Few drugs carry the false allure or garner more attention from avenues like movies or television shows than cocaine. That said, medical professionals and addiction specialists often caution that cocaine use and subsequent addiction carry serious, permanent, and potentially fatal health risks.
A particularly dangerous derivative of cocaine is a substance known as crack.
Crack Overview
Chemical Makeup
Typical cocaine is derived from the coca plant and is a hydrochloride salt pureed into powder form. Crack is the aforementioned presentation of powdered cocaine mixed with other materials like baking soda.
Production
Natural cocaine and baking soda are combined. Once this process is completed, the concoction is boiled. Heat application morphs the powdery substance into rock solid pieces. After the preparation has cooled, the existing pieces are then broken into tinier fragments. These fragments encompass the product commonly sold as crack cocaine.
Typical Users
Natural cocaine garnered a reputation as an expensive designer and recreational drug used by more upscale users, such as celebrities, business executives, and the children of wealthy professionals.
That said, crack is cheaper. This renders the drug more affordable for persons of all socioeconomic backgrounds. In turn, a far greater percentage of people have grown addicted to this substance and felt its negative impacts.
Method Of Ingestion
Natural cocaine can be smoked, used intravenously, and snorted. That said, the crack version is typically smoked. Users obtain crack fragments, apply heat and ingest the resulting smoke produced by the substance.
In fact, the drug is so named because of the popping or cracking sounds emitted when the drug undergoes the aforementioned heating process. Furthermore, smoking is a favored method of ingestion because inhalation intensifies the product’s potency and expedites the substance’s desired influences.
Impact On Body
The most immediate and direct impact crack exerts is on the user’s brain. The drug activates structures called neurons. Over the short-term, said occurrence crates feelings of:
- Euphoria
- Anxiety
- Excitement
- Strength
- Vitality
- Confidence
- Talkativeness
Unfortunately, however, these pleasant experiences do not last long. As soon as only a few minutes after ingestion, the subject in question could experience untoward responses, such as severe tension, depression, agitation, anger, sadness, and even aggression. Moreover, said individuals often encounter intense cravings and the desire to quickly obtain another fix.
Addiction
Crack is a highly addictive drug. The potent but brief highs often inspire users to take larger quantities of the drug at more expedited rates. This unfavorable combination of activities increases one’s chances of growing dependent upon the substance. Once addition is established, the dependent will require prodigious amounts of the drug merely to function.
Withdrawal
Should the addict abruptly stop ingestion, they will likely develop withdrawal symptoms. Typical, the worst of these manifestations impact the addict’s mental health and include:
- Pronounced sadness
- Sleeplessness
- Emotional outbursts
- Aggressive tendencies
- Unpleasant dreams
- Cognitive disruptions
- Irritability
Severe withdrawals might even precipitate suicidal thoughts.
Permanent Impacts
Long-term or chronic usage of crack could impact many bodily systems causing problems, such as cardiovascular issues, weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, oral care maladies, liver, kidney, and lung diseases, and an increased risk for infection.
The Addiction Recovery Process
In light of the preceding concerns, addiction treatment and recovery are paramount.
Dependency specialists warn that crack is amongst the most challenging drug recovery processes. Therefore, said effort should not be undertaken without the input and close monitoring of trained healthcare providers and treatment professionals.
Moreover, a solid percentage of said subjects recommend treatment be administered in the confines of an established inpatient rehab facility. Treatment usually occurs in stages.
Detox
The first phase of recovery is detox. During this undertaking, a team of experienced doctors and supporting medical staffers gradually eliminate the drug from the addict’s body and treat withdrawal symptoms when said manifestations grow pronounced enough.
Typically, systemic eradication can occur in anywhere from three to seven days. However, impacted individuals might also experience post-acute withdrawal symptoms for several weeks to months following bodily elimination and require appropriate remediation. However, the preceding issue will depend on the amount of the drug taken and the specific duration said usage occurred.
Therapy
Once detox is completed, the patient then enters the therapeutic phase. While undergoing this stage of remediation, patients receive counseling, identify the real reasons they used in the first place, develop coping skills, engage in activities geared towards heightening their physical and mental health, and learn how to exist in the world as a sober individual.
The therapeutic portion of rehab could range from 30 to 90 days. This will also hinge on several issues, most notably the addiction’s severity and the dependent’s general health.
Reaching Out To Us
Crack addiction treatment can be arduous and challenging. Fortunately, our Columbus-based campus boasts a successful record of helping those dependent on this drug obtain full recovery and establish a successful return to civilian life. Give us a call today at 833-497-3812.