The crack cocaine effects on the user’s body are intense and dangerous. There are cases when overdose can happen, which can be fatal. If you feel that your drug use has already taken control of your life, then the best move is to quit using the drug. It can be difficult, but there are many ways to treat crack cocaine addiction. 

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What is Crack Cocaine?

Crack cocaine has many slang names such as crack, candy, jellybeans, and rock. The difference between crack cocaine and regular cocaine is that you smoke crack cocaine while you rub cocaine to your gums or snort it. People who smoke crack cocaine use it at short intervals of 15 to 20 minutes. They do this for a more intense feeling of euphoria.

Since crack cocaine is one of the more potent stimulants, the effects of using it can affect your entire central nervous system. As a result, it puts an extreme amount of stress on all the internal organs connected to your central nervous systems. It includes your brain, heart, and lungs.

Specifically, your heart will beat faster, and your muscles become tense because the crack cocaine effects constrict your blood vessels. It then causes your blood pressure to elevate. It can put you in a lot of danger. The rapid changes in your body can cause cardiac arrest or stroke at any time.

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What is Crack Cocaine Addiction?

Similar to other kinds of addictions, crack cocaine abuse, and addiction can have various telltale indications. Although you can see such effects, some crack cocaine users are good at hiding their addiction.

Further, particular medications share the same effects as that of crack cocaine. That’s why medical professionals can have a challenging time trying to pinpoint whether or not a person has a crack cocaine addiction. Experienced users can deny the addiction and put the blame on prescription medication.

However, if you think that someone you love or someone close to you is using crack cocaine, don’t wait until they’re in danger. You can also observe any changes in their behaviours and regular activities. The distinct traits of a crack cocaine addict are an abnormal mood shift. It could be that they are excited at one time then become depressed in an instant.

Why Do People Get Addicted to Crack Cocaine?

Addiction to crack cocaine is highly likely because of its effects on the brain. The user feels intense pleasure and euphoria when they are high from the drug. Nevertheless, this good feeling only lasts for a very short time which is about five to ten minutes. 

The addiction to the drug intensifies because the pleasure doesn’t last long. The user wants to experience the high they get from the drug over and over. It rewires the brain’s reward system. When this happens, the brain craves for more crack cocaine. 

The body will want to feel the pleasure of the drug continuously. By doing so, the body will begin to disregard the need for pleasurable sensations that we usually get from satisfying thirst, hunger, and sexual desire. 

The only pleasurable feeling your body will crave for is the crack cocaine effects that make you feel high. When the sensations that crack cocaine provide dies down, anhedonia and depression will take over. 

How to Know You’re Addicted to Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine is a more potent form of cocaine. People smoke crack to experience the intense effects it gives to their brain and body. Since crack cocaine is very short-acting, people tend to binge smoke it. They take a lot of the drug in a short amount of time. People use crack cocaine because it can produce a more accelerated response, unlike regular cocaine. As a result, people become dependent on it, resulting in an addiction to the drug.

To know if someone is addicted to crack cocaine, look for indications such as increased breathing rate, dilated pupils, restlessness, aggressive behaviour, and blistered lips. You still have to make sure that the cause of the indications the user is experiencing is due to crack cocaine and not other prescriptions. 

Concerning emotional signs, you’ll notice that the user has unnatural bursts of excitement and energy when under the effects of crack cocaine. Further, they may also feel agitated and irritable. Frequent mood swings are common for someone with crack cocaine addiction. Smoking crack cocaine for an extended period can also cause hallucinations and paranoia.

Crack cocaine overdose can pose a severe threat to life by damaging the central nervous system and other internal organs. If you’re a crack cocaine user and you’re experiencing the crack cocaine effects, you should seek immediate help to receive proper treatment. 

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Crack Cocaine Effects on the Body

Powder cocaine and crack cocaine are comparable substances that possess a few distinct differences. Crack cocaine commences as powder cocaine in its purest form. If the powder mixes with water and baking soda, it forms a hard substance, called crack cocaine.

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To reach a high, people need to smoke crack cocaine. This particular type of cocaine provides more potency than the powder type. Both forms share almost the same effects, signs of abuse, and withdrawal symptoms. The impact of crack cocaine is usually more potent because the body absorbs this type faster than its powder counterpart.

Crack cocaine enters the body through the smoke that the user breathes in. It travels into the bloodstream and instantly reaches the brain. It significantly disrupts the production of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Such natural chemicals build up in a human brain, producing an extreme feeling of sheer pleasure that eclipses the body and senses.

Common effects of crack cocaine use include:

• Mental alertness
• A state of paranoia
• A notable boost in energy
• A feeling of intense happiness or euphoria
• Episodes of irritability
• Sensory stimulation hypersensitivities, such as touch, sound, and light

All of these signs become apparent every time a crack user inhales the substance. Most of these symptoms don’t last long.  

