How to Treat the Addiction to Cocaine?
By: Jaquel AndersonTotal Views: 334, Word Count: 549,
Cocaine addiction should be treated with caution and by understanding the nature, working and the addiction level in the patient. Cocaine is a potent stimulant along with being highly addictive in nature. This drug when taken in has a direct affect on the brain. Addiction to cocaine should be treated keeping an individual approach in mind.
Information on cocaine –
1. Cocaine is obtained in a white crystalline powder. It is also known as snow, blow and coke. With its popularity on a rise, cocaine is often mixed with amphetamines, cornstarch, sugar and talcum powder. Cocaine can be smoked, injected and snorted.
2. Cocaine is found to affect the user within a couple of minutes after its intake. Cocaine users feel alertness, euphoria and energy. The requirement for both food and sleep is reduced in the user.
3. The users are known to increase the dose on frequent basis to maintain the high.
4. Health problems such as restlessness, heart problems, respiratory failure, irritability, headaches, strokes, paranoia, nausea, auditory hallucinations, abdominal pain and mood disturbances are found in cocaine addicts.
Cocaine addiction though a disease, must not be treated like a disease. This addiction should be treated using an individual approach. One must keep in mind that cocaine has a powerful hold on the addict and it needs strong tools for its eradication. A systematic and a patient approach have to be administered throughout the treatment phase.
Some useful steps to treat addiction to cocaine are as follows:
1. If in the initial stage, an addict can easily come out of the addiction with the help of medical supervision.
2. Cocaine produces physical symptoms in an addict; this is where cocaine detoxification helps the users. Cocaine detoxification should be conducted at the earliest along with medical supervision. During this step medication is used to counter the physical illness which is caused due to dug use.
3. During the de-addiction phase, the withdrawal symptoms are considered to be so high, that the addict prefers the drug rather than being without it. Medication along with a personal touch can help the addict tide over withdrawal symptoms.
4. An addict for support would constantly require the help of family, psychiatrist, physician, friends and colleagues. Support would strengthen both the emotional as well as mental disturbances in the addict.
5. Group counselling as well as discussions are both known to help addicts vent out their frustration in regard to their addiction. When addicts speak their experiences with other individuals they gain some sort of solace that they are not alone in their fight against cocaine addiction.
6. Some addicts are known to respond well to rehabilitation centers. Here the addicts are kept in a soothing environment, made to follow a strict diet and indulge in recreational activities. The addicts are made to completely stay away from the drug at all costs.
7. Alternative methods such as meditation, music therapy and exercise are also known to aid the addict combat cocaine addiction.
Cocaine addiction needs to be treated using effective methods since cocaine addiction affects the thinking pattern. Drug addiction can be conquered when the thinking pattern undergoes a change.
About the Author
Dr. Jaquel Anderson is a well-known psychiatrist and psychotherapist and has been in this field from1992. His psychiatry and psychotherapy help people with depression, panic attacks, anxiety, social phobias etc. Moreover, he has explored the treatment of stuttering and many clinics follow the same treatment for stuttering. He used to suffer from stuttering himself. He provides high quality treatment of drugs, alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and pathological gambling addiction by carrying serious physical and psychological examination.
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