
Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that directly effects the brain. Cocaine is one of the oldest known psychoactive drugs.
Coca leaves the source of cocaine has been chewed and ingested for thousands of years. Cocaine hydrochloride the purified chemical has been around and abused for over 100 years. It has also been used as a local anesthesia.
Cocaine is generally sold on the street as a fine white crystallized powder Also known as “coke,” “C,” “snow,” “flake” or “blow.” It is generally diluted with substances such as cornstarch, talcum powder, baby laxative or sugar. It is also frequently laced with amphetamines, procaine or other substances.
“Crack” cocaine is processed with hydrochloride salt, ammonia or sodium bicarbonate to produce a smokeable substance. It frequently includes other toxic chemicals. The term “Crack” cocaine is a street name for the freebase cocaine (smokeable), referring to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked.
Understanding Cocaine Addiction
Did you know?
Cocaine is generally sold on the street as a fine white crystallized powder Also known as “coke,” “C,” “snow,” “flake” or “blow.” It is generally diluted with substances such as cornstarch, talcum powder, baby laxative or sugar. It is also frequently laced with amphetamines, procaine or other substances.
“Crack” cocaine is processed with hydrochloride salt, ammonia or sodium bicarbonate to produce a smokeable substance. It frequently includes other toxic chemicals. The term “Crack” cocaine is a street name for the freebase cocaine (smokeable), referring to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked.
Cocaine: Current Use and Future Trends
- Approximately 2% of adults use cocaine.
- Usage rates of cocaine and amphetamines tend to cycle in opposition to each other.
Routes of Administration
Cocaine can be used in different ways resulting in different effects on the body.
- Oral: Chewing or sucking coca leaves results in slow absorption and onset of effects.
- Intranasal (snorting): Rapid absorption and onset of effects.
- Intravenous: Rapid and brief effects.
- Inhalation: Rapid and brief effects.
- Rubbing onto mucous tissue.
How Cocaine Works in the Body
The Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction

Effects of Cocaine Use
- Euphoric Feelings: Users may feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert.
- Decreased Need for Sleep: Cocaine use can lead to a decreased need for sleep and loss of appetite.
- Restlessness: Users may experience restlessness and heightened sensitivity to sight, sound, and touch.
Acute Effects
- Constrictive blood vessels.
- Increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.
- Potential for bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior.
- Irritability, panic, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, seizures, strokes, coma, gastrointestinal complications, abdominal pain, and nausea.
What are the Risk Factors?
Cocaine use can lead to increased levels of irritability, restlessness and anxiety. In severe cases, this can result in paranoid psychosis in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations. This experience can be disruptive and frightening. Most individuals seem to recover from psychosis as the drug leaves their system. Others do not. Heavy cocaine use may cause heart problems including heart attacks, which may lead to death. Cessation of Cocaine use includes a constellation of withdrawal symptoms including cocaine craving, irritability, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depressed mood, increased appetite, and exhaustion.
Risks of Regularly Snorting Cocaine
- Damage to the nasal septum.
- Paranoid psychosis.
- Damage to the heart muscle.
- Increased risk of miscarriage and torn placenta during pregnancy.
Causes for Concern: Acute Toxicity
Acute cocaine toxicity causes profound central nervous system stimulation, which can lead to respiratory or cardiac arrest. There is significant individual variation in the uptake and metabolism of cocaine, making it difficult to estimate the size of a lethal dose. Rare, severe, and unpredictable reactions can cause cardiac failure. Cocaine combined with alcohol can form the toxic chemical cocaethylene, which has a longer-lasting, more potent effect.
Dangerous Interactions
Research has revealed the dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol, as well as cocaine and opiates. These mixtures are the most common two-drug combinations that result in drug-related deaths.
What is the Treatment?

There are several effective treatments for cocaine abuse, often tailored to the individual’s needs. These treatments can be used individually or in combination, depending on the person’s needs. Here are some common types:
Here are some common types of treatment:
Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): You have an automatic thought. That thought produces an emotion. As humans, our emotions can affect how we act. Once you recognize the thought and emotion associated with that thought, you usually have several choices to make, which can lead to consequences of your behavior. CBT aims to change the thought(s) to more productive and more helpful consequences.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Combines CBT with mindfulness techniques and emotional regulation, often used for borderline personality disorder.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores unconscious thoughts and emotions to understand and resolve psychological conflicts. This is a long-term therapy, typically working with the same psychodynamically trained therapist for several years or longer.
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): Focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and social functioning.
Medication Management
These medications are often used in combination with behavioral therapies to provide a comprehensive approach to treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with cocaine abuse, seeking professional help can make a significant difference in the recovery journey.
- Bupropion: An antidepressant that may help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Modafinil: A medication typically used to treat narcolepsy, which has shown potential in reducing cocaine use.
- Topiramaten: An anticonvulsant that may help reduce cocaine cravings and use.
- Disulfiram: Commonly used to treat alcohol dependence, it has also shown some effectiveness in reducing cocaine use.
Lifestyle and Self-Care
- Exercise: Regular physical activity can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Healthy Diet: Proper nutrition can positively impact mental health.
- Sleep Hygiene: Good sleep practices can help improve overall mental well-being.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Techniques to help reduce stress and promote mental clarity.
Support Groups
- Peer Support: Groups of individuals with similar experiences can provide mutual support and understanding. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) is one of the leading organizations in the country that offers free peer support groups.
- 12-Step Programs: Structured support groups for addiction recovery, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Cocaine Anonymous (CA) Groups.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
- Psychodrama: an experiential group therapy that has people re-enact real-life situations through role-playing, storytelling, and dramatic self-presentation.
- Art and Music Therapy: Creative therapies to help express emotions and reduce stress.
- Equine Assisted Therapy: A process that uses horses to help people meet their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health goals. Teaches emotion regulation, self-confidence, and responsibility, while helping reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, or trauma.
- Yoga and Tai Chi: Mind-body practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction.
Hospitalization and Intensive Treatment
Medical Detoxification:
Medical detoxification may be necessary. Desert Star coordinates with a number of Detox facilities and hospitals as deemed clinically necessary. If referred to medical detox their medical team will monitor you for medical stability and safety until you are medically cleared. Their discharge team will then coordinate with Desert Star for admission to the program. The team at Desert Star will coordinate throughout your detoxification process.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP):
An intensive outpatient program that provides structured treatment for up to six hours during the day up to five days per week.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP):
An intensive outpatient program that provides structured treatment for up to three hours during the day up to four days per week.
If you or a loved one is struggling with chronic cocaine use, please know that help is available. At Desert Star Addiction Recovery Center, we’re here to support you. We offer personalized care to help you live a life in long-term recovery. Our treatment includes supportive and structured group therapy three to four times a week, individual therapy sessions, access to medication management, and case management. No matter what you are feeling right now, there is hope! With treatment, you can learn the tools needed to navigate your life in long-term recovery.
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Get the help you need without putting your outside commitments on hold! We individualize treatment for every client and can combine groups from different programs to suit your unique needs. We offer varying levels of structure and support, from partial hospitalization to intensive outpatient to once-weekly outpatient groups.