Physical Crack Cocaine Effects

In addition to the ones mentioned above, the drug is capable of causing impacts in physical appearance instantly. The effects of crack cocaine on the skin can include:

• Skin abscesses
• Visibly impaired blood vessels
• Deep scratch marks (it is because of the crack user’s imagination of seeing bugs crawling under his or her skin)

The effects of crack cocaine in the eyes include:

• Dilating the pupils
• Jaundice or visible yellowing of the sclera (the white outer layer of the eyeball) once rock cocaine use starts to damage the vital internal organs

Together, experts usually refer to these signs as the crack face, which is the image of individuals affected by their heavy use of crack cocaine.

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Adverse Effects of Crack Cocaine on the Brain

Since a user needs to smoke crack, the drug reaches a person’s brain instantly. It affects an individual’s reward system and significantly increases the levels of dopamine present in the brain. The effects of this include:

• A sudden rush of confidence
• A notable rise in energy
• A feeling of extreme happiness or euphoria

The high levels of dopamine in the brain strengthens crack cocaine use as an essential behaviour. The user prioritizes the drug use even over survival functions like sleeping and eating. When this outcome combines with an instantly developing tolerance, this will urge the crack user to smoke more and more of the drug. It is in order to feel the same effects. As a result, the crack user will keep on looking for more crack cocaine shortly after the impact withdraws.

Substance abuse is a result when the user is compulsively seeking out and inhaling crack despite the obvious disastrous consequences that are occurring because of their constant drug use. This unhealthy habit now becomes a long-term mental illness.

Other Harmful Effects of Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine will produce a variety of impacts on a person’s body. Initially, the high commences seconds after the user inhales the substance and will last between five to ten minutes. The effects of crack cocaine in the body include:

• Fever
• Increased cardiac rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• Fast breathing
• Hyperstimulation and hypersensitivity
• Extreme happiness

The unnatural rise in blood pressure and cardiac rate put tremendous stress on the cardiovascular system. It may lead to damage in blood vessels and the heart. Crack cocaine is also capable of harming a person’s immune system, making the individual more prone to disease.

Constant use of crack cocaine will cause the users’ pupils to dilate and will make them anxious and hostile. As the high only lasts a relatively short period, the user will keep on smoking crack cocaine to maintain the high that they desire. Besides that, continued use of crack cocaine can cause a user to forget to drink and eat, which results in rapid weight loss and malnutrition. 

Crack cocaine also creates a sensation of bugs crawling under the users’ skin. This effect will lead them to continuously scratch their skin until they have wounds, which can quickly become infected. Also, crack abuse causes users to stay alert which results in sleep deprivation. This effect will lead to a series of harmful physical and mental outcomes.

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Getting Help for Crack Cocaine Abuse

Crack cocaine is indeed one of the most potent substances known to many in this generation. The moment a person starts inhaling the substance, it is almost impossible to set yourself free from its grip, mentally and physically. Physically, crack cocaine arouses vital receptors or nerve endings that are capable of sensing a sudden change in the body. 

Meanwhile, it makes a user feel extreme happiness as it affects the brain, which contributes to added tolerance by the user. Overall, there are virtually no significant good effects that crack cocaine can bring in our bodies. It is best to avoid these kinds of substances.

The only approach to stop these harmful effects or prevent them from worsening is to stop the use of crack cocaine. The impacts of crack cocaine on a human body are critical and even life-threatening. Plus, the high that the substance gives is not worth the diminished quality of life that results from drug use.

How to Deal with Crack Cocaine Addiction

Crack cocaine addiction can cause a lot of problems in your life. Such issues can be difficult to deal with, especially if you don’t know the threats it can pose. Given that crack cocaine is a more potent version of cocaine. The natural chemicals stimulating your body with rewarding sensations will cease to exist. It is due to the changes in your brain and body caused by smoking crack cocaine.

Dealing with crack cocaine addiction can be challenging for those who’ve been smoking them for a long time. However, withdrawal from crack cocaine is possible, especially if you want to get rid of the addiction. Keep in mind that dealing with crack cocaine addiction won’t happen in an instant. You’ll have to go through a step-by-step process to get rid of it completely.

Challenges in Recovery

Among the many challenges, you’ll have to deal with when quitting the use of crack cocaine are the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can grow stronger over time because the brain has been dependent on the drug when it comes to releasing chemicals to your body.

Crack cocaine provides similar effects to other illicit drugs. You’ll also have to keep yourself in check if ever you’re experiencing various indications of addiction. You’ll have to monitor your behavioural, emotional, and physiological changes. It is to prepare yourself for the process of quitting your crack cocaine addiction.

You also have to keep in mind that you can’t escape crack cocaine addiction alone. You should always ask for professional help since the withdrawal symptoms can get intense. You are more prone to bingeing on smoking the drug because of the discomfort you’ll feel during withdrawal. 

