When you see someone in the midst of cocaine addiction, you can feel powerless and terrified. After all, cocaine addiction is associated with various negative symptoms, including serious injury or even death.

If your child, parent, sibling, spouse, or other loved one is struggling with cocaine addiction, you need to know what to do and how to help them. You have the power to make things better and help your loved one get the treatment they need to thrive once more. Cocaine addiction treatment at a reputable drug rehab facility can make the difference between lifelong recovery and your loved one suffering from the harmful effects of addiction.

What is Cocaine Addiction?

Cocaine addiction is a serious condition characterized by the physical and/or psychological addiction to cocaine as a substance. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2020 survey, 1.3 million people over the age of 12 have cocaine use disorders of some type.¹

Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the coca plant. Cocaine can be smoked, injected, or snorted depending on its form, and it might be called several different names, including coke, snow, blow, etc. Regardless, cocaine is highly addictive because of the sense of euphoria it can produce in those who absorb it.

Over time, chronic cocaine usage may lead to infections, cardiovascular health issues, and many other health problems. In the long run, it can also lead to cocaine addiction. If this happens, the individual addicted to cocaine could experience terrible withdrawal symptoms if they don’t consume more of the drug.

Signs and Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction

If you believe a loved one is currently in the midst of a cocaine addiction or struggling with cocaine use, you can watch them for several common signs and symptoms. According to the National Institutes of Health,² these signs include:

• Nosebleeds, a runny nose, or dilated pupils. These symptoms usually don’t go away for a while after manifesting.
• Changes in weight. Cocaine can suppress the appetite of someone who takes it. Therefore, someone addicted to cocaine may eat much less than usual, causing them to lose weight over time.
• Sudden changes in sleeping habits. As a stimulant, cocaine removes the feeling of fatigue, leading someone taking it to feel like they don’t need sleep.
• Poor hygiene or a change in hygiene habits. Cocaine addiction can cause individuals to forgo all their other responsibilities and concerns, focusing exclusively on acquiring and consuming more cocaine.
• Using cocaine with other addictive substances, like alcohol, to produce a stronger high
• Greater risk-taking behavior
• Mood swings
• Muscle twitching
• Angry or defensive behavior when questioned about new activities, friends, or habits

Any of these symptoms could be a bad sign, but several symptoms together could indicate that your loved one desperately needs your help.

How to Help a Loved One with Cocaine Addiction

If you believe a loved one is struggling with cocaine addiction, there are things you can do to get them back on track.

Your Loved One Must Get Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Firstly, recognize that your loved one has to get treatment for their cocaine struggles. There is no over-the-counter medication to treat cocaine addiction, and it is unlikely that your loved one will be able to overcome the addiction completely by themselves.

Even though it can be challenging to talk about the topic, you must be willing to approach your loved one frankly and discuss your concerns. An inpatient or outpatient treatment program is your loved one’s best bet for overcoming cocaine use disorder.

Speak to Them About the Problem

To begin recovery, confront your loved one about their habits and cocaine use. Ask them upfront if they are using cocaine and, if so, when the habit began. Do not judge them and, above all else, do not attack them in any way.

Now more than ever, your loved one requires your support. Therefore, you should tell them instead:

• How concerned you are for them
• How you want them to live a long, full life
• How you still love them and only want what’s best for them

These positive messages are much more likely to get through to your loved one than angry or hostile messages.

Choose an Inpatient or Outpatient Program

Once your loved one agrees to get treatment, help them select an inpatient or outpatient program. Inpatient programs require your loved one to stay at a treatment facility for a certain amount of time. This can be an effective treatment process if your loved one is at serious risk of relapsing or if they need extended professional help to manage withdrawal symptoms.

Outpatient programs enable your loved one to continue holding down a job and maintaining most of their daily routines. However, they’ll be required to visit a treatment facility regularly to check their progress, receive therapy, and for other reasons.

An inpatient or outpatient program might be ideal, depending on the unique needs of your loved one and your circumstances. Look through all the programs available and choose with your loved one that gets them the professional help they need.

Provide Constant Support

Throughout the recovery process, don’t leave your loved one to go through a program by themselves. Instead, stay by their side. Visit them frequently, and offer support through conversations, letters, phone calls, and any other means you can manage.

Many people in addiction recovery struggle with loneliness and feelings of isolation. Showing your loved one that you haven’t abandoned them may give them the social strength they need to progress through a difficult treatment program. In doing this, you’ll maximize the chances of a successful recovery.

Contact Clear Life Recovery Today

Cocaine addiction isn’t something that goes away by ignoring it. Instead, it would be best if you were prepared to contact knowledgeable healthcare providers and counseling specialists. Only through entering a treatment program can your loved one reclaim their life.

At Clear Life Recovery, our counseling and therapeutic specialists are well-equipped and ready to assist your loved one. Contact us today to learn more about our treatment programs.

 

Sources:

[1] https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35319/2020NSDUHFFR1PDFW102121.pdf

[2] https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine