Cocaine Addiction Rehab in Idaho
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), on any given day in Idaho, there are about 11,596 people addicted to cocaine. Cocaine is available widely throughout the state and has been increasingly popular in recent years (perhaps due to falling prices). Methamphetamine users may switch to cocaine when there’s less meth in circulation because both drugs are stimulants.
Regardless of how severe your cocaine addiction may be, there is treatment available in Idaho. Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery is a recovery rehab located in Nampa, Idaho with a compassionate staff experienced in the treatment of substance use disorders.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that can be highly addictive. Coca leaves are the source of cocaine, and people in South America have chewed and consumed coca leaves for thousands of years.
More than 100 years ago, the purified chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, was isolated from the plant. In the early 1900s, the purified chemical was the main active ingredient in elixirs and tonics purported to treat a wide range of illnesses. Before synthetic local anesthetics were developed, cocaine was used by surgeons to block pain. Cocaine was considered so safe that it was a key ingredient in the original recipe for Coca-Cola.
However, today, cocaine is a Schedule II drug in the United States. This means that it has a high potential for abuse but may be used by a doctor for legitimate medical uses. Frequently, dealers dilute (or “cut”) the drug with non-psychoactive substances like cornstarch, talcum powder, or baking soda to increase profits. They may also use combine it with other drugs, such as amphetamines (also a psychoactive stimulant).
How Do People Use Cocaine?
People generally abuse cocaine in two forms: a water soluble hydrochloride salt and as a water soluble cocaine base.
Cocaine users frequently snort the hydrochloride salt, which is in powder form, through their noses or by rubbing it on their gums. It can also be mixed with water and injected. Some users combine cocaine with injectable heroin to experience different effects.
The base form of cocaine is made by processing the drug with ammonia or baking soda and water, then heating it to produce a smokable rock crystal. This is called “crack,” referring to the crackling sound the substances makes when it’s heated. Crack is smoked using a method called freebasing, where users heat an implement holding the crack (such as a spoon or foil) and inhale the vapors.
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Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction is evident by an inability to stop using cocaine, even when it consistently causes the person harm or distress. But other signs of cocaine addiction include:
- Chronic restlessness
- Being suspicious of people
- Withdrawing from social situations
- Constant fatigue
- General deterioration in health and appearance
- Nosebleeds or constant runny nose (users who snort cocaine)
- Track marks (indications of injections) on the arms, between toes, or sometimes neck
- Insomnia, nightmares, or other sleep disorders
- The use of cocaine has increased over time
- Cravings for cocaine
- Experiencing withdrawal effects when not using cocaine
How Does Cocaine Work?
Cocaine changes the way the brain works by increasing the amount of a chemical called dopamine in parts of the brain. Dopamine is associated with motivation, learning, and reward.
Frequent cocaine use will lead to the brain becoming used to the larger amount of dopamine produced by the drug. Eventually, other healthy activities may begin to seem less interesting or fun. The person may need more and more of the drug just to feel “normal.”
Cocaine-Induced Euphoria
Cocaine produces a feeling of pleasure that can far exceed the normal range of natural human experience. The attraction of cocaine euphoria shouldn’t be underestimated. Its strength is demonstrated by the fact that animals in experiments with unrestricted access to cocaine will self-administer the cocaine until it kills them.
Evidence indicates that cocaine activates the sex reward circuits in the brain. After the relatively short duration of the high, cocaine-induced pleasure can turn to intense craving that fuels cocaine binges. As cocaine addiction continues, people become increasingly at risk for the following:
- Money problems
- Disrupted family bonds
- Incarceration for possession
- Medical complications
- Death
How Does Cocaine Affect Your Body?
Euphoria and energy experienced through cocaine can take a toll on the body. Chronic or long-term use of cocaine can cause a range of health effects, which can happen right after using cocaine or may happen long after the drug wears off.
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Dry mouth
- Restlessness
- Racing thoughts
- Temporary energy surge
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Sleep disturbances
- Cardiac arrest
- Seizures
- Coma
- Seizures
- Depression
- Malnutrition
- Hypertension
- Abdominal pain
- Severe weight loss
- Insomnia and exhaustion
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Perpetual psychotic symptoms
- Development of tolerance and addiction
- Infection, redness, or sores at injection sites
- Loss of sensitivity in the brain’s reward pathways to natural reinforcers
- Nosebleeds and destruction of nasal passages from snorting
- Loss of ability to experience pleasure without cocaine
- Loss of sense of smell, problems swallowing
- Brain atrophy and impaired thinking
- Coughing and other lung problems
- Lung disease from smoking
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heart attack
- Stroke
The effects of an overdose may include stroke, seizures, irregular heart rhythm, or heart attack.
Why is Cocaine So Addictive?
Cocaine can create one the most intense psychological dependences of any drug, topped by very few apart from methamphetamine. It stimulates key pleasure centers within the brain and causes heightened feelings of euphoria. The repeated use of cocaine over time can cause the development of physical tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms when not being using cocaine.
