Treatment for Cocaine Addiction Recovery in Los Angeles
Cocaine addiction recovery in Los Angeles is made possible by a commitment to a holistic approach to evidence-based therapies. At Profound, your treatment plan is built around your specific needs during the recovery process. Whether you are experiencing challenges with cocaine use, other drug use, or mental health issues, lasting recovery is possible with a comprehensive level of care. We provide detoxification and residential treatment to support your recovery journey and long-term recovery.
In addition to a level of care that meets each client where they are on their recovery journey, we also offer ongoing support post-residential treatment through aftercare planning. If you or a loved one is experiencing challenges with substance abuse, our Los Angeles County cocaine rehab can provide the support network and services you need to make a profound change for your well-being.
Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine is one of the most widely abused drugs in the world. As of 2020, over five million Americans reported cocaine use in the past year. While not everyone who uses cocaine will develop a cocaine use disorder, many people do.
Common symptoms of cocaine addiction include cravings, restlessness, an inability to stop using the substance, a negative impact on life quality, and increased anxiety. The symptoms associated with cocaine dependence highlight the impact of substance abuse on your physical and psychological well-being. Yet, knowing the signs of cocaine dependence is immensely beneficial in knowing when to seek help in a cocaine addiction treatment program.
Intense Cravings and Cocaine Dependence
Having intense cravings for cocaine is one of the tell-tale symptoms of cocaine addiction. Cocaine is often used casually as a “party drug,” but individuals with cocaine dependence struggle with persistent cravings. These persistent cravings for cocaine use are due to the structural changes in the brain involving the pleasure and reward chemical dopamine.
Restlessness and Mood Swings
Feelings of restlessness are one of the more common symptoms of cocaine addiction. Individuals who have a cocaine use disorder may feel restless even when they are not using the drug. They may also expend large amounts of energy trying to acquire cocaine to calm their restlessness.
Inability to Stop Cocaine Use
Another major cocaine addiction symptom is the inability to cut back or stop using cocaine. Individuals may continue to use cocaine despite being aware of the negative side effects and mental symptoms. Additionally, individuals who are addicted may experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop.
Impact on Daily Life and Well-Being
Cocaine dependence can very quickly take control of a person’s life, impacting their home, work, and social life. Additionally, cocaine dependence can cause tension in relationships with others as it begins to take priority in your life. Thus, seeking support in an addiction treatment center is invaluable to addressing the health and social challenges that arise from cocaine use.
Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Health Issues
Because cocaine affects the level of dopamine in the brain, its use can be damaging and lead to a variety of mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, over time. Moreover, sustained cocaine use can lead to the development of cocaine-induced mental health disorders, with anxiety being common.
At Profound Treatment, we are more than a drug rehab center. We are a treatment facility that specializes in comprehensive, evidence-based therapies and modalities to address addiction, mental health conditions, and other intersecting factors that impede well-being.
Contact Profound to Learn More
At Profound, our medical professionals, expert clinicians, and compassionate staff are committed to treating your unique needs. Mental health disorders commonly co-occur with substance abuse, so we are invested in dual diagnosis care and treatment options that support healing in mind, body, and spirit.
If you or a loved one is experiencing challenges with cocaine dependence, other forms of substance abuse, and mental health conditions, we encourage you to reach out today. Seeking a detox and residential rehab program can support you in taking the necessary steps towards healing and lasting recovery. Our team is standing by to discuss treatment options with you to build the treatment plan that best fits your specific needs.
How Cocaine Abuse Affects the Brain and Mental Health
In general, the impact of substance use disorders on the brain is tied to pleasure circuits. Addiction overwhelms the pleasure circuits in your brain because your brain’s reward system is where you develop and reinforce certain behaviors for survival.
For instance, when you eat food or drink water, your brain’s reward pathways typically release the feel-good chemical, dopamine. The pleasure or satisfaction that comes from dopamine is a survival tool to reinforce behaviors like eating or drinking water as desirable experiences, since humans need food and water to live. However, substance abuse twists your brain’s survival mechanisms into a pleasure trap.
Addictive substances trigger an excessive response that floods your brain with more dopamine than you would typically experience. Drug use, like cocaine and opioids, floods your reward systems with ten times the normal amount of dopamine. As a result, you become used to receiving bigger surges of pleasure, which become intense cravings and dependence on a substance to experience that same level of increased pleasure.
