Cocaine Addiction in Los Angeles

Signs, Withdrawal Symptoms & Facts

Cocaine is derived from the coca plant which is where it gets its name. There are legitimate medical uses of cocaine, such as to act as a local anesthetic during for eye, nose and throat surgery. It is a highly addictive substance and can be misused in a variety of ways, most commonly smoking, snorting, or injecting

When a person becomes dependent on cocaine, it can be extremely difficult for them to stop on their own. Withdrawal from cocaine often causes symptoms depression, cravings and side effects such as:

Other physical side effects from habitual cocaine use are respiratory problems and heart failure from smoking, and serious nasal damage from snorting the drug. Intravenous users are at risk for HIV and Hepatitis.

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Get the Help You Need

Once addicted, it is extremely difficult to stop using cocaine without professional help. An addiction as overwhelming as that of cocaine requires a holistic treatment approach which addresses several facets of the person that have suffered damage and need help to heal. Ideally, the person who has been devastated by cocaine addiction needs to begin the journey of recovery surrounded by a caring community, consisting of experienced and dedicated professionals and other recovering addicts, who are traveling on the same healing road.

10 Acre Ranch offers help and a lifeline for those who seek cocaine addiction treatment. The natural beauty of our secluded location, along with frequent interaction with counselors and other recovering individuals in our “social model” treatment program, can do a lot to help rebuild a lost spiritual connection or start a new one.

Twelve step meetings and sponsorship are but one crucial part of the treatment component here. Group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, one-on-one counseling and rational emotive therapy are just some of the counseling strategies we implement.

We also provide a delicious, nutritious, healthy diet and a physical recreation program to help rebuild the physical damage that results from cocaine addiction.

Cocaine is a powerful and addictive drug, classified by the federal government as a “high abuse, high dependency-risk stimulant.” The powdered form of cocaine can be inhaled through the nose (snorted) or dissolved in water and then injected directly into a vein. It can also be injected just under the skin, which increases the duration of the high and can also lead to infection or other medical complications.

Crack is a street form of cocaine that is processed into a rock crystal and then smoked, most often using a pipe. Given the higher level of concentration, long-term crack cocaine users may experience even more dramatic symptoms and complications.

Smoking crack cocaine on a regular basis will damage the heart, creating structural damage including scar tissue caused by minor heart attacks the user experiences without being aware of them. Eventually, smoking crack can cause the heart to fail or rupture, resulting in death.

Cocaine has numerous effects on various neurotransmitters in the brain; however, the most dramatic effect is the increase of dopamine. Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in the pleasure centers of the brain. Its release is associated with pleasure and a sense of well-being. This is the “rush” that the cocaine user seeks.

Excessive use of cocaine increases dopamine levels and then the brain is depleted, leading to strong mood swings. Users commonly appear “out-of control,” exhibiting symptoms such as:

Cocaine addiction can damage another chemical in the brain which controls pleasure and pain – endorphins. Cocaine mimics the body’s naturally occurring endorphins but cocaine is much more powerful. Cocaine attaches to the endorphin receptors, crowding out the body’s naturally occurring pleasure and pain chemicals. This can cause you to flatline emotionally, losing the natural ability to feel pleasure and pain.

Cocaine abuse permeates all aspects of the user’s life, including

Loss of health
Loss of employment
Loss of dignity & emotional stability
Loss of family & love relationships
Financial hardship and loss of independence
Loss of life

Give yourself or your loved one the desperately needed holistic help we offer at 10 Acre Ranch. You will build a strong and lasting foundation for healing and recovery

10 Acre Ranch is fully licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services to provide residential and outpatient treatment for drug addiction. To learn more about drug and alcohol rehabilitation, or to discuss drug rehab for yourself or a loved one, call 877-228-4679 or fill out our confidential contact form.