Crack cocaine, a potent stimulant that has ravaged communities and destroyed countless lives, remains one of the most challenging substances to overcome for those caught in its grip. Known for its intense high and short duration of effects, people often find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse and addiction, seeking the drug with increasing desperation. The impact of crack cocaine addiction extends far beyond the individual, affecting families, communities, and society at large with a multifaceted array of health, social, and economic issues. For this reason, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of crack cocaine addiction, as well as understand the detox and recovery process to help those in need.
What is Crack Cocaine?
Crack cocaine is a chemically modified form of cocaine. While normal cocaine is a type of salt that is in a powdered form, crack cocaine is made when that salt is combined with water and some other substance, usually baking soda. This mixture is then boiled and then hardened into a solid form. The drug is then broken off into small off-white chunks and sold as ‘rocks’.
Common slang terms for crack include:
- Rocks
- Base
- Jelly beans
- Gravel
- Nuggets
- Dice
- Candy
- Cookies
Due to the drug’s high potency, it is extremely addictive. The high is nearly instant, but lasts for a short period of time, causing users to binge on it. This can, in turn, lead to faster dependence and more frequent crashing and negative side effects.
How Do People Abuse Crack Cocaine?
Crack is typically ingested by putting it into a pipe and smoking the drug. Smoking drugs like nicotine, opioids and crack cocaine delivers the dopaminergic-mind altering substance to the pleasure center faster than intravenous drug use. This is because the blood route from the lungs to the pleasure center is shorter from the arm to the pleasure center. So, you get high much faster when smoking than you do shooting.
The Effects of Crack Cocaine
Crack cocaine’s effects occur very quickly, in about 8 seconds, and peak very rapidly after 10-15 seconds. People who abuse crack often say: “I fell in love on the first hit.” This is one of the few chemicals to which the body can develop a full-blown addiction following the first use.
People often abuse crack to chase a “high” that includes short-lived effects such as:
- Intense euphoria
- Grandiosity (increased sense of self-importance)
- Heightened concentration and focus
- Central nervous system stimulation
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
After about 15 minutes, the short-lived high of crack cocaine subsides and is often followed by symptoms including:
- Extreme agitation
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Violent behavior
- Intense cravings
Also known as the “crash,” these after-effects are incredibly unpleasant, leading many people to take more and more of the drug to escape the discomfort.
Since this high is so short-lived, users often abuse crack in binges and then go through a cycle of binging and crashing. The short-lived stimulant effect and the long-lived energy-drain crash cycle of crack abuse fuel tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
Crack Withdrawal
Due to its potency, crack addiction is often even harder to overcome than cocaine. During crack withdrawal, people experience a wide range of uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of crack withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Depression
- Volatile mood swings
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Poor concentration
- Restless
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Restless
- Body aches
- Powerful crack cravings
These withdrawal symptoms arise when crack abuse rewires the brain to become completely dependent on the drug. For this reason, people must go through an adjustment period where their brain relearns how to function without it. While most physical withdrawal symptoms fade after a week, psychological symptoms can linger for weeks after successfully detoxing.
The Dangers of Crack Cocaine Abuse
While crack may seem to be cheaper than other street drugs, the value is often a clever trick. The super-stimulated high lasts for only about 2-20 minutes which means it wears off as quickly as it comes on and then people think they need more to get high again. This often triggers the start of a crack cocaine binge.
Crack cocaine binges can lead to serious physical and mental health issues. In addition, the repeated use of crack cocaine can cause long-term damage to several parts of the body including:
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
- Liver
- Mouth
Aside from its physically addictive properties and dangerous side effects, crack cocaine is also often associated with criminal activity due to its high potency and low cost. Many individuals who become addicted to crack may resort to illegal activities to obtain more of the drug.
Crack dependence is linked to people behaving less rationally and logically. Relationships easily dissolve in the face of crack abuse. If you believe that someone you love is abusing crack, contact a licensed rehab facility such as Royal Life Detox.
How Common Is Crack Addiction?
Crack abuse spread rapidly due to its much faster and higher high than that associated with intranasal use. Crack also spread like wildfire because it is relatively inexpensive, and very potent. Researchers have estimated that users of crack cocaine are in the millions per year, and it does not seem to be slowing down. Like it’s powder relative, crack addiction and use is seen as young as 12 years old and across all different backgrounds, be it racial, economic, or geographic.
Should I Seek Treatment for Crack Addiction?
Crack addiction is a powerful disease that destroys the lives of you and your loved ones if not dealt with. Abuse of this powerful stimulant can have severe impacts on your life, health, and wellness. For this reason, it’s important for individuals struggling with a crack addiction to seek professional help immediately. Without proper treatment, the addiction can quickly spiral out of control and have devastating consequences on one’s life. With proper support and therapy, it is possible for individuals to overcome their addiction and live a healthier, happier life free from addiction.
Royal Life Detox is committed to providing the safest, most effective medication-assisted cocaine detox. It is important to us that our guests have the easiest time that they can, detoxing comfortably with proper supervision. After that, treatment is followed by carefully structured, individualized medical regiments, an intensive program that includes individual and group therapy, and extensive aftercare options. If you are worried that you or a loved one has a problem with crack, it is important to reach out for professional help.
Crack Cocaine Detox
Crack cocaine addiction rehab abuse should begin with medical detox. This is a medically monitored withdrawal from crack performed by experienced detox and rehab medical staff. Physicians and their associates are able to monitor patients with regard to severe physical symptoms that may emerge during crack withdrawal. In a medical detox facility, the guest is kept under watch by medical staff 24/7 due to the dangers of withdrawal.
While crack cocaine detox is a painful process, the professionals at Royal Life Detox go above and beyond to make the process smooth and comfortable for our guests. Because crack also affects you psychologically, guests may experience marked neuropsychiatric effects such as debilitating mood changes, agitation, unhappiness, and anxiety during crack withdrawal.
Crack Cocaine Addiction Treatment
After completing medical detox, many patients move on to the most critical phase of their recovery journey: residential or intensive outpatient rehab. These programs offer a comprehensive, structured approach to addiction treatment, addressing the neuropsychiatric, psychological, and social aspects of addiction. Recovery-sensitive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is delivered through both individual and group therapy sessions, providing patients with tools to reshape their thinking and behaviors.
At Royal Life Detox, we also incorporate holistic therapies, including art, music, and animal therapy, allowing guests the opportunity to express themselves and explore their emotions in meaningful ways. We believe emotional connection and communication are just as essential to recovery as physical healing. Our crack addiction treatment programs also introduce guests to self-help groups early on. Guest start attending support groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to build a network of recovery.
Royal Life Centers offers a full continuum of care to provide a smoother progression through treatment and recovery.
Our crack addiction treatment programs include:
- Crack detox
- Residential inpatient program
- Aftercare program (partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP))
- Traditional outpatient program and sober living
Together, detox, residential, and outpatient programs typically last up to a year, depending on individual needs. Following these programs, ongoing aftercare services play a vital role in maintaining long-term sobriety. A combination of residential and outpatient treatment, complemented by structured aftercare, ensures patients are supported every step of the way on their path to lasting recovery.
Crack Detox in Arizona
At Royal Life Detox, our stimulant addiction treatment programs are designed to help individuals overcome their drug abuse. Our crack detox and rehab programs address both the physical and psychological aspects of crack addiction. We understand that every individual’s journey toward recovery is different, which is why we provide individualized care.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a crack addiction, please reach out to us. Our compassionate admissions team is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Because We Care.