Cocaine use contributes to intense cravings that reinforce excessive cocaine use and frequent relapse after short periods of abstinence. Not only does cocaine use flood your brain with excessive amounts of dopamine, but it also decreases the ability to increase dopamine levels and produce euphoric effects. Thus, cocaine use leads to tolerance, and tolerance contributes to increased drug consumption to achieve the desired effect, which creates a vicious cycle of cravings, cocaine use, and cocaine dependence.
“Am I an Addict?” Quiz
If you connect with any of the signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction, we encourage you to take the Self-Assessment. Identifying addiction is a complex process, and understanding the nuances between drug use, dependency, and addiction is not always easy. Acknowledging the question, “Do I have an issue?” is a courageous and pivotal step toward healing.
Short-Term Effects of Cocaine Use
The effects of cocaine use can be felt almost immediately after taking the drug. Moreover, the effects of cocaine use are dependent on the way the substance is consumed. Individuals may snort the substance, smoke it, or turn it into liquid cocaine that can be injected. Depending on the method of use, the sensation of the high may last anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour. In the short term, cocaine affects your skin and your breathing, can induce panic, and lead to abnormal behaviors.
Behavioral Changes from Cocaine Use
After taking cocaine, most individuals will experience changes in their behavior. Cocaine can have a euphoric effect and can lead to hyperactivity and hypersexual behaviors. Additionally, symptoms of cocaine use include feeling more talkative and excitable than usual or behaving erratically. These behavioral changes from cocaine use can disrupt every aspect of your life, from work and school to your relationships with family and friends.
Breathing Difficulties and Blood Pressure Changes
Cocaine use can lead to changes in breathing, resulting in rapid or uneven breathing. Additionally, coughing and wheezing are common effects of cocaine use. Individuals who smoke crack cocaine are more likely to have an injury to the respiratory system, which can lead to fatal conditions such as pulmonary edema.
Physical Effects – Skin, Nosebleeds, and Heart Rate Changes
Some of the physical and external side effects of cocaine dependence include issues with your skin, nose, heart rate, and weight. Cocaine use can lead to flushing of the skin and sensations of bugs crawling on the body. Your skin may also become hypersensitive after cocaine use.
The side effects of cocaine use on your skin can develop from various consumption methods. For example, nosebleeds typically stem from snorting cocaine because it irritates the sensitive skin and damages the blood vessels in the nose. Some of the other nasal symptoms of cocaine use include:
- Scabs inside the nose
- Sinus issues
- Frequent sniffling and a runny nose
- Loss of sense of smell
- Damage to the bone structure in the nose
Another common stimulant side effect seen in cocaine use is an elevated heart rate. Short-term cocaine use overstimulates the nervous system, which leads to a fight-or-flight response seen in changes to the heart rate. Thus, cocaine use can lead to tachycardia and constricted blood vessels, which increases the risk of a heart attack. On the other hand, long-term or chronic cocaine use can contribute to having an unusually slow heart rate or irregular heartbeat.
Lastly, one of the most well-known physical side effects of cocaine dependence is weight loss. Cocaine has often been called “the skinny drug” because of its dramatic impact on weight loss. Experiencing weight loss associated with cocaine use is extremely dangerous because it:
- Significantly suppresses your appetite
- Increases metabolism for faster calorie burning
- Disrupts hormones that regulate energy and fat
These factors contribute to nutritional deficiencies that lead to malnutrition, muscle wasting, and other life-threatening health issues like stroke and organ damage.
Panic, Paranoia, and Cocaine-Induced Mood Swings
Psychological symptoms, such as panic, paranoia, and anxiety, are some of the most common signs of cocaine addiction. You or a loved one may also experience distressing delusions and hallucinations, leading to further panic. Cocaine-induced delusions and hallucinations may lead you to act in abnormal ways.
Psychotic cocaine abuse symptoms can be frightening and are often a part of withdrawal symptoms. Seeking detox in cocaine addiction treatment for withdrawal symptoms can be beneficial in managing psychotic symptoms.
Cocaine abuse can also lead to abnormal behavior due to its effects on impulse control and logical thinking. Moreover, cocaine also releases norepinephrine in the brain, which is involved in “fight-or-flight” behaviors. The release of norepinephrine can lead to aggressive or even violent behaviors in some people.
Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Addiction
The effects of cocaine addiction can linger long after the high passes. Cocaine use causes changes in the brain that can lead to symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and seizures. Additionally, cocaine addiction affects many of the body’s systems, creating physiological effects as well that are detrimental to your health and well-being.
Cognitive and Mental Health Disorders
Both mental and physical fatigue are common symptoms of cocaine addiction. Cocaine use affects brain function, and it can leave you feeling slow after the high wears off. Additionally, cocaine use can cause muscle injury, leaving you feeling physically sore.
Prolonged cocaine use can lead to cocaine-induced anxiety disorder. If you have cocaine dependence, you may experience periods of generalized anxiety as well as panic attacks. This is especially true when you experience cocaine withdrawal symptoms, since anxiety is one of the first symptoms.
Depression is another long-term sign of cocaine addiction. Cocaine essentially burns up the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals, leaving you feeling depleted and empty. In the long term, this loss of feel-good chemicals like dopamine causes structural changes in the brain that can lead to cocaine-induced depression.
Physiological Risks
Not only does cocaine cause changes in mental health and contribute to mental health issues, but it can also lead to physiological changes.
Cocaine affects many of the major organ systems in the body. For example, smoking crack cocaine increases the likelihood of lung damage and long-term breathing problems compared to those who do not smoke the substance. Cocaine also affects the digestive organs, which can lead to ulcers and gut rot. The heart is also affected, putting you at a higher risk for cardiac events.
Cocaine affects the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making, attention span, impulse control, and memory. Individuals who use cocaine may struggle with thinking logically, planning, and self-control. Further, the effects of cocaine use on thinking can still linger up to a year after stopping cocaine use.
You may also experience trouble sleeping or getting good rest due to cocaine use. Your difficulty sleeping and insomnia are due to cocaine being a stimulant that can produce feelings of wakefulness. Additionally, individuals who use cocaine often may neglect sleeping in favor of using more of the substance.
Seizures are one of the main signs of cocaine overdose and toxicity. As an individual uses cocaine, their tolerance level builds, which then requires them to take more to achieve the same high. Unfortunately, this can lead to taking extremely high doses, resulting in seizures. Long-term cocaine use also puts you at risk for cocaine-related brain bleeds and stroke.
How Cocaine Abuse Affects the Brain and Mental Health
Cocaine abuse affects your mental health due to its actions on the neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for pleasure and arousal. Taking cocaine results in a massive release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which produces the euphoric high sensation. However, after the high has worn off, dopamine levels also drop off, leaving you feeling low and depleted.
Central Nervous System Effects
Cocaine affects the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord. The use of cocaine rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier, producing sensations of increased energy, euphoria, and eventual mood swings:
- Energy: Increased energy and hyperarousal are typical symptoms of cocaine use. Cocaine also increases norepinephrine in the brain, which is related to the fight-or-flight response. This causes you to feel overly energetic when you take cocaine.
- Euphoria: Cocaine also increases the amount of dopamine available in the brain. When released, dopamine produces feelings of intense pleasure and euphoria.
- Mood swings: Increased energy and euphoria will quickly wear off, leaving the brain depleted of its neurotransmitters. After the high wears off, you may feel extreme lows emotionally and experience mood swings.
Anti-Reward System Damage
Cocaine affects and damages the body’s reward system. Normally, when dopamine is released, the body can reabsorb it so it can be reused. However, cocaine blocks the body’s ability to reabsorb dopamine and, over time, reduces the overall amount available to be used in the body.
Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms and Support Needs
Symptoms of cocaine withdrawal have a direct relationship to cocaine’s effects on the central nervous system. Without the proper amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, you begin to experience sensations of withdrawal. Typically, cocaine withdrawal symptoms consist of feelings of depression, anxiety, restlessness, and other neurocognitive deficits.
Treatment Designed Around You
We take an individualized approach to care, meeting you where you are and building a treatment plan that aligns with your unique needs and goals.
Cocaine-Induced Psychosis
Psychosis related to cocaine use is experienced by up to half of individuals who use the drug. You may experience delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, and homicidal thinking while on and withdrawing from cocaine. Seeking cocaine addiction treatment can be beneficial, as these symptoms can be dangerous and are best managed by medical professionals.