Getting treatment from a medical professional or attending rehabilitation programs are the most effective ways of dealing with crack cocaine addiction. Rehabilitation programs can help you get through the intense desire to smoke crack cocaine.

Medical professionals focusing in the field of illicit drugs can help you manage the strong and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. They can put you through replacement therapies to taper you off crack cocaine.

The Process of Overcoming Crack Cocaine Addiction

Overcoming crack cocaine addiction with the help of medical professionals or rehabilitation programs follows specific processes and measures. Treating your crack cocaine addiction will make sure that your body and health will improve and that your brain will no longer crave the drug.

Detox with Medical Supervision

Addiction treatment experts will do their best to create and find medicines and techniques to alleviate your symptoms of withdrawal. There are no drugs to cure your addiction to crack cocaine. But medications such as disulfiram or naltrexone are available to recovering addicts. It is to prevent them from craving the drug. It is also to prevent relapse from happening in the long run.

Complete Rehabilitation Program

Rehabilitation programs are among the most effective ways to put an end to crack cocaine usage and addiction. In rehab, you will go to intervention. Behavioural intervention specialists will advise you to participate in group or individual therapies and contingency management.

A group or individual therapy with contingency management apply positive reinforcement so you can quit your drug use. There will also be stimulus control while awarding the recovering addict when any positive behavioural changes happen. Awarding the individuals for their positive behavioural changes can stimulate the natural release of dopamine. It helps the brain relearn its stimulus-response method.

Dealing with crack cocaine addiction is possible for those who want to quit their drug use. Although the process of quitting can be challenging, you have to keep in mind that everyone will always have the opportunity to get free of the drug. There is always a way to turn your life around and repair the drug’s adverse effects on your life and body.

What are the Different Treatments for Crack Cocaine Addiction

When you are addicted to a drug, especially crack cocaine, it will be hard to treat it by yourself. You need to seek professional help and guidance if you are highly addicted to crack cocaine or other related drugs. You need to endure it because recovering from an addiction is hard psychologically and physically.

People tend to use crack cocaine because of the influence of friends or their community. When addicted to crack, it is hard and dangerous to quit drug use by yourself. You need to ask professional help as the withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and even fatal. The treatment must be in the hospital or rehabilitation centre because medical professionals can monitor your status when the withdrawal symptoms occur. 

Detox From Crack Cocaine

Many treatments are available to treat a person with crack cocaine addiction. Detoxification is the first step of the treatment. It is necessary when you want to recover from drug addiction. It must be done in a secure environment so you can focus on getting well.

During this initial phase, you may experience depression. You may have a hard time on the crack cocaine effects on your psychological behaviour. Because of the drastic effects of being constantly high, withdrawal symptoms like depression is one of the reasons why it is challenging to overcome crack addiction.

When the crack cocaine effects wear off, you will experience an intense craving and overwhelming feeling to go back to using drugs. Common symptoms for withdrawal of crack cocaine include:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Severe Depression 
• Intense Craving
• Insomnia

Inpatient Rehabilitation

The recommended procedure when being highly addicted to crack cocaine is to be in inpatient rehab. It is so that you’ll have a chance for complete recovery from addiction. There are many types of rehabilitation programs for crack cocaine addiction.

The treatment plan varies on the dosage and cases of the patient. Most of the rehabilitation programs focus on psychoeducational techniques and cognitive behavioural therapy. Treatments in rehab usually last for 90 days or less. But some cases of severe addiction may last up to 6 months to a year of treatment.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a goal-oriented therapy that involves practical approaches to solving problems. The goal of the sessions is to change the behaviour of people who have difficulties controlling their negative behaviour. 

This therapy can replace harmful behaviour with better and healthier ones. With the help of this therapy, people with addiction can change their attitudes as a first step in solving their emotional and behavioural issues.

Psychoeducational Therapy

Psychoeducation therapy provides information and education to people who suffer from mental health issues like crack cocaine addiction. Taking illicit drugs can affect our mental health as well as how we behave. This therapy is an essential aspect of treatment for crack cocaine addiction. It can help address mental issues and the addiction by giving the recovering addict opportunities to learn about his or her condition.

Pharmacological Approach

No medication can cure drug addiction. Cocaine can cause changes in the brain functions that include the production of serotonin and norepinephrine. For cocaine to disrupt the neurotransmission of the brain, researchers found acetylcysteine. It can help restore the balance in neurotransmission that was caused by the disruption of cocaine.

Researchers found that disulfiram can reduce the use of cocaine. It’s the same medication available for treating alcohol addiction. Disulfiram might not work for everyone, as it also depends on the immune system of a person.

