Besides being highly addictive, cocaine can increase the risk of serious diseases like HIV/AIDS and lead to severe heart and respiratory problems, even death. In fact, there are a number of frightening side effects to cocaine use:

• Constricted blood vessels, decrease in blood flow to body
• Loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, wounds inside the nose and throat
• Increase of heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure
• Malnourishment
• Heart attack or stroke, even at a young age
• Sudden death, usually related to seizure, respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest

If you have a loved one who suffers from cocaine addiction, you have probably experienced a slew of emotions about your loved one’s situation. Denial, anger, sadness and a sense of helplessness are common among concerned family members and friends.

There are many treatment options available to those who are abusing or addicted to cocaine. However, if the cocaine addict is not ready to admit that he or she has a problem, the addiction may seem impossible to cure. Many times, individuals who are in denial about a substance abuse problem can become angry, hostile, belligerent or even dangerous to themselves or others when confronted about their issues.

How to Have an Intervention

One way that families and individuals help their loved ones receive treatment is through intervention. An intervention is a carefully planned gathering of friends and family members brought together for the purpose of confronting an individual about drug use. The purpose of an intervention is to show the addicted person that he or she is loved and cared for, but that the consequences of cocaine use have taken their toll and that it is time to accept treatment.

Because interventions can be highly emotional, many people choose to hire a professional interventionist to assist in the planning and moderation of an intervention. A good interventionist can also help you find the best treatment for your loved one.

Whether you choose to have an interventionist or not, here are some tips for conducting an intervention:

• Stay calm
• Avoid labeling the person an “addict”
• Cite specific instances that occurred due to the substance abuse
• Stick to what you know firsthand, avoid hearsay
• Explain how the person’s behavior has affected you
• Be supportive and hopeful about change
• Be prepared for denial and resistance

An intervention may be the best thing you can do for the person you care about. Quality treatment can restore that person to a healthy, drug-free life, and it may be good to go into the intervention prepared to tell that person what treatment options might look like for him or her and how you believe that he or she is capable of a full recovery. An intervention is not a time to accuse and argue; it is a time when friends and family members come together to seek healing for an individual trapped in the destructive cycle of drug use.

Cocaine Intervention Help

If you would like to learn more about the intervention process, including tips on how to find a reputable interventionist, please call our toll free number. We have trained, experienced counselors available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you may have about cocaine addiction and treatment. Recovery is within reach. Call today.

Effects of Crack Cocaine

The smokeable form of cocaine allows users to experience a “high” quicker than when the drug is snorted or injected. In less than ten seconds, a “high” can occur; however, the effects are short-lived. The drug reaches the brain within three to five minutes through snorting, fifteen to thirty seconds through injection, and almost immediately through smoking. Because of the severity of the high, the intensity of the “crash” can be serious and may cause users to return to the drug to escape the dreadful effects of withdrawal.

Crack cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that increases levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical associated with pleasure and movement in the brain’s “reward” circuit. It is a means of communication between neurons in the brain. In its normal function, dopamine responds to a pleasurable signal by one of these neurons (e.g., the smell of good food). It is then recycled back into the cell that released it, shutting off the signal between neurons. Cocaine works counter-productively to this cycle by preventing the dopamine from being recycled. This causes large amounts of dopamine to build up, augmenting the message, and thus disrupting normal communication. This excess is the cause of for the euphoric effects experienced when taking cocaine. When the drug is repeatedly used, the long-term effects change the brain’s “reward” system and other systems in the brain as well, which inevitably can lead to addiction. Tolerance also occurs with repeated use, meaning that more of the drug is required to achieve the initial effects. In an attempt to prolong the euphoria and maintain the “high,” some users will increase their dose; but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.

Crack Cocaine Usage Statistics

All issues surrounding the use of crack cocaine are severe because of the seriousness of addiction and the harmful effects of its use. There is heightened concern about use among high school students. According to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Survey, in the United States alone, almost 4% of high school seniors had used the drug at least once in their lifetime, and more than 1% had used the drug in the past month.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that individuals of all ages have been reported to use crack cocaine. Studies estimated that over six million U.S. residents aged 12 and older used crack at least once in their lifetime. It also showed that roughly 150,000 individuals aged 12 to 17 and over one million individuals aged 18 to 25 had used the drug at least once.

Cocaine Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine, please call our toll free number. Someone is available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you may have about cocaine addiction treatment. We can help. Please make the call today.

