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Crack Cocaine Abuse

What is Crack Cocaine?

Crack is a chemically modified form of cocaine. While normal cocaine is a type of salt that is in a powdered form, crack is made when that salt is combined with water and, usually, baking soda or some other chemical substance. This mixture is then boiled and which causes it to harden into a solid form. The name ‘crack’ comes from the sound that it makes while it is heated. These solids are broken off into small chunks and sold as ‘rocks’. Because it is so potent, it is highly addictive. The high associated with crack is nearly instant, but lasts for a short period of time, causing users to binge on it. This can, in turn, lead to faster dependence and more frequent crashing and negative side effects or, worst case, overdose.

Crack abuse spreads rapidly because the high is so fast and so much more intense than regular cocaine. Crack use also spread like wildfire because it is relatively inexpensive. Researchers have estimated that users of crack cocaine are in the millions per year, and it does not seem to be slowing down. Like its white powder relative, crack addiction and abuse is seen as young as 12 years old and across all different backgrounds, be it racial, economic or geographic.

Other slang references to crack include the following names:

  • Rocks
  • Base
  • Jelly beans
  • Gravel
  • Nuggets
  • Dice
  • Candy
  • Cookies

Crack Usage

Crack is typically taken by putting it into a pipe and smoking the drug. Smoking drugs like nicotine, opioids and crack cocaine delivers the dopaminergic-mind altering substance to the pleasure center faster than intravenous drug use. This is because the blood route from the lungs to the pleasure center is shorter from the arm to the pleasure center. So, you get high much faster when smoking than you do shooting.

Crack cocaine’s effects are very quickly felt, and peak very rapidly. Crack may seem to be cheaper than other street drugs, but the value is often a clever trick. Because the super-stimulated high lasts for only about 2-20 minutes, it wears off as quickly as it comes on and then you need more to get high again. Since this high is so short-lived, users often abuse crack in binges and then go through a cycle of binging and crashing. The short-lived stimulant effect and longer lived energy-drain crash cycle of crack abuse fuels tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

What does a Crack High Feel Like?

Crack abusers often say: “I fell in love on the first hit.” This is one of the few chemicals to which the body can actually develop an addiction to within the first use. People use crack in order to chase a “high” that includes short-lived:

  • Intense euphoria
  • Grandiosity: increased sense of self-importance
  • Heightened concentration and focus
  • Central nervous system stimulation
  • Reduced appetite
  • Weight loss

Should I seek treatment for crack addiction?

Addiction is a terrible disease that destroys the lives of you and your loved ones if not dealt with. Substance abuse to any chemical can have severe damage to your life, health, wellness, relationships and finances. Crack abuse can have a severe impact on the body, and to your loved ones. To overcome crack addiction, professional substance abuse treatment is absolutely mandatory. Without the medical supervision and assistance a certified and accredited substance abuse treatment facility provides, serious complications may result from crack withdrawal.

Because We Care, Sound Recovery is committed to providing the safest, most effective medication-assisted cocaine detox. It is important to us that our guests have the easiest time that they can, detoxing comfortably with proper supervision. After that, treatment is followed by carefully structured, individualized medical regiments, an intensive therapy program both group and one on one, and extensive aftercare options.

Do you think you or someone you love may have a problem with crack?

Withdrawal Symptoms from Crack Cocaine

Because it is a such a potent substance, crack is often even harder to overcome than cocaine. Withdrawal can be more painful, because the body and the brain are both addicted. Crack rewires your brain to become completely dependent on it, and as such, must learn to function without it. Some psychological symptoms even linger for weeks after detox.

Signs and symptoms of withdrawal include:

  • Depression
  • Poor concentration
  • Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Agitation
  • Restless
  • Paranoia
  • Anxiety
  • Volatile mood swings
  • Hallucinations
  • Powerful crack cravings

Dependence is linked to people behaving less rationally and logically. Relationships easily fall apart in the face of crack abuse. If you believe that someone you love is abusing crack, it is imperative that you contact a licensed rehab facility such as Sound Recovery.

Crack Cocaine Detox

Crack addiction treatment should begin with medical detox. This is a medically monitored withdrawal from crack performed by experienced detox and rehab medical staff. Nurses and their associates are able to monitor patients with regard to severe physical symptoms that may emerge during crack withdrawal. In a medical detox facility, the guest is kept under watch by medical staff 24/7 due to the dangers of withdrawal. This is a painful process, but the professionals at Sound Recovery go above and beyond to make the process as smooth and comfortable for our guests. Because crack also affects you psychologically, guests may experience neuropsychiatric effects such as debilitating mood changes, agitation, unhappiness, and anxiety during crack withdrawal.

Addiction Treatment

After their medical detox, many patients begin transitioning to the most important part of treatment: residential or intensive outpatient rehab treatment.This is a fully comprehensive structured addiction treatment. Treatment focuses on the neuropsychiatric, psychological and social aspects of addiction. Individual and group therapy are among the many ways that recovery-sensitive cognitive behavioral therapy (RS-CBT) is delivered. The programs at Royal Life Detox also include holistic approaches to treatment, such as art therapy, music and even animal therapy to help our guests express themselves. We believe that connecting to your emotions and learning how to communicate is just as important as physical healing.

Quality treatment programs introduce patients to self-help groups and actually begin attending support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Residential and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) usually last from 28 days to 1 year. Our residential inpatient program is a 2-week long program, while our intensive outpatient services are a part of our 9-week program that transitions guests from a partial hospitalization program (PHP) to intensive outpatient program (IOP). A residential and first part of IOP rehab stay is best followed by ongoing aftercare.

Reach Out

If you or a loved one has a dependency or addiction to crack, or any substance use disorder, please reach out to us about your detox and treatment options. Royal Life Detox admissions staff is available 24/7 to answer your questions and address your concerns. We can be reached at 888-716-4070. Because We Care.

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