There’s a study that stated that a particular vaccine for cocaine addiction could help reduce the risk of relapse. The vaccine can create antibodies that prevent cocaine from entering the brain. This vaccine may also prevent any brain damage that cocaine use may have caused.

Peer Support and Counselling

Treatment for crack cocaine effects and addiction does not end with therapy and medications. While in recovery, you can participate in peer support groups and group counselling sessions. Knowing that you have people who can provide you with emotional support can greatly help you in your recovery. 

How to Choose a Rehab Centre for Crack Cocaine Addiction

The first thing to know is how to crack cocaine works and how it affects the user’s body. Crack is a very fast-acting and very potent drug. Just by consuming or using a little amount of this substance can provide euphoric effects to the person using it. Crack cocaine use will have an adverse impact on the body like heart attack, stroke, hallucinations, and addiction.

Treatment for crack cocaine is possible if you are doing it the right way. There are a lot of rehabilitation centres that successfully help many people who suffer from addiction to crack cocaine addiction. It is also vital to know what treatment you need. There are two types of settings you can try: inpatient or outpatient treatment.

Inpatient Treatment

Many people thought that treating drug addiction can be done alone. But the problem is that you will be experiencing severe cravings. Doing self-treatment will be impossible. That is why you should seek help from those who know how to deal with this problem. Because doing this the right way will make your recovery faster and easier.

Inpatient treatment is when you go to a specialized centre for a couple of weeks or months. It will depend on how fast your body can adapt to the changes while you’re in recovery. There will be a set of programs that you need to follow. These programs will provide 24/7 support, monitoring, and friendly environment.

Inpatient treatment is one of the best options for drug addiction because you will be focused on one goal, which is to recover. Unlike the outpatient treatment, you will not have a chance to go out and risk relapsing. You get to stay in a safe environment where you can focus on your recovery from crack cocaine addiction.  

Outpatient Treatment

This type of treatment is less strict compared to inpatient treatment. The outpatient treatment will not require you to stay in the rehabilitation centre. The addiction treatment experts will only provide a schedule for clinic visitations for therapy sessions. In outpatient treatment, you can go home and do your daily activities. 

There are also some types of programs you can get from outpatient treatment. That will depend on how addicted you are to crack cocaine. These programs can be extensive that will take 20-30 hours a week. Others can only be 2 to 4 hours a week which is the standard length of time for most treatments. 

After every process and program, you can now go home and start a new life. Aftercare services will allow you to continue your therapy. Medical professionals can provide helpful services so that you’ll remain drug-free for the rest of your life.

What to Expect During Treatment of Crack Cocaine Addiction

Detox is the first step of treatment from the addiction to crack cocaine. It should be done in a safe environment to help remove the drug from the body of the user. Because users of crack cocaine may also experience depression when quitting the drug, detoxifying in your own house is a terrible idea. A medical professional must be present to supervise and take care of the recovering addict.

Detoxification is crucial since it will cleanse the body from the toxins you got while using the drug. There are also some specific psychological strategies and therapeutic methods for doing detoxification. All you need to do is visit a medical doctor or a psychologist for this treatment. 

Going to a medical doctor who specializes in addiction treatment is the best option if you want to start your detoxification process. Crack cocaine addiction is tough to fight, especially if you have been using this drug for a long time already. 

Short-term After-effects

Crack cocaine users experience pleasurable feelings when they are using the drug. But there will also be some short-term after-effects that will hit their body. They will experience an uncontrollable craving to use the drug again. They will also experience irritability and severe depression. Being high on crack cocaine also makes the user feel that he or she doesn’t need to sleep. 

Because of the lack of sleep, they will have an abnormal heart rate increase, their body temperature will rise and may lead to convulsions and muscle spasms. Crack cocaine effects can also make them feel anxious, aggressive, high-tempered, and paranoid. 

Long-term After-effects

When stopping crack cocaine use, it doesn’t mean that the effects will go away. There will still be some after-effects to the body primarily when you have been using the drug for a long time. You may have a severe respiratory issue, difficulty in breathing, hard coughing, bleeding, and lung injury. If you’re experiencing these, you should immediately consult your doctor.

Although the effect may vary depending on the user’s metabolism and amount of usage, some might experience grave after-effects. It can include problems with the heart, kidneys, liver, and infectious diseases because of the weakening of the immune system.

Takeaway

Repairing the damage done by crack cocaine effects is never easy to do. You will go through a lot of things before beating the addiction. That is why you should prepare yourself for the changes that you will be experiencing. Crack cocaine can damage your health in so many ways.

Recovering from crack cocaine addiction can be very hard and challenging. Seek help from a medical doctor or any professional practitioner so you can go through addiction recovery. Without the help of professionals, treatment for crack cocaine addiction is going to be a lot more difficult. To know more about your treatment options, don’t hesitate to call us here at Inspire Change Drug Rehab in Vancouver for addiction treatment programs.

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