Why Teen Specific Treatment Programs

Teen treatment programs identify the following as success factors in their treatment services:

• Teens respond better in an environment with people their own age.
• Adult participation is essential, but carefully guided to promote recovery.
• Treatment programs incorporate teen developmental issues as part of the overall recovery program.
• As with all treatment programs, one aspect is to empower the individual to succeed. Teen treatment programs understand the variables that assist in empowering teens and promote these life-enhancing skills.

How Teen Specific Treatment Programs Work

Qualified and competent professionals, who specialize in providing support to teens, have designed effective programs to assist teens in recovery and rebuilding a productive life.

• Parental involvement – these programs assist parents by encouraging productive involvement, understanding the need for family therapy, and in giving parents tools to support the recovering addict.
• Individual attention – effective teen programs offers academic school opportunities with a lower teacher-student ratio and the individual attention that recovering addicts need to meet their educational requirements.
• Consistent behavior management – While their life is in chaos because of their addiction, teens often act out inappropriately. Teen counselors can help teens learn how to deal with authority in a constructive and healthy way.
• Learning from teens – When teens share their experiences, it allows other teens to feel connected, less alone and “heard.” When teens also explore strategies that have led to success, other teens are not only more willing to try these success strategies but also gain the hope and motivation to be successful as well.

Even though a treatment center may specialize in teen care, not all teen centers are alike. Be sure to contact the facilities you selected to ask questions to get the specifics of what the facility provides to assure yourself that they can assist a teen through the physical, mental, emotional and social aspect of your abuse.

Learn More About Teen Treatment Centers

If you need assistance in getting started in finding the right treatment program for a teen, call our toll free number today at (866) 872-6495. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about cocaine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Benefits of Inpatient Services

While inpatient service is considerably more expensive than outpatient, these facilities typically demonstrate higher success rates, and attribute this success to the following factors:

• Temptation is significantly reduced as the patient does not have access
• Support during critical times of need is available
• Focus on recovery; maybe facilities reinforce restrictions so that patients can focus on themselves and their recovery

Treatment Payment Options

While the costs of cocaine rehabilitation may be considered significant, no one can argue that the cost, not only in money, but in health and personal productivity, is enormous. There are options that you can explore:

• Many insurance companies are covering drug treatment, and more insurance companies are viewing this benefit as they do other forms of psychiatric care.

• Private lending is another option. Drug treatment centers are working with private lenders to assist families by setting up a payment plan for treatment costs.
• An increasing number of employers are also acknowledging that their investment in assisting a key employee by paying for their addiction treatment may, in fact, be less than bringing a new employee up to speed.

Get Help for Cocaine Addiction

Living a healthy life, free from cocaine addiction has a greater value than the costs associated with cocaine rehabilitation. If you or someone you know is a cocaine user, call our toll free number today at (866) 872-6495. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about cocaine addiction treatment. We are here to help.

Withdrawal is always one of the first steps to breaking addiction. One must rid their system of the drug in order to make healthy decisions. However, because cocaine is one the most powerful drugs on the market, the right program should be in place to help the addict through the withdrawal. Treatment and/or rehab programs are developed to help with withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction specialists and medical professionals are better equipped to treat symptoms of withdrawal. The complexity of the drug requires the many biological and physical problems that the body goes through to be addressed.

What is a Cocaine Rehab Program?

When assessing the right program for an individual, a strong cocaine rehab program will offer:

• A wide variety of treatment services
• Well-educated, energetic, experienced staff members
• Integrated program that pulls from a variety of treatment models
• Personalized treatment plans
• A program that addresses the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of recovery

Rehab, regardless of the kind of program it is, will help the patient overcome their physical and psychological addiction to cocaine. The means in which to do so are done through detoxification, individual counseling and group counseling. The right rehab center will also help with post-rehab, helping the patient to transition back into the normal routines of life.

Outpatient programs in particular allow the individual to return home each night whereas inpatient programs allow the patient to live in the rehab facility during the duration of their detox. Each depends on the needs of the patient. While they each exhibit the same rates of success and offer the same services, each are designed with the patient’s best outlook for success.

Cocaine Rehab Treatment

If you or someone you know suffers from an addiction to cocaine, please call our number at (866) 872-6495. Someone is available 24 hours a day to take your call and assist you with the right treatment for the addiction.

What is Outpatient Treatment?

Outpatient drug rehab is a program designed for the long-term goal of abstinence from drugs and/or alcohol. Within the various rehab programs available are different treatment options that help a user overcome their addiction like specialized therapies, counseling (one on one and/or group) and 12-step programs.

