To gain a better understanding of how dangerous using cocaine is, looking into all the withdrawal symptoms that cocaine use can help people understand the dangers of the chemical. When having the withdrawal symptoms that cocaine use causes, consider attending a cocaine detox program in California as part of your addiction treatment program.
Cocaine was originally taken out of the coca trees and used as a painkiller. Cocaine itself is a powder or crystal form stimulant drug that is usually mixed with cornstarch, talcum powder, and/or sugar. Cocaine can also be mixed with other drugs such as procaine (a local anesthetic) or amphetamines.
Most people sniff cocaine so its powder gets into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Some also ingest cocaine, rub it into the gums, inject it into their body, or inhale it as vapor or smoke it. Cocaine is very dangerous and addictive, and consuming it could lead to cocaine withdrawal that may require detox from cocaine.
When consumed, cocaine creates a euphoric feeling that its users may quickly develop a tolerance to. Cocaine tolerance makes them feel the need to consume more of it, to feel its effects. Because of how dangerous and addictive cocaine is, it is illegal to use or have in the U.S.
Detox is the removal of all toxic substances from your body’s system. People attend detox programs as the first step in their attempts to become sober. While in detox from cocaine, doctors will work with you to wean yourself off it. Toward the end of your detox, substance abuse specialists work with you to create a custom treatment plan to follow once your detox is over.
Like most detox programs, cocaine detox can occur in different forms. You should choose the form of detox that you’ll use based on the severity of your withdrawal symptoms and addiction, as well as your own lifestyle and needs. Fortunately, compassionate medical staff can help you make that decision when you enter inpatient or outpatient rehab.
Inpatient cocaine detox requires that you live at the detox facility at which you’re receiving treatment. You should look into receiving inpatient detox from cocaine if you need medical attention or have intense addiction and withdrawal symptoms that require 24/7 monitoring.
Outpatient detox from cocaine allows you to go home after receiving treatment during the day. This means that you’ll be discharged during outpatient cocaine detox even if you have withdrawal medications. Therefore, only attend outpatient detox from cocaine if you are stable enough to not need monitoring at night. You should also only attend outpatient detox from cocaine if you have a stable home environment with people who are respectful and supportive of your addiction recovery journey.
While in holistic detox from cocaine, you’ll participate in activities and programs that are meant to heal your body, mind, and soul. Examples of holistic detox programs include yoga and meditation, art therapy, and music therapy. The holistic detox approach does not use medication. Instead, it aims to provide you with a better sense of life balance and control without a dependency on chemicals.
While you are in a detox program from cocaine addiction here in California, you, the medical professionals and the substance abuse specialists working with you should aim to achieve the following goals:
Cocaine withdrawal happens to people who regularly use cocaine and develop a physical dependence on it. When they abruptly stop using it, they can experience painful symptoms. These make the person want to keep using cocaine so that symptoms go away.
Consuming cocaine is dangerous. This is partly because of how dangerous cocaine withdrawal is. Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can be more severe if combined with other substances. For example, if people abuse cocaine and alcohol at the same time, they could have cardiac issues during withdrawal. People who abuse cocaine and alcohol together also increase their chances of developing an arrhythmia (improper beating of the heart) or having a heart attack.
People who experience cocaine withdrawal also put themselves at risk of developing seizures. Other risks of cocaine withdrawal include:
The cocaine withdrawal timeline happens in stages based on how much time has passed. There are different symptoms that occur within each stage. People with severe cocaine dependency will likely have their withdrawal happen in the stages listed below.
The first few days of cocaine withdrawal are the “crash” stage. In this stage, people’s energy levels decrease to the point of extreme fatigue and sleepiness. People in this stage will continuously be in a poor mood.
Users will also exhibit unexplainable cold and flu-like symptoms. Intense cravings will exist in this stage, along with restlessness. Mentally, people will suffer from confusion and disorientation.
During this stage, people will exhibit feelings of anxiety, agitation, and paranoia. They will also exhibit disrupted sleep patterns and negative emotions. Cravings for cocaine will still be strong at this time.
Once people with cocaine withdrawal reach their second week without use, the worst of their withdrawal symptoms will dissipate and their appetites will increase. Cocaine cravings will decrease a bit in intensity. The moods of these people will typically improve around this time. However, anxiety, agitation, and disrupted sleep will persist during this stage. People may even experience nightmares.
During the third week of detox from cocaine, withdrawal symptoms will worsen again. Mood swings become more apparent during this stage. This is partly because people tend to go back and forth between feelings of depression and feelings of irritability around this week in the withdrawal process. It is also during the third week of withdrawal that cravings increase and dreams become even more vivid and scary. At this point, the risk of relapse is still high.
During this week of withdrawal, the intensity of your cravings, along with other symptoms, should decrease again. Mood swings, anxiety, agitation, and sleeping issues will still occur. Right now, your mind and body are adjusting to life without drugs.
The cocaine withdrawal process usually lasts about a month. Some people with cocaine addiction may go through an extra stage called post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). The PAWS stage is characterized by a recurrence of strong cocaine cravings several months after sobriety, along with depression, mood swings, and agitation.
The cocaine withdrawal timeline will differ for everyone. For example, the number of stages, length of each stage, and symptoms within each stage of cocaine withdrawal can vary.
Factors that influence how your cocaine withdrawal timeline will turn out include:
Like the ones stated in the cocaine withdrawal timeline example above, numerous symptoms come with cocaine withdrawal. Most of them are psychological.
Medical detox in California for cocaine dependency is done in a hospital or hospital-like environment with constant medical supervision. Because of how life-threatening some cocaine withdrawal symptoms can be, medical supervision during cocaine detox can be vital for providing the needed support to recover. Medical detox for cocaine addiction is also necessary if the patient has relapsed during past withdrawal attempts.
Medical detox is beneficial when treating any sort of co-occurring disorder during detox. This is because medical detox can provide medication-assisted treatment and hands-on care for both your substance use disorder and your mental illness. Plus, the 24-hour mandatory medical supervision of patients in medical detox is necessary for those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts.
Unlike other drugs, there is no FDA-approved medication that specifically treats cocaine withdrawal. Therefore, medical detox for cocaine addiction and treatment is more about having medical professionals there to help patients manage their symptoms naturally.
After your detox program for cocaine addiction in California is over, you should attend residential treatment. Because of how prevalent depression and anxiety are in the symptoms of cocaine withdrawal, we suggest attending a program that provides substance use treatment and mental health treatment. Therapeutic tools that would be effective in cocaine addiction treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, motivational interviewing, and The Matrix Model.
At Phoenix Rising, we offer a variety of different inpatient and outpatient treatment programs for many different substances, one of which happens to be cocaine. We also offer a variety of addiction therapy services throughout all of our treatment programs, including those for people who need dual diagnosis treatment.
Not only do we provide a high-quality cocaine detox program in Palm Springs, California, but we also provide a continuum of care following detox. This means that you can receive your detox from cocaine at Phoenix Rising and then go straight into one of our addiction treatment programs.
To learn more about Phoenix Rising and our detox and addiction treatment programs, contact us today.
There is a multitude of benefits associated with the comprehensive drug rehab care we offer in sunny California. The most noteworthy of these is living a life free of the harmful physical, mental, and social effects of addiction.
Further benefits of receiving treatment at our drug rehab in Southern California include the following:
These benefits are why our programs lead to successful outcomes for many in recovery. By offering varying levels of care, therapies, and amenities, we have something for everyone in recovery.
