Can you overcome cocaine addiction? CBT Kenya

An addiction can be physical, meaning your body craves the drug. It can also be mental, meaning you strongly desire the drug’s effects. Cocaine can be consumed in a variety of ways. It can be inhaled through the nose or injected into a vein. And it can be used via genital or rectal routes. It can also be smoked after being processed into a form called crack cocaine.

Cocaine is highly addictive. It alters the brain to associate positive memories and emotions with the feeling of being high. The process grows uncontrollably with repeated use, eventually warping a user to “need” a fix in order to achieve a level of pleasure that cannot be achieved through normal brain function.

Symptoms of Cocaine use and addiction

Cocaine addiction is one of the most serious forms of addiction dealt with in recovery. If you suspect a loved one might be using or even worse abusing cocaine, there are certain signs to look for.

• If the person is snorting cocaine, he may lose his sense of smell, may get frequent nosebleeds, be hoarse and have a constantly running nose. He may also develop problems swallowing.
• Around a person using powder cocaine, you may find small mirrors, razor blades, straws or rolled money that were used for snorting. If the person is injecting the drug, there may be syringes, needles, surgical tubing to cause the veins to enlarge and spoons with residue.
• Since crack cocaine is smoked, you could find small glass pipes or smoking apparatus made from beer or soda cans. The drug is often sold in tiny vials or baggies so you may find these left behind.
• A person high on cocaine will typically act more alert, energetic and confident than usual. He or she may be talkative and euphoric. You may see dilated pupils, a runny nose, fast reflexes.
• They may be breathing faster than usual, feel warm or sweaty or mention feeling warmer than others in the room, and eat little or none. Also, they may manifest lower inhibitions.
• Cocaine is a stimulant, and therefore those who abuse cocaine will often go without meals for many hours or sometimes days. This leads to a significant amount of weight loss.

Cocaine withdrawal

Because cocaine withdrawal symptoms include very strong cravings and may include deep depression and suicidal thoughts, they can be difficult to manage without professional care. If someone you care about is struggling with a cocaine addiction, recovery is possible. Help treat your loved one’s cocaine addiction by acknowledging the addiction, getting initial treatment and developing a long-term plan to maintain recovery.

• Know that the risk factors that caused someone to abuse cocaine initially may still be present once they have stopped using. Addictive disease is generally thought to be the combination of genetics and environmental risk factors.
• Learn as much as you can about cocaine addiction. This will help you to understand the treatment options as well as the physical effects you might experience as a result of a cocaine addiction. 
• A person coming off cocaine use may be fatigued, agitated, restless and slow-moving. In addition to depression, he or she may feel a vague and general sense of illness. He may suffer unpleasant dreams.
• Gather friends and family to tell your loved one that they need help with their addiction. Before you meet, make a plan, gather information, and determine what you are going to say during the intervention.
• Firstly, your loved one needs to stop using cocaine in order to remove it from the body. Detoxification is designed to manage the acute and potentially physiological effects of stopping drug use. Detox should be monitored by a medical staff or physician. Help your loved one find a treatment program experienced with cocaine detoxification.
• Determine which behavioral therapy approach works best to keep your loved one clean. There are a range of options that all have advantages in the treatment of cocaine addiction.

Review

A person chronically using cocaine can experience headaches and get stomach problems. Because cocaine constricts the blood vessels, this can cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and stomach pain. When cocaine is ingested, this constriction can lead to gangrene in the intestinal tract.