The difference with outpatient programs is that patient does not live in the rehab facility. The duration of either program depends on the needs of the individual. Outpatient programs can be comparable to residential inpatient programs in regards to their services and effectiveness but each are applicable to the needs of the individual. Accountability is essential in the success of an outpatient user in complying and adhering to the guidelines of their individualistic treatment program.

Depression is a huge factor that effects cocaine addicts in withdrawal and sends most into relapse. The right team of people and support needs to be in place in order to see breakthrough in the life of the addict.

Cocaine Addiction Help

Overall, the intent and purpose of any type of cocaine treatment is to help the individual break the cycle of addiction in their lives that is ruining their present and future state so that they can be released back into society as responsible, successful, drug and alcohol free lives.

If you or someone you know suffers from an addiction to cocaine, please call our number at (866) 872-6495. Someone is available 24 hours a day to take your call and assist you with the right treatment for the addiction.

Early Evidence of the Coca Plant

Erythroxylum (E) Coca, Huanuco or Bolivian coca is the original ancestral variety. Bolivian coca grows best in the moist tropical forests of the eastern Andes of Peru and Bolivia. The earliest coca leaves were discovered in the Huaca Prieta settlement 2500 – 1800 B.C. in the northern coast of Peru; positive proof that the natives of South America were using coca for a series of purposes for more than 1500 years.

All pre-Columbian cultures in the Andes have left evidence of usage of these leaves. Similarly, there is ample evidence that coca was one of the oldest domestic use plants in the New World. Its use extends over an area, which includes Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. This variety is the only one of the four found growing wild. Bolivian coca is the major source of commercially produced coca leaves and cocaine. Coca is a plant whose historic significance dates back to before the conquest of the Incas, in Andean prehistoric times, “… amidst small groups of nomad tribes which inhabited the Andes during the immediate post-glacial period.” The coca leaf was used (and still is) by the Incas, Quechuas and many other Andean cultures.

The Incas Use of Coca

Coca leaves have been chewed by South American Indians for 4500 years to induce a mild and long-lasting euphoria. Anthropologists have speculated that the word coca derives from the pre-Incan Tiwanaku word khoka – meaning “the plant.” The Aymara word q’oka means “food for travelers and workers.” It was found that 100gm of Bolivian coca leaves satisfied the dietary allowance for calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin E. The coca leaf was used (and still is) by the Incas, Inca descendants (Quechuans), Tiwanaku, Amyara and other nomadic Andean cultures.

The Incas in particular venerated coca. They used coca in magical ceremonies and initiation rites; for divination and fertility rituals; and to heal their physical and psychological woes. Two of the Inca emperors named their wives after the leaf – the honored consorts were given the plant’s sacred title, Mama Coca. The only object ever carried by the Inca emperor himself was a coca pouch. He wore it around his neck close to his heart.

Francisco Pizarro was the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in 1572. When the conquistador invaded South America they initially outlawed coca leaves, but the invaders were impressed at coca’s efficacy as a stimulant.

When the Spanish needed native labor in their silver-mines their minds changed about coca. Work in the mines was extremely arduous, and taking coca reduces appetite and increases physical stamina. Hence there was a great surge in coca-use and the number of coqueros (coca-chewers).

The Indigenous People of the Andes

The indigenous people of the Andean mountain range have been chewing the leaves of the coca plant for years. Archaeological evidence indicates that Peruvians were chewing coca as early as 1800 B.C. Ancient sculptures show the heads of warriors with the characteristic “bulge” in the cheek, depicting coca chewing. The coca plant was one of the first cultivated and domesticated plants in the New World. In certain parts of South America, the coca plant still plays an important role in everyday life. There are some remote parts of countries such as Columbia and Bolivia where coca paste is still used as a money commodity.

Cocaine Addiction Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a cocaine addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on cocaine treatment and addiction.

How widespread is cocaine addiction?

In 1997, there were approximately 1.5 million regular cocaine abusers.

• One-tenth of the population (over 22 million people) has tried cocaine.
• Each day 5,000 more people will experiment with cocaine.
• Cocaine is a $35 billion illicit industry now exceeding Columbia’s #1 export, coffee.
• One in 10 workers say they know someone who uses cocaine on the job.
• The annual number of new cocaine users has generally increased over time. In 1975, there were 30,000 new users. The number increased from 300,000 in 1986 to 361,000 in 2000.
• The average age of cocaine initiates rose from 17.2 years old in 1967 to 23.8 years old in 1991 and subsequently declined to approximately 20 years old from 1997 to 2000.
• Cocaine addiction was responsible for 14 percent of the 1.6 million admissions in 1999 to publicly funded drug addiction facilities.

