Cocaine is a very addictive drug. Chronic users risk developing tolerance to cocaine's effects. Many addicts report that as tolerance develops they fail to achieve the positive effects they experienced when they first began using the drug; thus, they begin to use cocaine with greater frequency and in larger doses.
Powdered cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) is a stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, which is native to South America. In the late 19th century cocaine was used as an anesthetic, but the availability of safer drugs rendered many of its medical applications obsolete. Today powdered cocaine is abused for the intense euphoric effects it produces.
Cocaine is presently the most abused major stimulant in America. It has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency department visits. It is not a new drug of abuse but is now considered the caviar of recreational drugs. Individuals of all ages use cocaine--data reported in the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicate that an estimated 27,788,000 U.S. residents aged 12 and older used a form of cocaine at least once in their lifetime. (Slightly more than 6 million of these individuals used crack cocaine.)
Scientific research since the mid-1970s shows that treatment can help many people change destructive behaviors, avoid relapse, and successfully remove themselves from a life of substance abuse and addiction. Recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment. Based on this research, key principles have been identified that should form the basis of any effective treatment program:
· No single treatment is appropriate for all individuals.
· Treatment needs to be readily available.
· Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug addiction.
· An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed often and modified to meet the person’s changing needs.
· Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical for treatment effectiveness.
· Counseling and other behavioral therapies are critical components of virtually all effective treatments for addiction.
· For certain types of disorders, medications are an important element of treatment, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
· Addicted or drug-abusing individuals with coexisting mental disorders should have both disorders treated in an integrated way.
· Medical management of withdrawal syndrome is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug use.
· Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
· Possible drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously.
As is the case with other chronic, relapsing diseases, recovery from drug addiction can be a long-term process and typically requires multiple episodes of treatment, including "booster" sessions and other forms of continuing care.
This site does not make Cocaine Treatment recommendations nor dispense medical advice; only a physician or heath care provider is qualified to determine the proper treatment for any patient. We present the following information for general education purposes only.