Medical detoxification is a process in which individuals are safely and methodically withdrawn from addicting drugs. The term detoxification (rehabilitation) implies a clearing of toxins. The detoxification process is designed both to treat the acute physiological effects of stopping drug use and to remove residual toxins in the body left as a result of using the chemicals found in drugs and/or alcohol. For some individuals, when a drug dependency has occurred, they display predictable behaviors of withdrawal syndrome. These signs and symptoms are related to the detoxification (rehabilitation) process,...

Cocaine withdrawal generally occurs when there is abrupt discontinuation of the drug or a rapid decrease in the usage of it. When discontinued, the user will experience a “crash” along with other cocaine withdrawal symptoms: paranoia, depression, an intense craving for more cocaine, exhaustion, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, fatigue, and/or insomnia. REM sleep may also be affected for weeks after last use. Patients may have major concurrent psychiatric disorders and there may be severe discomfort and changes in the central nervous system as well. Cocaine Withdrawal’s Physical Effects Unlike...

Often when someone is under the addictive powers of cocaine they are unable to make the proper decisions to quit this behavior. Intervention is the act of interfering in the affairs of another person. Intervention often comes from the loved ones of the cocaine addict; those that know you best and care about your well being. Drug intervention is the process of stopping a chemically dependent person from continuing to use their drug of choice, despite negative consequences. It has also come to mean to motivate an individual to enter treatment who is currently unwilling to do so. Models of...

Cocaine trafficking and abuse continues to haunt and threaten the health and safety of American citizens. With the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act initializing the illegal usage of cocaine, criminal activity and violence has increased as a result. However, this violence associated with cocaine trafficking does not compare to the rampant violence of the 1980s epidemic when the crack epidemic was at its worse. Nonetheless, the trafficking, distribution and abuse of cocaine and crack cocaine has spread from urban environments to smaller cities and suburban areas of the country, thus resulting in the threat to...

Cocaine has powerful negative effects on the heart, brain and emotions. The results of smoking or injecting cocaine can be nearly instantaneous, and these immediate effects wear off in 30 minutes to two hours. Smoking or injecting cocaine results in a faster and shorter high, compared to snorting coke. The results of smoking or injecting cocaine can be nearly instantaneous. Whatever the method of taking it in, cocaine quickly enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain. Cocaine produces its powerful high by acting on the brain. Deep in the brain, cocaine interferes with the chemical messengers,...

The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. An overdose is widely considered harmful and dangerous as it can result in death. Cocaine is a stimulant with characteristics very prone to abuse. Cocaine users not only habitually use cocaine but also increase their dosage over time in a futile attempt to repeat or exceed the initial ‘high.’ Not being able to do so, engrossed users step up their intake, forgetting that these will ultimately and inevitably lead to...