Adults 18 to 25 years old have a higher rate of current cocaine use than those in any other age group. Overall, men have a higher rate of current cocaine use than do women. Also, according to the 1997 NHSDA, rates of current cocaine use were 1.4 percent for African Americans, 0.8 percent for Hispanics, and 0.6 percent for Caucasians.

Cocaine addiction can occur very quickly and can be very difficult to break. Researchers have found that cocaine stimulates the brain’s reward system inducing an even greater feeling of pleasure than natural functions. In turn, its influence on the reward circuit can lead a user to bypass survival activities and repeat drug use. Chronic cocaine use can lead to a cocaine addiction and in some cases damage the brain and other organs. An addict will continue to use cocaine even when faced with adverse consequences. Dependency can develop in less than two weeks. Some research indicates that a psychological dependency may develop after a single dose of high-potency cocaine. As the person develops a tolerance to cocaine, higher and higher doses are needed to produce the same level of euphoria.

Physical Signs of Cocaine Abuse:

There are some physical signs of cocaine abuse that often to lead to addiction, and these signs are key to know in order to spot the addictive behavior. The physical warning signs of cocaine abuse can vary, depending on the person.

• Eyes: Quite often the eyes are a good indicator of cocaine use. A person will appear wide and or bloodshot eyes and the pupils are dilated.
• Heart: Stimulants, like cocaine, increase heart rate and blood pressure so heart irregularities can be a warning sign.
• Speech: Cocaine users often have an elevated speech pattern so speech irregularities are a warning sign.
• Appetite: Cocaine is an appetite suppressant so people that use cocaine regularly will often lose weight or are not hungry at meal time.
• Sleep Patterns: Because cocaine is powerful stimulant, people who use cocaine often will have a difficult time falling asleep or suffer from disruptive, inconsistent sleep.

Continued signs of addiction to cocaine include cardiac problems, neglect of family responsibilities, social isolation, mood swings, neglect of body needs and hygiene and ignoring job demands. The effects of cocaine are immediate, extremely pleasurable, and brief. Cocaine produces intense but short-lived euphoria and can make users feel more energetic. Like caffeine, cocaine produces wakefulness and reduces hunger. Psychological effects include feelings of well-being and a grandiose sense of power and ability mixed with anxiety and restlessness. As the drug wears off, these temporary sensations of mastery are replaced by an intense depression. The drug abuser will then “crash”, becoming lethargic and typically sleeping for several days.

Addiction is very serious and not easily predicted. It is safe to be aware of the physical signs of cocaine use that can lead to addiction. If you or someone you know needs help with a cocaine addiction, we are here to help. Please call our toll free number. We are here to answer your questions on cocaine treatment and recovery.

Entertainers are the Targets of Cocaine Addiction

Many people may be able to name a handful of actors and singers they knew that had their lives cut too short due to cocaine overdoses. Chris Farley died of a drug overdose of cocaine and heroin in December 1997. River Phoenix died as a result of taking a combination of cocaine and heroin outside of the night club The Viper Room. He was 23 years old. John Belushi, beloved comic of Saturday Night Live fame, died of an overdose of cocaine and heroin, at the age of 33. Most recently the over enthusiastic TV pitchman, Billy Mays, had cocaine (along with other drugs) found in his blood stream after his autopsy.

The Cinema and Cocaine Depiction

The period prior to World War II saw cocaine use portrayed both in comic situations and in so-called exploitation films which more closely mirrored sensational press coverage where cocaine was viewed as the ‘gateway’ drug to opiates. Cocaine largely disappeared from the recreational drugs scene until the late 1960s. Since then, films as diverse as Easy Rider (1969), Annie Hall (1977), Scarface (1983) and Clean and Sober (1988) have framed cocaine use and dealing variously as comic, heroic, glamorous, as well as damaging. This contrasts with crack cocaine in the context of black cinema in the 1980s and 1990s where settings of violence and death predominate. With the cocaine cartels as the focus, Traffic (2000) questions for the first time in a Hollywood movie, the efficacy of the ‘war on drugs’ while the cocaine trafficking film Blow (2001) returns to a more traditional Hollywood view of vice punished.

George Jung

“A choice without consequences is no choice at all.” This quote is posted on the official Web site of George Jung. Who is George Jung you may ask?

George Jacob Jung (born August 6, 1942), nicknamed “Boston George”, was a major player in the cocaine trade in the United States in the 1970s and early 1980s; he was infamous for being one of the most prolific drug traffickers in the United States during that time. Jung was a part of the Medellen Cartel which was responsible for up to 85 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. He specialized in the smuggling of cocaine from Colombia on a large scale. His life story was portrayed in the 2001 movie Blow, starring Johnny Depp.

