What is cocaine?
Cocaine is an addictive central nervous system stimulant that is produced from the leaves of the cocoa plant. It also has the effect of suppressing the appetite and being a topical analgesic.
Cocaine can be snorted, smoked or injected. Its effect on the central nervous system occurs because it causes an abundance of feel good neurochemicals which are responsible for lifting our mood.
People who become addicted to cocaine may suffer from depression or other mental illness like anxiety disorder, as a result of long term cocaine abuse.
It’s important when trying to find a suitable cocaine rehab that the addiction treatment centre offers a fully comprehensive treatment program that can provide specialist assessment to repair any damages created by these chemical imbalances.
Finding a rehab that delivers treatment through a multi-disciplinary team of addiction treatment consultants is always best. Please contact us at WeDoRecover for expert and impartial advice on the best cocaine addiction treatment centres in South Africa, the UK or Thailand.
We’ve run addiction clinics in the UK & South Africa so are ideally placed to help you find a rehab that meets your needs. Please call us right now, we’re standing by waiting for your call.
A person who is addicted to cocaine will find themselves unable to stop using – no matter how bad the consequences become – this is what it means to be addicted. You can read more about how addiction has been proven to be a disease and actually ’hijacks’ the addicted persons brain here.
By receiving professional help many people enjoy a full recovery from this illness through being admitted to a quality cocaine addiction treatment centre. Even though a cocaine detox is not usually associated with severe physical withdrawal symptoms having a medical doctor oversee the process is still recommended.
Cocaine is usually produced as a chunky white powder that is chopped into a finer powder by the user and then snorted up the nose. This can result in damage to the membranes and cartilage of the nose over time. Some cocaine addicted patients need to have their septum’s rebuilt as a result of long term snorting and the cocaine eating away their entire septum.
Cocaine is referred to as “Coke”, “Charlie”, “Nose Candy”, “Bump” and “Blow”. To use it is sometimes referred to as “doing a line” or “snarfing (snorting) a line”. Some people say it’s called a ‘line’ of cocaine because there’s a hook at the end!
What is crack cocaine?
Crack cocaine is cocaine that has been chemically processed into a new crystal form (colloquially known as “rocks”) which are smoked in pipes. These crack cocaine “rocks” are an off-white colour and drug dealers will sometimes add powders that look similar to cocaine to the mixture when making crack. Even toxic powders have been known to be included in crack cocaine.
The crystals of crack cocaine are smoked in pipes. This method leads to a much quicker onset of the high than snorting cocaine powder. Additionally the high of crack cocaine is considered to be more intense than that of cocaine.
How is cocaine used?
As with many other drugs cocaine can be used in a variety of ways. The most common is to snort the cocaine up the nose where it is absorbed by the mucous membranes and into the bloodstream. It can also be dissolved in water and then injected into the veins.
Cocaine is very addictive and dangerous no matter how it is used. If you or a loved one are concerned about your cocaine usage please consider contacting one of our addiction counsellors today for help in finding a world class cocaine rehab.
What is cocaine addiction?
Addiction to any substance is characterised by a number of different symptoms.
Symptoms of cocaine addiction include tolerance and as cocaine is not associated with severe physical withdrawal symptoms users need larger and larger dose’s (or more to ingesting the drug through smoking or injecting) in order to feel an effective high.
Other symptoms of addiction focus on persistent use of the drug even though it continues to create problems. These problems can be social (such as losing friends or giving up important social, occupational or recreational activities), problems at home (e.g.: not taking care of the children) or work problems (missing work or having poor performance).
People that become addicted to cocaine will display these sorts of problems and still continue using the substance, even though these problems were caused or made worse by the drugs. This ‘loss of control’ is key in diagnosing cocaine addiction.
Another way in which cocaine is addictive lies in neuropsychology. Cocaine and crack cocaine affect the reward pathways in the brain. These pathways are so named because they are the subconscious way in which the brain learns to associate behaviours with pleasure or pain. The brain subconsciously learns that using cocaine leads to pleasure, even if it actually brings about terrible consequences, the brain has been ‘hijacked’ and still want to feel the ‘reward’.
