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Cocaine is often stereotyped as a drug used by celebrities and frequent party-goers. To many, it seems like cocaine is used “out there” but not used close to home. However, struggles related to cocaine use can still be a real possibility for our neighbors, family members, and friends.
Maybe you or a loved one is struggling with cocaine use. Perhaps you are reading this in hopes of finding much-needed guidance, support, and resources to gain insight into how to best overcome cocaine addiction. Or maybe you just want to learn more about the side effects of cocaine use.
As a society, we consider certain substances as more acceptable for use than others. Examples of acceptable substances include alcohol and cigarettes. There are many reasons for this. Alcohol and cigarettes are legal substances and also easy to get within our local communities at grocery stores, gas stations, liquor stores, etc.
In contrast, cocaine is not usually a part of our everyday, normal lives. Struggles related to cocaine use exist but are often not discussed openly. So, it can be very challenging for people that struggle with cocaine use to be vulnerable enough to discuss their use, discuss the problems they are having as a result of cocaine use, and take the brave step of seeking addiction treatment. Serenity Lane is here to help you or your loved one at every step of your treatment journey.
To better show the effects of cocaine use on a person, we will follow the story of a man named Tommy. Tommy represents the lived experience of many struggling to overcome cocaine addiction.
Tommy arrives at a treatment facility with his brother. This is Tommy’s first time to treatment. Tommy is a 25-year-old male that has a history of moderate alcohol use since college. Recently, Tommy began using cocaine.
Tommy shares that the events leading to his cocaine use include having intense pressure at his workplace to meet project deadlines. Throughout his life, Tommy has always been a top performer at school and in sports. It seems at this point in life, having the overachiever, “can do” attitude is not enough to cope with his many workplace stressors.
Tommy began to use cocaine to feel a new high and a sense of escape. Tommy has learned that he does achieve a high from cocaine, but the depressed feelings he has after use are truly awful. Similar to many people struggling with addiction, Tommy is sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. It is difficult to break the cycle of use. He gets high, feels low, then gets high again to avoid feeling so low. Tommy feels much shame and guilt about his cocaine use and has only disclosed his cocaine use to his brother. Tommy has a limited social support system.
Cocaine is a stimulant drug that is made from the leaves of the coca plant. The coca plant is a flowering bush native to South America.
According to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition” (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association, cocaine may be used in various forms (coca leaves, coca paste, cocaine hydrochloride, crack, etc.) that vary in strength due to differing levels of purity and how fast they work. Cocaine hydrochloride comes in a powder form that can be snorted through nostrils or dissolved in water and then injected into veins.
It is important to note that regardless of how cocaine is used, cocaine is similar to other substances in that tolerance increases with frequency of use, and withdrawal occurs when use is decreased or stopped.
According to a report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 2018, about 5.8% of the young adult population ages 18 to 25 were past-year users of cocaine. According to another report from SAMHSA, in 2015-2016, 7.96% of Oregon residents ages 18 to 25 reported having used cocaine within the past year.
When Tommy is high from cocaine use, he very much feels “on top of the world.” He feels he can do, say, or achieve anything. Nothing feels out of his reach. The possibilities feel endless when he’s high. This is quite different from his daytime work feelings of being bogged down with high-pressure deadlines. At work, all he can think about is getting high.
The low after his high is a very different story. He can see the aftermath of his high as his apartment is a wreck with everything everywhere. He finds himself at times stepping over broken glass or a spilled drink. One time he woke up after a high to find his bathtub flooded over with water. In this low state, he feels like the world has gotten darker, he spends more time in bed, and he cycles through negative self-talk. Everything is slower, less exciting, and dull. It is difficult for him to crawl out of bed in the morning to get ready for work. He craves the next high to escape this low.
Cocaine use is associated with the following physiological and psychological side effects:
There are many things that affect the degree of these side effects on someone engaged in cocaine use, including their tolerance level, how quickly the drug is absorbed by their body, and how often and how long they have used cocaine.
