, and death. As a result, when first responders arrive to treat someone having a cocaine overdose, they are tasked with restoring blood flow to the heart and oxygen to the brain, as well as stopping any seizures that may be occurring.
Ruby B. Johnson, has been a clinical practitioner since 2003. Since 2003, Mrs. Johnson has been an adjunct professor, community educator, and advocate. Her areas of practice are substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive sexual behaviors, and attachment disorders. She owns Inamorata LLC (www.inamorata.me) and Johnson Conflict Resolution (www.johnsonconflictresolution.com), and is the CEO and organizer for PolyDallas Millennium© LLC (www.polydallasmillennium.com).
All addictions whether chemical or non-chemical have three criteria: loss of control, compulsive use, and continued using despite the adverse consequences.
Addiction’s impact on the brain is very similar regardless if it’s chemical or non-chemical. There are two regions of the brain to consider. One is the executive functioning (determining right or wrong, weighing consequences, cost-benefit analysis, etc.). Dependence and craving take part in the primitive region, amygdala and reptilian brain. The disruption to the brain’s functioning create the same loss of control, compulsive use, and use despite adverse consequences.
Cocaine is ingested by smoking, intravenously, or inhaling. Smoking cocaine, freebasing or crack, has been depicted in media and film as the ultimate dereliction. They are called “crack heads.” Intravenous substance users are viewed as junkies.
A significant difference is how the individuals who are addicted to cocaine are viewed.
Baseline treatment for substance users is talk therapy, support groups, and medication treatment of the mood and physical symptoms. The most effective treatment modality is motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing allows the person to determine what is going to be the best action for them to reach their goals and what is needed to maintain the change.
Addiction is a family disease. An often missed aspect of treatment is the family getting healthy along with the person who is the addict.
Here are a few suggestions:
All of these suggestions encourage the person to maintain decreased idol time, healthy goals, and engagement with people who are supportive.
Don’t enable the addict. Families want to protect the addict from discomfort or consequences. This is not the family’s role. Also, the family needs to seek their therapy and support group.