Slang Terms of Cocaine

Blow is a slang term for cocaine, as used in the title of the 2001 movie. Cocaine is also called caviar, snow, cocktail, stardust and rock star. These names show the flamboyant and high class quality of cocaine. Cocaine is usually the drug of choice in the higher circles of Hollywood due to its immediate physical effects.

Physical Effects of Cocaine

The results of smoking or injecting cocaine can be nearly instantaneous, and these immediate effects wear off in 30 minutes to two hours. There are two distinct categories of cocaine effects: short-term effects and long-term effects. Even if a person has only used cocaine once, they can experience short-term cocaine effects. Long-term cocaine effects appear after increased periods of use and are dependent upon the duration of time and amount of cocaine that has been consumed. People who try cocaine often get hooked to the short-term cocaine effects, namely feeling as though they have increased energy. The quick high keeps users feeling energetic and able to endure longer in physical activities. New cocaine users often try cocaine to increase productivity at work and in other areas of their lives so that they can work longer and harder. While these results may seem promising in the beginning, increased tolerance and dangerous life choices often follow repeated cocaine use.

Cocaine effects and addiction don’t distinguish between class, gender, age or even Hollywood. If you or someone you know needs help with a cocaine addiction, we are here to help. Please call our toll free number. We are here to answer your questions on cocaine treatment and recovery.

It was both a stimulant and suppressant providing the euphoric sensation of happiness and energy. However, chewing the leaves produces no “high.” Cocaine was first extracted from the coca plant in the 1880s and deemed a miracle drug. Coca plant leaves are a crystalline tropane alkaloid, combined with the alkaloid suffix “-ine”- make up one of the most powerful drugs of our time: cocaine. The alkaloid was first scientifically isolated from the coca plant in 1860 by Albert Neiman when it received its name, cocaine.

Cocaine’s Early Usages

In Europe, however, its medical usefulness was not fully recognized until Carl Koller used it to anesthetize the cornea of the eye. Over the next 20 years it became a popular medicine and tonic in Europe and America curing a wide variety of diseases and illnesses. It was believed to help heal ailments such as asthma, ulcers, malaria and indigestion, as well as an aphrodisiac and improve longevity. In some places it was becoming more and more available in the form of powder and was recommended to recovering alcoholics, mixed into drinks like Coca-Cola and wine, also and found inside cigarettes. It was coined the “miracle drug,” as characters like Sherlock Holmes glorified its use. In 1903, however, Coca-Cola stopped using coca leaves in their product as they discovered the adverse reactions on the brain.

Cocaine Becomes Illegal

However, reports soon started to appear that claimed cocaine was a drug with a high social abuse potential and in America it seemed to strengthen growing crime figures. As a result, cocaine was classified as a narcotic and its use was restricted to specific surgical procedures and medicinal preparations. After users and physicians began to realize its dangers, various regulations were enacted, its use decreased, and by the 1920s the epidemic had subsided. It was actually in 1914 that cocaine came under control in the United States through the Harrison Narcotic Act which regulated the distribution of coca, and specifically addressing cocaine, even though cocaine is not a narcotic. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act officially made cocaine illegal in the United States.

During this time, coca was being commercially grown world-wide in places such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan, but even to this day coca grown for cocaine is mostly produced from underground labs in South American countries where it has become a major source of income since the 1980s.

Cocaine Use in America

Another epidemic began in the United States in the 1970s and peaked in the mid-1980s; again the drug was at first considered harmless. With the latter epidemic and its accompanying crack epidemic, violence in crack-infested neighborhoods increased dramatically. Young people with few other opportunities were lured by the power and money of being crack dealers; most carried guns and many were murdered in the drug-gang wars that ensued. By the late 1990s the cocaine and crack epidemic had subsided as heroin regained popularity among illicit drug users.

Today, cocaine and its derivatives are still popular local anesthetics in operations of the ear, nose and throat and it is also used in a preparation given to alleviate the pain (physical and mental) of terminal diseases. Although cocaine has a high public profile as a drug of addictive potential, this drug has also had a long and distinguished history as a medicine and local anesthetic. The legitimate uses of cocaine exacerbate the problems of controlling this substance of abuse and should provide a stimulus for generating local anesthetics that lack addictive potential.

If you or someone you know needs help with a cocaine addiction, we are here to help. Please call our toll free number at (866) 872-6495. We are here to answer your questions on cocaine treatment and recovery.