Now that Tommy is at the treatment facility and has had many hours since his last cocaine use, his body is beginning to slow down. He feels like a dark cloud is following him. He is very tired, depressed, and irritable while being interviewed at the treatment facility by a counselor.
Withdrawal symptoms from cocaine include:
When asked about his childhood, Tommy shrugs and says, “It was fine.” Tommy’s brother shares that there was a period of time growing up when their family life was stable and predictable. His brother adds that their father struggled with alcohol use. When their father was sober, life was great. When the father had periods of alcohol use, it often felt like Tommy and his brother were “in the way.”
His brother shares that both he and Tommy strived to achieve perfection in school and sports in an effort to gain their father’s favor. Their father would at times give positive attention and praise to their accomplishments; at other times, he appeared cold and distant.
Predictors of future cocaine use may include the following environmental factors:
While in treatment, Tommy attends his first individual counseling session. Tommy and his counselor discuss the events leading to his treatment. The counselor shares that knowledge about “where you are at” helps some clients starting treatment to gain better self-awareness and set future goals.
The counselor explains the “Stages of Change Model” to Tommy. This is his first time learning about this concept. The counselor defines each stage and works with Tommy to create personalized examples for each stage. Most importantly, together Tommy and his counselor identify which stage Tommy is in currently and discuss the possibility of progression over time.
According to the “Experience Psychology, Fourth Edition” textbook by Laura A. King, the Stages of Change Model proposes a five-step process by which people give up unproductive habits and adopt healthier lifestyles. The Stages of Change Model can be applied to those trying to achieve a variety of healthy behaviors including losing weight. The Stages of Change Model is often applied to substance use.
The first stage of the Stages of Change Model is precontemplation. In this stage, people are not yet ready to think about changing and may not be aware that they have a problem. Tommy discusses his father and his father’s alcohol use struggles. Tommy notes his father was very much in the precontemplation stage as he did not make the connection between his alcohol use and his harmful behaviors.
Tommy notes he, his brother, and their mother could all see the problem was his father’s alcohol use, but his father did not. Tommy and his counselor discuss that Tommy does not personally fit within this first stage right now as he is eager to begin treatment and took the first step of seeking out a treatment facility.
The second stage of the Stages of Change Model is contemplation. In this stage, people acknowledge they have a problem but may not be ready to change yet. Tommy acknowledges that he does have a substance use problem and feels ready for change. Tommy is aware change will be difficult but is possible.
The third stage is preparation/determination, in which people are preparing to take action. Tommy reads the description of this stage and feels he most closely identifies with this stage. He shares that he is taking time away from work to get treatment even though it is a very inconvenient time to do so and could potentially result in job loss. Tommy shares he is ready to do the work necessary to successfully complete the treatment program and experience a life in recovery.
The fourth stage is action/willpower, in which people commit to real behavioral change and create an effective plan. In this stage, a person may start substituting healthier behavior plans for unhealthy behavior patterns.
The final stage is maintenance, in which people are successfully continuing their behavior change over time. One of the greatest challenges for those in the maintenance phase is avoiding relapse or the return to former unhealthy patterns.
Tommy and his counselor discuss the fourth and fifth stages of the Stages of Change Model as well as the possibility of relapse. Tommy shares his fears regarding relapse with his counselor. The counselor says his fears are normal and reminds Tommy that he is at the starting point of working through the emotional pain that has contributed to his substance use.
Tommy and his counselor discuss the importance of creating and sustaining positive relationships to get and stay sober. The counselor shares that being aware that maintenance and recovery is possible gives many clients hope.
The professionals at Serenity Lane will work with you or your loved one to create an individualized treatment plan that best fits your particular needs. At Serenity Lane, there is cocaine rehabilitation treatment available.
Group therapy is the main form of therapy used at Serenity Lane. There are many benefits to participating in group therapy, including feeling less alone as there are others there with similar struggles, giving and gaining advice and sympathy, developing social skills, and practicing new coping skills and behaviors.
If you or your loved one is in need of cocaine addiction treatment, Serenity Lane is ready to assist. We have treatment centers located throughout Oregon. Please contact us today at (800) 543-9905.
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