So cocaine addiction can be characterised, inter alia by a psychological dependence on the drug by using cocaine despite the consequences and by having a tolerance for increased doses. A person with these symptoms should consult with a professional addiction counsellor regarding possible admission to a cocaine rehab.
How can I recognise cocaine abuse?
Cocaine has a very strong effect on the brain and hence on behaviour.
Get Help : 081 444 7000Some of the more recognizable signs of cocaine abuse include:
- Consistently sniffing due to having a runny nose
- Damage to the nose, an often bleeding nose
- Increased energy with racing thoughts before coming down
- Paranoia and anxiety
- Confusion
- Dilated pupils
The mental state of the person may also be affected and they could suffer from hallucinations and be generally confused. Some cocaine users claim that using the substance makes them more productive at work but heavy, ongoing use will impair their thought process.
If you are worried about your own drug use or that of somebody close to you, then please consider seeking expert advice from We Do Recover. An Internet website is unable to condense the years of training and experience that their intake coordinators have had. They will help you find a cocaine rehab that best suits your needs.
How do cocaine and crack cocaine affect the brain?
Neurons in the brain are not physically connected. There is a space between them known as the synaptic gap. In normal situations the brain uses neurochemicals to conduct signals between neurons through the synaptic gap.
Let us consider two neurons – one is sending a message to another which is receiving.
Firstly the sending neuron will release neurochemicals into the synaptic gap. The receiving neuron then absorbs the neurochemical. When it absorbs enough of a particular neurochemical it “fires off”.
When the receiving neuron fires off it will release neurochemicals to the next neuron. And so a chain is created for the signal to be transmitted.
After the signal passes between neurons the brain clears the neurochemicals out of the synaptic gap in readiness for the next signal.
Dopamine is one of these chemicals and is involved in a lot of functions in the brain. Cocaine has the effect of interfering with the process of clearing out dopamine with the result that there is consistently more of it in the gaps between neurons. This means that less dopamine must be released by the sending neuron in order to reach the level that the receiving neuron requires to activate.
Thus dopamine builds up and the parts of the brain that are affected by this neurotransmitter are more active. One of these parts is responsible for sensations of pleasure – and so cocaine affects the mood.
We mentioned that dopamine affects several systems in the brain, so although cocaine may induce pleasure it will actually impact on many other areas and functions.
Crack cocaine has nearly identical effects – but is just more intense and faster acting than the powder form.
South African Cocaine rehabs
Cocaine is highly addictive and somebody caught in the grip of this substance may require treatment to overcome their addiction.
South African cocaine addiction treatment centres offer effective rehabilitation programmes that are based on international standards and methodology.
The favourable exchange rate makes travelling to South Africa for cocaine rehab an affordable alternative to European treatment. Many people from around the world are taking advantage of the enhanced privacy, affordable rates and high levels of luxury.
If you’re thinking about travelling to South Africa for addiction treatment please contact We Do Recover for totally free and independent advice. Our intake coordinators will suggest the rehab that will best meet your needs.
How to choose the best cocaine rehab for your needs
Firstly it must be said that there is no single “best” cocaine rehab. Each treatment programme is different and may suit some people better than others. That’s why you should look for cocaine rehabilitation that is best for YOU.
There are really three things to consider when judging the quality of the cocaine addiction treatment centre:
- The treatment program
- The staff
- The amenities available
Research into addictions treatment has advanced significantly in the past decade and continues to develop rapidly. You should look for a centre that employs the latest methods based on neuropsychological research....
The staff in a centre should be qualified members of professional bodies such as doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and accredited addiction counsellors.
The amenities on offer may not directly influence the effectiveness of the cocaine addiction treatment but you should make sure that you will be comfortable while there.
Of course this might seem like a lot to consider, so please contact one of our addiction counsellors who are standing by waiting for your call and will help you through this process.