Cocaine can also prove hard to quit using for other reasons, including:
- The short but intense high
- Cocaine’s reputation as a social “party drug”
- The perception of cocaine as “useful” for staying awake, particularly in service industries
- The small amount of cocaine necessary to feel a high (at first)
- The sharp drop into depression (or feeling of being on edge) that can result after the cocaine high has worn off
- Rewarding feelings that encourage more usage, caused by the dopamine rush caused by cocaine
Cocaine Detox: What is Cocaine Withdrawal Like?
The onset of withdrawal symptoms when you stop or reduce your use of cocaine is another sign of a cocaine dependency Withdrawal symptoms includes:
- Tiredness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Hostility
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts
- Sleep disturbances or inability to sleep
Why You Need Help to Detox
Although the potential symptoms of cocaine withdrawal can be very uncomfortable and unpleasant, they are not typically life-threatening. However, detoxing from cocaine addiction can lead to extremely negative thoughts and even severe depression. This can lead to dangerous situations.
This is why a professionally monitored detoxification in a cocaine addiction rehab can be highly beneficial. Medical professionals can address any new mood disorder problems and manage uncomfortable symptoms as they come along. This all serves to help a person in withdrawal to successfully detox without giving up and relapsing. It can also help prepare the individual for ongoing treatment and lasting recovery.
Treating Cocaine Addiction
We know that anyone can become addicted to cocaine. It doesn’t matter where you live, work, or attend school. There’s no way to predict who will become addicted. But the right treatment can help a person who is addicted feel better and stop using cocaine. Still, it’s hard work and takes many years to stay in recovery, so a solid start is imperative.
There are currently no medications specifically used to treat cocaine addiction. However, there are some prescription medications used to treat other types of substance abuse or other issues and they have been used with some success in the treatment of cocaine abuse. These include two medications used to treat other disorders:
- Disulfiram–a treatment for alcohol dependence helps prevent cocaine relapse
- Propranolol–a treatment for angina and hypertension can be used to reduce anxiety and promote abstinence
- Baclofen–a muscle relaxant that decreases the craving
The most effective treatment for cocaine abuse is a combination of behavioral and medical interventions, such as a cocaine addiction rehab that includes intensive psychotherapy. Behavioral therapies have shown continued effectiveness in the treatment of cocaine addiction. Two common, evidence-based behavioral approaches are:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT has been found to help with recovery from cocaine addiction. CBT helps individuals recognize their faulty thinking which led to their addiction. They also learn to identify situations that may tempt them into relapsing and how to avoid them.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT is a type of CBT that teaches people how to live in the moment, regulate their emotions, improve relationships, and develop healthy ways to deal with stress. It teaches people to accept and tolerate their situation while working for change.
At our cocaine addiction rehab, we offer various levels of care for individuals suffering from addiction. They include:
- Residential treatment program: In a residential program, you live full-time at the treatment facility. Because of the extreme addictiveness of cocaine, inpatient treatment helps you live without the distractions and triggers to use in your everyday life. Living in a drug-free treatment center allows you to focus on your recovery and learn how to avoid relapse.
- Outpatient treatment program: There are several levels of outpatient programs that range from two days a week to five days a week. Generally, the severity of your addiction and the type of addiction will decide which program suits you best.
- Dual diagnosis treatment: When an individual has an addiction and a mental health issue, it is considered a dual diagnosis. It’s common for a person with a mental health problem to also have a substance use disorder. Both conditions need to be treated simultaneously in the same treatment facility by the same treatment team.
Start Your Journey at Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery’s Cocaine Addiction Rehab
At Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery’s cocaine addiction rehab, we understand addiction and all that it entails. We are prepared to provide supervised medical detox to help you safely and successfully through withdrawal. Detox will prepare you to do the serious work of getting better. Our residential program will keep you safe from triggers while you receive 24-hour care from our specialists.
While you’re here, you will be provided with a therapy program created specifically for your needs. We know that everyone is unique and a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work. That’s why we have a comprehensive dual diagnosis program. In addition, we also know that the addiction of one family member affects all other family members. Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery offers family therapy for all family members to help support long-term healing.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with a cocaine addiction, now is the time to do something about it. Of course, you still have questions and we encourage you to contact us and find out what our cocaine addiction rehab in Idaho can do for you. A more fulfilling life can be yours if you want it.
Clinical Director
Kendall Maloof is the clinical director at Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has held multiple leadership roles before settling here at Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery. Kendall received her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2016. Her career in mental and behavioral health began in 2014 when she took up internships in both the nonprofit and for profit sectors. She interned at multiple reputable companies, such as The Living Success Center and 449 Recovery in California.
In 2019, Kendall became the clinical director of Sunsets Recovery for Woman, a dual diagnosis program in southern California. Kendall is a natural leader. She has an incredible ability to problem solve and stay calm in any situation. Kendall never fails to show up when she is needed, and her calm demeanor makes her team and clients feel at ease. Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery is proud to have Kendall as our clinical director.
