(ThyBlackMan.com) Many people at some stage will face addiction problems in their life, either a struggle that they face themselves or a family member or friend that goes through it. There are different kinds of addiction, broadly categorized into either process addition – for example, gambling or pornography – or substance addictions, for example, drugs or alcohol.
Although addiction can be debilitating and destructive for those addicted and for those around them, in the last few decades a number of effective treatment programs have been developed to treat a wide range of different addictions, and the issues around them. This means that whatever addiction someone has or how long they have been suffering from it, then help is readily available through a wide range of different treatments, both medical and psychological.
Cocaine Addiction
Drug addictions can be among the most damaging, and cocaine (and its close cousin crack cocaine) continue to be among the most dangerous drugs out there. Because cocaine acts as a stimulant, it provides a chemical artificial high to the body, making the person feel euphoric, and because cocaine is often shared, this can be a shared euphoria that makes it easy to get addicted due to the chemical and social benefits.
Cocaine addiction therefore can be a combination of physical addiction as the person becomes addicted to the high and the feeling of being on cocaine and can also be physically damaging. For example, some cocaine addicts have needed surgery on their nose (cocaine is often snorted) as it has become damaged over time. Therefore, a range of treatments may be needed for a recovering cocaine addict.
Types of Treatment
A range of levels of addiction as well as the variety of different strategies and interventions that can help with someone with cocaine addiction means that there are many different options available. Anyone looking for help with a cocaine addiction problem for themselves or for someone else should therefore do some research on the different options available in order to help ascertain the correct treatment for that individual.
Residential – throughout the country a range of different residential programs are available for cocaine addiction treatment. In a residential program, the patient will attend a specialized clinic, with a certain amount of removal from the outside world, in order to access a range of treatments. Residential programs are particularly suitable to cocaine addicts who might be looking for ‘cold turkey’ as part of their treatment program, whereby they are completely removed from the situation that they are in. This will include being removed from work, friends and family for a period of time, to enable the patient to reset their body and get through the withdrawal process. Typically, residential cocaine addiction treatment programs will last for a few months or more. During this time the patient is likely to also receive counselling to do with the mental aspect of their addiction as well as physical check-ups and any health that they need for other medical issues in relation to their cocaine addiction.
Outpatient –outpatient programs combine the resources and infrastructure of a specialist residential centre, but without the need for the patient to attend day and night for an extended period of time. Outpatient programs may be used by cocaine addicts who are unable to attend a residential program, for example for work or childcare-related reasons, or they may used by patients as a transition from a residential program to being back, as it were, in the community. As with residential programs, a wide range of treatments will be available, as well as access to specialist medical and counselling staff.
Online –As the Internet has grown in popularity, and as Internet access has become more ubiquitous across Canada, an increasing number of online programs have sprung up. These will range in scope from sessions that take place on particular times and dates to provide structure and formal sessions for a recovering addict, but also ‘drop-in’ treatment, particularly online therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) that can help recovering addicts to examine different areas of their life, as well as reasons in their life why they may have been drawn towards cocaine, in order to be better informed to avoid those temptations later on. Online programs have an advantage in that they can be accessed from anywhere, although they may have less personalized materials for particular addicts than outpatient or residential services.
Medication –increasingly, medications are being used to help with patients in order to help them to avoid relapsing into cocaine use, and some medications that have been used with recovering alcoholics, such as disulfiram, have shown some success in this area. However, some addicts and some treatment centers are reluctant to replace one drug with another, even if a prescription drug, without trying other treatments first.
Choosing the Best Cocaine Addiction Treatment
In the end, what will be the best treatment program for a particular addict will depend on their own life circumstances. Significant factors include how much time the patient can dedicate to their treatment, and to what extent they can carry the burden of expense. This is particularly the case for residential programs, which are excellent, but also the most expensive.
On the other end of the scale, online programs are likely to be cheaper but will also be less personalised to the needs of the recovering addict. A discussion with friends and family members, as well as a consideration of the needs of the cocaine addict, including any other health issues that they may have, will be an important part of choosing the right kind of treatment from the many options available.
Medical advice should be sort, for example from a family doctor, as to what treatment options are available in a particular area, and doctors may be able to recommend particular courses of treatment that have been shown to be successful in their patients. As a highly-addictive substance, considerable importance should be given as to the correct course of treatment for treating this very dangerous addiction.
Staff Writer; John Stewart