Regular and heavy cocaine use causes diseases of the body, mind, and family. Medical consequences of long-term cocaine use include nasal perforation, rotting teeth, sexual dysfunction, heart attacks, and strokes. Psychological consequences of heavy cocaine use include insomnia, paranoia, loss of joy in things you love, impaired cognition, and depression. Family consequences of cocaine addiction include mistreating loved ones, financial woe, physical violence, and impaired emotional development. If you have ever gotten out of control when using cocaine but continued to use the drug despite consequences, no amount of hardheadedness, determination, or shame is going to prevent you from using the drug in excess.
There are plenty of myths surrounding cocaine use and addiction. We’ll discuss two in this blog post. Call us at Crestview Recovery if you need a cocaine addiction rehab program.
3 Myths About Cocaine
Here are three cocaine myths that you need to be aware of:
Myth 1: Using Cocaine Will Help You Quit Opiates
Cocaine use is prevalent in many communities across the U.S. despite its illegality and classification as a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Although the drug is not currently legal in most U.S. states, this wasn’t always the case. Doctors prescribed cocaine starting in the late 1800s until 1914 as a cure for morphine addiction and alcoholism. Opioid addicts use cocaine if they need energy due to the sedative effects of the opioids or if they are unable to acquire their drug of choice. Unfortunately, regulating cocaine use is more difficult than people realize. Continuing to use cocaine despite health, relationship, or financial consequences is a sign that something drastic needs to change in your life in order to quit.
Myth 2: Cocaine Use Is Immoral
As a stimulant, cocaine boosts alertness and focus in small doses. Since it is currently unregulated by the FDA, cocaine users are unable to accurately measure dosages. People use cocaine for the same reasons people drink coffee. Unfortunately, regular, heavy cocaine users are unable to regulate their use of cocaine and end up suffering as a result. People don’t become addicted to cocaine because they are evil; they become addicted because being high helps them avoid dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, low self-esteem, and other mental health concerns.
Myth 3: Cocaine Use Is Basically the Same As Alcohol and Marijuana
Although alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine are all drugs, they affect the body differently. Cocaine is a stimulant and it has an intense effect on the body that can cause anxiety and lead to paranoia if used excessively. Additionally, cocaine use can also create a psychological dependency in which users feel as if they need to binge on the drug in order to feel good. Alcohol and marijuana are central nervous system depressants that work differently than cocaine. Additionally, alcohol and marijuana are legal substances while cocaine is not.
Myths About Cocaine Can Slow Your Recovery
When it comes to dispelling myths and understanding cocaine addiction treatment, a good drug rehab program is often the best course of action. We know how difficult it can be to face the struggles of cocaine addiction, and how easily someone who didn’t have any intention of getting addicted can run into a problem they have trouble getting out of on their own. But you don’t need to deal with the problem on your own. We’ll be here to guide you and support you as you move through recovery.
It’s important that you work with a facility that can give you the real facts about addiction. Continuing to believe myths about cocaine can get you into a lot of trouble and can make it much more difficult for you to completely recover from addiction problems. You don’t want anything to jeopardize or even slow down your recovery, which is why it’s so vital to work with a facility that won’t support myths about cocaine.
Choose the Right Program to Get Healthy Again
Getting healthy when you’re battling addiction may seem daunting and challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the ways that you can improve more easily is through the right kind of therapy program. If you get the needed treatment, you have the opportunity to improve your recovery time and start to feel better faster. You may also gain confidence and peace of mind with the right therapy for your needs. We have plenty of options to offer, including:
- 90-day program (extended care)
- Individual therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Dual diagnosis therapy
- Master-level therapists
With quality therapists dedicated to helping you and a number of different therapy types you can try until you find the right fit, you can have hope and help that works for you. It can be scary to recognize that you have an addiction problem, and in some cases, it can be even scarier to ask for help.
Every myth you learned about cocaine was one more piece of information that could make it more difficult to get the help you need. But those days can be over now when you reach out to us for support and guidance. There’s no need for you to struggle with addiction any longer when there are so many people who want to see you improve. Whether you need help or a family member does, we’ll be here to give you the tools and skills necessary for recovery.
Let Us Help You at Crestview Recovery
Don’t believe the myth that you can’t get better, or that you can’t get clean and stay sober and healthy. That’s one of the myths about cocaine that can be the most damaging because all too many people believe it. They think that once they’re addicted, they’ll never be able to break that addiction. That’s not true. You don’t have to let addiction continue to control your life any longer. With quality drug rehab, you can overcome your addiction to cocaine. Contact us today at 866.262.0531, and we’ll help you get started on the right path to a strong recovery.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
