If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of cocaine withdrawal, it might be time to get help. Thankfully with the right detox center and medical staff, coke withdrawal does not have to be done alone.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant. It comes from coca leaves, a natural plant that is indigenous to South America. It is not a new drug, but rather one that has been used for thousands of years as a stimulant by the local populations in and around many South American countries.
Since the 1990s, however, it has been purified into the form most people recognize today. Historically, the leaves of the plant were chewed. Today, people ingest purified cocaine with a water-soluble salt injected or snorted in the form of a powder. It can also be smoked in a water-insoluble form.
Is Cocaine Addictive?
Cocaine impacts your central nervous system, so it produces a lot of energy when you ingest it in any form and causes a euphoric feeling. However, once that dies down, you typically feel worse than before and need even more cocaine to reach the same level of energy and euphoria.
Yes, cocaine is highly addictive. Cocaine addiction can lead to serious symptoms of cocaine withdrawal. Your brain naturally produces a happy chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is associated with your reward structure and is known for producing pleasurable experiences in the brain. Cocaine increases the amount of dopamine your body gets to a substantial level, all at once. So you feel incredibly happy or stimulated all at once. Still, with time, the amount of dopamine your body naturally produces diminishes significantly, so you feel worse more often than before. This feeling of euphoria only lasts between 15 minutes and 30 minutes if you snort cocaine and between 5 minutes and 10 minutes if you inject or smoke cocaine, so the good feelings are short-lived.
This is what drives many people to abuse cocaine and develop an addiction.
What are the Symptoms of Cocaine Withdrawal?
The symptoms of cocaine withdrawal vary. There are a few things that influence the symptoms you experience with coke withdrawal and how severe they are:
- How long you have been addicted to cocaine
- How much cocaine you take regularly
- Whether you have other drugs you abuse at the same time
- Whether there are underline mental health problems that have led to or been caused by a cocaine addiction
Symptoms of cocaine withdrawal can include:
- Increased appetite
- Anxiety
- Nightmares
- Restlessness
- Agitation
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Suicide
Withdrawal symptoms start within a few hours, and the worst of your cravings are withdrawals typically happen within the first month. It can be very difficult to quit cocaine on your own because of how long these withdrawal symptoms last.
- First 3 Hours: In the first few hours your symptoms will emerge. You will start to feel irritable, anxious, Maybe with a great deal of fatigue and an increased appetite. At the end of these first few hours sometimes the cravings decrease
- First Week: During the first week intense cravings arise. You might have significant mood swings, depression, nightmares, and significant trouble sleeping.
- Weeks 2-4: For the next few weeks it’s common to have a great deal of irritability and find it difficult to concentrate while also dealing with strong cravings for more cocaine and depression
- Weeks 5-10: Over the course of the next few weeks your body and mind will start to heal with some bouts of anxiety and cravings for more cocaine but to a diminished degree
Given how long the symptoms of coke withdrawals can last, inpatient rehabilitation centers with good detox programs can help you overcome the initial signs and the long-term symptoms.
Finding a Cocaine Detox Center in Laguna Beach, CA
If you are dealing with coke withdrawal, we can help. At Laguna View Detox, we offer a comprehensive detox program in a safe, supportive environment.
Finding a good cocaine detox center in Laguna Beach means you don’t have to travel far from home. You can get the help you need with a short detox process. You get complete privacy and security knowing that medical staff will be on hand to help monitor your symptoms and alleviate their severity if necessary with other medications. The symptoms can last for a few days or even a week, depending on your body, and that is why our professionals will walk you through an initial evaluation to determine just how long your detox should be and what measures should be taken to ensure success. We are here to help.
At Laguna View Detox, we are here to help. Let us guide you as you withdrawal from cocaine.