Cocaine Rehab & Detox
in Mission Viejo, CA
Cocaine Rehab & Detox in Mission Viejo
Treatment at Laguna Shores Recovery
At Laguna Shores Recovery, our cocaine rehab in Mission Viejo is designed to help those who struggle with substance use disorder. The purpose of our various treatment programs is to create a lasting recovery in our patients. By using individual therapy and support groups, we can teach our patients coping skills which will help them live a life free of addiction.
What Is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant plant that is used in rare instances for medical purposes. When used, the drug causes an intense and short-acting high due to a rush of neurotransmitter dopamine. As a result, a person may want to increase the dosage to repeatedly achieve the same effect. This could lead to an addiction, and the health problems and concerns that come with it.
Cocaine addiction can also affect a person’s relationship with their friends and family. It causes them to lose control over their use, which impacts their abilities to navigate through their daily lives. As a result, many rehabilitation experts suggest seeking professional treatment for people who struggle with substance abuse.
Background
Workers harvest cocaine from the leaves of the coca plant, a plant that naturally grows in the South American rainforests. 5 People native to these areas have chewed on the coca leaves for centuries as a means to achieve a high and greater mental alertness. When scientists observed people doing this, they started to perform experiments to try and isolate the compounds that gave people using the coca leaves their high. In the 1850s, scientists in Europe were able to isolate the compound from the coca leaves.5
At the time, scientists perceived it as a potential “wonder drug.” Chemists observed that the drug had local anesthetic properties because when applied to the skin or tasted on the tongue, it would cause numbness.5 As a result, the medical community started to use it as a topical local anesthetic.
While people did experience overdoses related to abuse of the substance, some of the leading medical minds of the era used and experimented with cocaine. An example is neurologist Sigmund Freud who wrote papers about his addiction.5
Another well-known item has its roots in cocaine: Coca-Cola.5 The drink used to be a combination of the drug and a sugar-rich syrup sold in soda fountains as early as 1886. 5 However, the company stopped selling Coca-Cola that contained cocaine in 1903
Cocaine in the 20th Century
Regulations regarding the stimulant started to tighten in the early 20th century, and cocaine didn’t increase in popularity until the 1980s. In the late 1970s, cocaine growers and producers dropped their prices dramatically (about 80 percent), which resulted in a flood of the substance to the market. Drug dealers started taking the cheaply obtained cocaine and making it into crack for further sale. 5 Crack could be sold cheaply and in large quantities. The first major cities reporting confiscation of crack included Miami and New York.
These reports were what began the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s. According to History.com, the number of users in 1985 were 4.2 million. By 1989, the number had increased to 5.8 million people. 5 The increase in users was linked with an increase in crime, particularly homicides. As a result, the U.S. Government passed legislation called the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. 5 This act increased criminal penalties possession.
Cocaine use started to decrease by the end of the 1980s, but it is still used today. According to 2014 results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 1.5 million people have used cocaine in the past month. 4 Of these individuals, the greatest age group that abuse it at a higher rate are 18 to 25 year olds. 4 Of known users, an estimated 913,000 Americans are addicted to the drug. 4
Names on the Street
Street names for cocaine include:
- Blow
- Coke
- Crack
- Rock
- Snow
When sold on the street, cocaine usually appears as a white powdered substance. Drug dealers may mix other similar white powders with it in an attempt to have more product to sell. Examples of these powders include cornstarch, flour, or talcum powder. 1 Sometimes, dealers will mix it with other drugs in an attempt to increase the high from their product. Examples include amphetamine or painkilling medications, such as fentanyl. As a result, a person may not know what they are getting when they purchase the drug.
How is Cocaine Abused?
People abuse cocaine in a variety of ways to get high. One of the most common is to snort it through their nose. However, there are other methods of abuse, which include:
Injecting it into a vein
Injecting a dissolved mixture of heroin and cocaine, called a “speedball”
Rubbing it onto their gums
Some drug dealers also sell it in a rock crystal form known as “crack.” A person abusing crack will heat the crystals on a spoon and inhale them to get high.
The duration of time to achieve a high and the time to when it wears off depends largely upon how a person is using the drug. For example, smoking or injecting cocaine causes a high that usually lasts about 5 to 10 minutes.1 Snorting the drug causes a high that lasts about 15 to 30 minutes.
Acute Effects
When a person uses cocaine, it sends a flood of the neurotransmitter dopamine into the brain.1 Dopamine is a feel-good chemical the brain usually absorbs quickly. Cocaine alters dopamine’s absorption, causing it to remain in the brain for longer time period.
Some of the acute or short-term effects include:
- Euphoria
- Enhanced energy
- Hypersensitivity to sound, touch, and vision
- Increased mental alertness
- Irritability
- Paranoia
Once these effects wear off, a person can experience a powerful “crash” sensation due to the sudden decrease of the drug in the brain and body. These effects can linger for several days, making a person feel tired and depressed. 2
The brain and body can become addicted to the higher presence of dopamine. Soon, traditional ways of increasing dopamine (like eating a piece of chocolate cake or achieving a runner’s high) don’t make a person feel as good anymore. As a result, a person may start to crave cocaine as a means to increase their dopamine levels. They also start to become sensitized, meaning they may have to take larger doses to achieve the same high they once had at smaller doses. This effect creates a vicious cycle that can lead to addiction.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 404,224 of the 1.3 million emergency department visits in 2011 for drug use and misuse including the use of cocaine. Overdose deaths due to abuse peaked in 2006 at more than 7,000 people. 4 According to 2014’s cocaine overdose death numbers, slightly more than 5,000 people overdosed and died.
