Legacy Healing Center Blog

Learn the right steps to cocaine recovery at Legacy Healing.

Cocaine abuse and addiction is a continuous problem in the United States. Due to its potency and short-acting nature, an addiction to the drug can start surprisingly quickly. Beating an addiction to cocaine isn’t something that you need to do alone; there are successful methods of how to beat cocaine addiction.

According to a 2014 national survey, there were an estimated 1.5 million current users of cocaine, with people aged between 18 and 25 at the highest abuse rates. People who are addicted to cocaine don’t usually find relief from their withdrawal symptoms and cravings through other drugs, and repeated use of cocaine builds tolerance, thereby increasing overdose risk.

If you or someone you love needs help with addiction, call 954-994-2965 today to speak with a treatment specialist.

Stopping cocaine abuse is a life-changing decision. But how exactly do you quit cocaine after becoming addicted to it? In this article, why cocaine is addictive and the best ways on how to beat cocaine addiction will be examined.

Why is Cocaine Addictive?

So, exactly why is cocaine addictive? The answer lies in the way that the drug interacts with the brain. The interaction that cocaine has on the brain is essentially two-fold: it increases dopamine levels and then stops the brain from being able to clear away the dopamine until the drug has dissipated.

After about 15 to 30 minutes, the brain absorbs dopamine again but the brain is left exhausted and unable to produce more dopamine naturally, causing a crash. This is what leads to people using cocaine every few minutes for hours and hours.

By affecting the reward centers of the brain in such a way, some people can become addicted after trying cocaine just once.

Overcoming Cocaine Addiction

Addiction isn’t something that can be cured because it is a mental disorder, but it can certainly be overcome and managed safely. Years of research have increased our understanding of addiction as a mental disorder and how to best treat a person with a cocaine addiction. Today, rehab programs are able to pull a person back from the edge of addiction and back on track with a happy, healthy life.

How to beat cocaine addiction can be difficult alone because the mental reward reinforcement combined with withdrawal symptoms make it exceedingly difficult to maintain sobriety. While on one day the user may be determined to quit, when met with the intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms the following day, many people relapse.

At Legacy Healing Center, you can get away from the pressures that may be making it difficult to stop, such as drug-abusing friends. Staying in a drug-free environment means that you’ll have the chance to properly get over the initial withdrawal symptoms and cravings, which can be made even easier with a medically-assisted detox where medications are made available.

After detox, a person is ready to take the next step of their recovery: behavioral therapy. Therapy is a core element of cocaine addiction recovery because it helps to break patterns that have been difficult to break alone and to get the person in the right frame of mind for long-term recovery.

The most common forms of therapy are contingency management, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and the Matrix Model. Contingency management reinforces positive behavior through low-cost rewards, which is especially effective for stimulant addiction such as cocaine. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps to improve the individual’s coping skills and helps to alter the behaviors that no longer serve the person.

The Matrix Model combines many different aspects required for successful recoveries, such as family therapy, group and individual therapy, relapse prevention, and addiction education.

Once the rehab program concludes, the individual will be ready to take on life’s challenges with new skills and relapse prevention techniques. Aftercare programs are made available to help the addict further maintain their sobriety. While it may take some time, an addiction to cocaine can be beaten for good.

Call 954-994-2965 today to speak with a treatment specialist.