Cocaine is probably the most consumed illegal drug in Spain, and every year it leads thousands of people to addiction.
Unfortunately, this reality contrasts with another: this substance is, at the same time, one of the most normalized among adults, especially in nightlife contexts. Many times, when we react to stop this dependence on cocaine consumption, it is already very strong and it is necessary to have professional help to overcome it.
In this article we will see a summary about What is the treatment for cocaine addiction? to understand the way in which patient and therapist put a stop to this disorder.
There are at least two ways to understand the way addictions develop: one neurological and the other psychological.
The neurological perspective
At a neurological level, addiction to a substance like cocaine begins to emerge when, after consuming it several times, our nervous system becomes accustomed to the presence of these new molecules that enter the body.
This substance comes into contact with our neurons and, when interacting with their membrane, triggers nervous reactions that activate the pleasure areas, that is, those that predispose us to repeat the action that resulted in experiencing that sensation. In this case, the behavior that triggered that experience is snorting a line of cocaine, for example.
Over time, Cocaine consumption is transforming the way the neurons in our brain interconnect among themselves, and little by little they are organized so that the consumption of this drug becomes one of the person’s most important priorities. Thus, other pleasant experiences such as eating or reading a good book take a back seat at the expense of focusing psychological activity on obtaining and consuming the addictive substance.
Furthermore, another of the effects of cocaine on the brain is that while it triggers what is practically the only pleasant sensation for the person, it is increasingly fleeting, and more and more amounts of the drug are needed to feel satisfied. need.
The psychological perspective
If the treatment of cocaine addiction includes psychotherapy, it is because psychology has a lot to say about this disorder. And the fact of being dependent on a drug is not only a neurobiological phenomenon, but it is also something in which The way in which the addicted person interacts with the environment, and the environments to which they are usually exposed, matters
If a person who finds it difficult to stop using cocaine always goes out to the same places and hangs out with the same people, it is practically impossible for them to overcome the addiction.
On the other hand, there are some people who, without needing to go to therapy, overcome their addictions after moving, almost spontaneously. This is something that was proven with a very radical case: the heroin addiction crisis of soldiers sent to the Vietnam War. Upon returning home from the United States, a very high percentage of them had managed to stop depending on heroin use.
Obviously, the vast majority of people will never go through the experience of developing an addiction restricted to an environment radically different from their hometown and in a context of war, so in the vast majority of cases intervention is necessary. of professionals.
The keys to cocaine addiction treatment
Here we will see the main key ideas to understand how cocaine addiction treatment is carried out
Substance addiction involves very delicate biological processes, especially because it involves a set of organs as important for survival as the brain.
For this reason, teams of experts in addiction treatment work with doctors supervising patients something of special importance in the detoxification phase but which is also relevant in later phases, especially if the patient feels discomfort due to other health complications and tries to “compensate” for it with the pleasurable sensation of consuming drugs.
2.Detox
The first days after stopping using cocaine are the hardest for patients, since it is at this stage when the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome arise with greater intensity. Therefore, in the detoxification phase, in which the body eliminates the remains of the drug that remain in the blood and tissues, It is delicate and requires special attention from specialists
3. Recognition of consumption antecedents
As with any other disorder of this type, cocaine addiction is expressed in moments when the person feels the urge to get drugs and relieve the discomfort generated by the lack of consumption.
In this phase Thoughts and feelings arise that indicate when there is a greater risk of giving in to the temptation to relapse, and that is why addiction intervention professionals train patients so that they are able to identify very well these psychological processes that serve as a warning. In this way, it is much easier to stop its effects, preventing them from leading the person to use.
4. Search for new incentives
It is of little use to curb the desire to consume drugs if alternatives are not offered. Therefore, in the treatment of cocaine addiction also The context in which each patient lives is analyzed case by case as well as your interests, personal characteristics and potential tastes, to offer you many other activities to concentrate on and with which to eclipse the power of influence of the addictive disorder.
Another key to the success of cocaine addiction therapy lies in helping the patient generalize the results obtained in the therapy sessions to different areas of their life. This includes guide you in behavioral guidelines that you can follow to avoid exposing yourself to the temptation of using again, or directly to never feel interested in that activity again. For example, this means not being limited to a group of friends in which the majority of people have addiction problems, or to nightlife plans in which not consuming psychoactive substances is almost an eccentricity.
They are also helped to challenge harmful beliefs that facilitated the existence of addiction: beliefs that maintained low self-esteem, that led them to believe that this drug does not have too many adverse effects on health, etc.
Are you looking for professional support to overcome addiction?
If you live in Barcelona or surrounding areas and are interested in addiction therapy services, we invite you to come to our facilities in Barcelona or Dosrius (Mataró).
At CITA Clinics we specialize in the treatment of addictions, and we have therapeutic treatment and confinement services in a space surrounded by nature and with many activities to do. If you are interested in knowing more, visit this page.