Health Risks
For a short-acting drug, cocaine can cause tremendous damage to the body. One of the most serious complications is related to the heart. Cocaine can speed up the heart and also cause irregular heart rhythms. 1 If a person has a history of heart health problems, this effect can be extremely damaging and potentially deadly.
Other health effects include:
- Dilated pupils
- High blood pressure
- Increased body temperature
- Nausea
- Restlessness
- Tremors
In addition to short-term health concerns, the drug has the potential to cause long-term health problems as well. Sometimes, these depend upon how a person is abusing the drug. For example, if people chronically snort cocaine, they may experience side effects that include loss of smell and even collapse of their nasal cavity.
If a person uses it by putting it on their gums, they risk bowel decay because cocaine can cause the blood vessels flowing to their intestines to get tighter or constrict. This can lead to severe bowel decay.
Injecting it intravenously leads to a greater risk for IV-transmitted infections. These include hepatitis and HIV. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the presence of cocaine increases the likelihood a person will get HIV if they use an infected needle. 1 People are also at risk for endocarditis, a severe infection of the heart’s valves that can be due to IV drug use.
Even if a person isn’t using any more, several individuals who were heavy users report later sensory experiences, such as hallucinations and paranoia, long after they’ve stopped using.
Some Misconceptions
Small Doses Enhance Concentration
A common misconception is that a person can use “just a little” of the substance as a means to enhance concentration and get more things done. People have reported using cocaine to finish a report or to get through tasks faster. However, the problem is there is no controlled dosage when used illegally. A person doesn’t know the purity of the contents of the drug they are using. If they use too much, their desire for greater concentration or alertness can quickly turn into bizarre and even violent behavior.1
You Can't Overdose on Cocaine
Another common misconception is that a person cannot overdose on cocaine. The opposite is true. A person can use enough to produce life-threatening health effects, such as heart attacks, seizures, or stroke. Also, a person who mixes it with other substances such as alcohol or heroin may be at increased risks for overdose due to the combination of substances. 1
Overdose Symptoms
Some of the symptoms a person may have experienced include:
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
- High body temperatures that make a person feel very hot to the touch
- Problems breathing
Unfortunately, medications do not currently exist that reverse or block the acute effects of cocaine overdose. As a result, treatments at a medical facility are more supportive, such as administering medications to stop a seizure or using procedures to restore blood flow to the heart after a heart attack.
Does a Person Go Through Cocaine Withdrawal?
While cocaine is a fast-acting drug, a person will still go through withdrawal symptoms when they are using it. The withdrawal stems from the brain’s addiction to the substance and the need to repeat the high it achieved through using the drug.
Examples of cocaine withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Depression
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty thinking clearly
- Extreme fatigue
- Muscle ache
- Nerve pain
- Strong hunger
- Unpleasant dreams
Treating Withdrawal and Addiction
Sometimes, when a person struggles with addiction, doctors will use a combination of medications used to deter or reduce a person’s drug use. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat cocaine withdrawals or to deter a person’s addiction. However, they are conducting research on a number of medications that have shown promise in helping those who have become addicted.
Instead, doctors usually recommend supportive therapy through the withdrawal period. This may include administering medications to combat nausea or to enhance sleep while a person’s brain becomes accustomed to the lack of drugs in the system. 1
Doctors may also recommend psychotherapy and counseling. These methods help a person recognize their harmful behaviors and make adjustments so that they can resist the urge to return to substance abuse. According to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, some of the most common treatment methods to help with addiction include the following:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This therapeutic approach involves helping a person recognize addictive behavioral patterns, such as “it’s only for one night” or “just a little won’t hurt.” A person then addresses and changes these thoughts through behavior, such as telling themselves that any amount of cocaine use is unacceptable and that they need to call a friend or family member to help them move past these thoughts.
Contingency Management
Doctors have found this therapeutic approach of rewarding drug-free behaviors works well in those who are addicted to cocaine. For example, a person may receive a voucher for a movie ticket or restaurant meal in exchange for a drug-free test. 1
Recovery and Support Groups
People who continue to seek help with their sobriety through 12-step programs or other recovery groups can find a network of people who support them in their journey to remain drug-free.
Conclusions and Considerations
If a person struggles with cocaine abuse, there are treatment methods and support that can help them stop using. Because the drug is associated with severe health side effects due to short and long-term use, the sooner a person can stop using, the better off their health can be. If a person has multiple substance use disorder, they may wish to seek treatment at an inpatient facility so they can receive round-the-clock care as they withdraw from the substances in their system.
Resources
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine
- https://medlineplus.gov/cocaine.html
- https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/cocaine-use-and-its-effects#1
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-scope-cocaine-use-in-united-states
- https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-cocaine
