When someone you love suffers addiction to cocaine, they show many signs of cocaine use. However, you must be willing to recognize those signs to help them gain the treatment they need for lasting recovery. Only through recovery treatment can they gain the life they truly want and deserve. However, without this important rehabilitation, their cocaine use takes them farther into the darkness of addiction.
Signs of Cocaine Use
There are many signs of cocaine use. However, they are pretty easy to see if you know what to look for. For example, signs of cocaine use include:
- Excitability, excessive talking
- Dilated pupils, runny nose, and nosebleeds
- Weight loss, mood swings, and sleep changes
- White powder residue
- Risky behaviors, social isolation, and demand for privacy
- Poor hygiene, financial problems, and lost interest in favorite activities
- Drug paraphernalia
Cocaine acts quickly in the body. You notice changes in behavior within minutes of use. Specifically, the high only lasts between five and 30 minutes, depending on how they use the drug.
When Abuse Becomes Addiction
More than 14 percent of Americans age 12 or older have tried cocaine at least once, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). If you see signs of cocaine abuse in your loved one, chances are they risk addiction or already suffer the addiction cycle. Sadly, there are 29 percent more cocaine overdose deaths today than there were before 2001.
There are two types of cocaine people use. These are a powder form or a rock form called crack cocaine. People using cocaine snort, smoke, or inject the drug. The rock is usually smoked, but some people place it into body orifices.
Cocaine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant. It increases energy, keeps people awake, and makes them feel more socially confident. Moreover, it also raises their blood pressure and heart rate. The drug floods the brain with dopamine, heightening your feelings of pleasure.
When cocaine use continues, it changes the chemical makeup of your brain. This makes quitting cocaine difficult without the right help. However, recognizing the signs of cocaine use in your loved one can save their life.
Treatment for Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction causes physical and psychological changes in the person you love. The only way they can correct these problems of addiction is through substance abuse counseling. Ashley Addiction Treatment in Havre de Grace, Maryland provides substance abuse programs with the therapies, support, and education your loved one needs for lasting recovery.
Residential and intensive outpatient programs at Ashley Addiction Treatment include:
- Primary program
- Relapse program
- Young adult program, for men and women ages 18 to 25
- Young adult extended care, for men ages 18 to 25
- Pain recovery, for pain management
If you or your loved one suffers from cocaine addiction, call Ashley Addiction Treatment now at 866-313-6307 for more information about available programs. You can have the healthy, happy future you deserve.