How to Begin Your Cocaine Detox

Cocaine is a unique drug at many different levels. It is more addictive than drugs like cannabis and alcohol, and it’s also harder to overcome too. The drug is also unique in that it tends to not discriminate based on economic or social status. High-powered business executives are as likely to abuse cocaine as the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. It certainly isn’t unusual to see people from all walks of life going through cocaine detox together.

Cocaine detox tends to be the first step of recovery for the cocaine addict. Some people are able to complete a 10-day detox programme and never have trouble with cocaine again, but such individuals are the exception to the rule. Most addicts need a significant amount of drug counselling and other psychotherapeutic treatments to fully overcome. The reason is simple: the addictive nature of cocaine is more psychological than physical. And psychological problems are always harder to fix.

Before we talk any more about detox, we want to ask a question: are you using cocaine? If you are, do you consider yourself an abuser? The reason we ask is that cocaine is an illicit drug that is illegal to possess, manufacture and distribute except for a very small number of cases in which derivatives are approved for medical use. In short, any recreational use of cocaine constitutes abuse.

If you are using cocaine in any amount, you are playing with fire. Cocaine has a unique ability to do things to the brain that other drugs don’t do. It is a highly addictive drug that doesn’t take much to get hooked on. Consider the following:

• Smoked and injected cocaine reaches the brain almost immediately; the pleasurable effects last 10-20 minutes
• Snorted cocaine takes a bit longer to reach the brain; the pleasurable effects tend to last 20-30 minutes.

If this does not mean much to you, consider the fact that alcohol can take 15 to 20 minutes to reach the brain and produce pleasurable feelings that linger for hours. A person wishing to feel good by drinking needs to consume very little alcohol to enjoy a long-lasting effect. Not so for cocaine users. Because the pleasurable effects of the drug subside so quickly, users attempting to maintain a steady high have to use a tremendous amount of the drug.

Tolerance, Dependence, and Cocaine Detox

If you are a cocaine user, think back to that first time you tried. The rush you felt was probably so intense that you couldn’t wait to take another hit. Maybe you took one right away, or maybe you waited a day or two before using cocaine again. In either case, your second hit resulted in another rush you found hard to resist. So then you used cocaine again, and again, and again.

Over time, you have experienced what is known as tolerance. Your body feels less pleasure from each hit despite the fact that you continue craving the drug. Answering those cravings in order to produce pleasurable feelings causes you to take more. This creates a cycle of taking, craving, and then taking more to answer the cravings. It is a cycle that ultimately leads to addiction if it’s not interrupted. And when cocaine addiction sets in, detox becomes imperative.

Cocaine detox is a process that takes between seven and ten days. Unfortunately, there are no prescription medications that can substitute for cocaine during withdrawal. Nor are there any drugs you can take to address cocaine cravings. The good news is that there are a limited number of medications that can help with things such as insomnia and muscle spasms.

Professional Treatment Is Best

You should know that it is possible to completely stop using cocaine on your own. However, you should also know that doing so is very difficult. Many people who try to quit at home just cannot deal with the intense cravings that result. They hold out as long as they can, but after a while, they feel compelled to take another hit of cocaine to ease the cravings.

Another option is to undergo outpatient detox at an NHS clinic. To do that, you would make an appointment with your GP for a complete physical evaluation and a clinic referral. Then you would likely wait several weeks for treatment to begin. You would be expected to look for a local drug support group in the interim.

Your third option and the one we believe is the best, is to undergo cocaine detox and rehab at a private clinic. Private clinics typically have very short waiting times, if any at all. They also offer a safe, distraction-free environment that enables patients to focus all of their attentions on recovery. Medically supervised detox is also the norm.

Help Is One Call Away

If you are currently battling against cocaine, you do not have to go it alone. There is an entire army of counsellors, therapists, doctors and nurses who work with cocaine addicts throughout the UK. These individuals are the best at what they do because drug recovery is all they do.

Our primary mission as a referral service is to connect our clients with local rehab clinics offering proven treatments. In fulfilling that mission, we also provide comprehensive assessments along with sound advice. With just one phone call to our 24-hour helpline, you can access our free services right away. Calling us today could mean beginning your cocaine detox and rehab within 24 to 48 hours.

Please understand that the longer you continue using cocaine, the greater the risk to your physical and mental health. Failing to get treatment could result in long-term physical problems and eventual premature death. It will also ruin your relationships, steal your financial resources, and leave you alone and isolated. That is no way to live. Rather than allowing cocaine to continue being in control of your life, make that move to contact us today. Let us help you get enrolled in a treatment programme.