Stages of Cocaine Psychosis
Cocaine psychosis can be broken up into three stages:
- Prodrome: Prior to experiencing psychotic symptoms, individuals may feel agitated, restless, anxious, and suspicious.
- Acute: Symptoms will begin to escalate and may include hallucinations, paranoia, and violence.
- Recovery: Eventually, these symptoms subside as neurotransmitter levels in the brain begin to stabilize.
Symptoms and Types of Psychotic Episodes
The symptoms of cocaine-induced psychosis look different for everyone. Some individuals may feel paranoid and have delusions of persecution, and they may begin acting erratically as a solution to the paranoia. Individuals may also experience auditory, visual, and physical hallucinations. For example, cocaine can lead to hallucinations of bugs crawling on or under the skin.
Causes and Medical Considerations
Cocaine-induced psychosis is caused by toxic levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Essentially, the brain cannot handle and metabolize the amount of dopamine released, causing it to malfunction.
Why Choose Profound Treatment for Cocaine Addiction Recovery in Los Angeles, California?
Wondering how to stop your cocaine addiction or have concerns for a loved one? Profound Treatment offers state-of-the-art cocaine addiction treatment options to help individuals recover safely and comfortably in a supportive environment.
Profound Treatment offers residential treatment for detox from cocaine withdrawal symptoms. Our inpatient treatment options support building a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs with individual therapy sessions and other services like professional and vocational skills training.
Integrated Dual Diagnosis Care
At Profound Treatment, we operate on a dual diagnosis model, offering integrated cocaine addiction recovery in Los Angeles for lasting recovery. Often, individuals who struggle with substance use disorders also struggle with other mental health conditions. Thus, dual diagnosis treatment becomes an invaluable tool for addressing addiction and other underlying mental health conditions. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help you navigate the recovery process and become the healthiest version of yourself.
Evidence-Based Therapies
Through our detox and residential treatment program, you will have access to evidence-based therapies to meet your unique needs. Some of the evidence-based therapies you can incorporate into your treatment plan include:
- Individual therapy sessions
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
Furthermore, post-treatment counseling is an important part of the continuum of care for individuals with substance abuse. Counseling helps you address negative and unhelpful behaviors and thought patterns, as well as helps you develop new, healthy coping skills. Some of the ways we provide ongoing support include aftercare services, such as sober living, alumni programs, and referrals for outpatient treatment.
Supportive Environment for LGBTQ+ and Transgender Clients
A support network of peers can be immensely helpful in a cocaine addiction treatment program. Having someone to talk to, as well as other examples of individuals overcoming addiction, can be empowering in seeking healing on your recovery journey. Profound Treatment offers a wide range of ways to connect to and learn from your peers in a supportive environment, from support groups and 12-Step groups to inclusive treatment options for families and marginalized communities in recovery.
A support network of peers is especially valuable for healing for vulnerable populations like transgender and other LGBTQ+ community members. Some of the benefits of a support network for underserved communities in addiction and mental health treatment programs include:
- Higher rates of treatment completion
- Greater client satisfaction with treatment
- Strengthens the therapeutic relationship between clients and clinicians
- Improved health outcomes
- Supports relapse prevention
- Decreases feelings of isolation
- Promotes resilience
- Empowers a greater sense of self
Client-to-Staff Ratio and Personalized Attention
Cocaine is an immensely addictive drug that can have serious withdrawal side effects. Therefore, seeking help from medical professionals is important as experienced healthcare providers can help you manage withdrawal symptoms and maintain abstinence for long-term recovery.
Seeking treatment also allows access to medication for cocaine addiction treatment that would otherwise not be available. Through our cocaine addiction recovery in Los Angeles, we offer medical detox as a level of care to manage withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and support your well-being through medication management.
Relapse Prevention
Unfortunately, many individuals who struggle with substance use disorder will relapse without a comprehensive treatment plan. However, being proactive and getting in touch with an addiction treatment center that focuses on healing the whole person in mind, body, and spirit can help with relapse prevention, as it provides you with the support and tools needed for lasting recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cocaine Treatment
Withdrawal symptoms from cocaine during detox typically take several days, but prolonged withdrawal symptoms from cocaine use may take several weeks. Additionally, counseling in residential treatment does not have a set length of time because everyone’s experiences and needs for recovery are unique. Rather than a set timeline, you will work in collaboration with your care team to build a treatment plan tailored to support your healing and transition into outpatient treatment services.