Crack Addiction

What Is Crack? 

Different Types Of Cocaine

Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca bush (Erythroxylum coca), the main ingredient in cocaine. The leaf extract is processed to produce three different types of cocaine:

• Cocaine hydrochloride: a fine white powder with a bitter, numbing taste. Cocaine hydrochloride is often mixed, or ‘cut’, with other substances such as lidocaine, talcum powder or sugar to dilute it before being sold.
• Freebase: a white powder that is purer than cocaine hydrochloride. Freebase cocaine has a higher level of lipid solubility, and because of this, it enters the bloodstream and brain much faster than other forms of the drug. As a result, the high is faster than snorting cocaine, and it’s similar or sometimes faster than injecting it. Most individuals also feel that the high from freebase cocaine is more intense.
• Crack: crystals ranging from white or cream to transparent with a pink or yellow hue. It may contain impurities. Crack is the crystalline solid form of cocaine that has grown in popularity in the last few decades. The name crack cocaine came from the crackling sound the rock makes when it’s being heated. It is created using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and water instead of ammonia to remove hydrochloride from cocaine. Like the freebase cocaine, it is then heated and smoked. Cocaine and heroin often are abused together in a combination known as a “speedball.” According to a 2018 National Vital Statistic Report, cocaine and heroin are in the top 10 drugs most frequently involved in overdose deaths in the United States.

Why is Crack So Addictive?

As with other drugs, repeated use of crack cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward circuit and other brain systems, which may lead to addiction. The reward circuit eventually adapts to the extra dopamine caused by the drug, becoming steadily less sensitive to it. As a result, people take stronger and more frequent doses to feel the same high they did initially and to obtain relief from withdrawal.

However, other additional factors can make addiction more likely. These factors include:

• Genetics: Gene differences in the brain’s natural opiate system in the brain is linked to cocaine use.
• Co-Occurring Disorders: Disorders like mood problems are linked to more drug use.
• Environmental Influence: Lack of supervision and availability of drugs are risk factors for drug use.
• Gateway Substances: The use of other illicit substances is linked to more drug use.
• Psychological Factors: A history of aggressive behavior is a risk factor for drug use.

How Addictive Is Crack?

Crack is a powerful form of cocaine that can be smoked. Smoking delivers higher doses to the brain and produces a more rapid response than taking cocaine powder. After taking the drug for a period of time, you will begin to lack the will to control your intense physical and psychological compulsion for more and more hits.

Is Crack More Addictive Than Cocaine?

The effects of smoking crack are instant and intense, and they can last up to 10 minutes. The effects of snorting cocaine can start within 5 minutes and last up to 30 minutes but are less intense than smoking. The fast, short nature of crack highs may make them more addictive. Crack is inhaled through the lungs and spreads through the body, producing the ‘high’ much more quickly, and lasts for a shorter time than snorting cocaine. This causes a cycle of bingeing and crashing, which puts the user at a greater risk of dependence.

The way you ingest cocaine plays a role in how it addictive it is, another expert adds. Smoking or injecting cocaine causes it to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain more rapidly than snorting it or rubbing it into your gums. The faster a drug gets to the brain, the more reinforcing and addictive it is. Since people generally associate powdered cocaine with snorting and crack cocaine with smoking, there’s a false belief that crack is more addictive. But if you smoke or inject powdered cocaine, it is just as addictive as smoking crack.

Symptoms of Crack Abuse 

Signs and symptoms particular to abusing cocaine include dry mouth, dilated pupils, restlessness, talkativeness, mood swings, insomnia, and hyperactivity. You can identify crack cocaine abuse in a loved one by looking out for the various signs detailed above. You can go on to get them help by helping them understand the dangers of their behavior. You can also stage an intervention with the help of other close friends and family or with the help of an expert interventionist.

Physical Symptoms of Crack Abuse: Short Term

If the suspected addict has recently gotten high, the following physical symptoms may be present:

Mental Symptoms of Crack Abuse: Short-Term

If the suspected addict has recently gotten high, the following mental symptoms may be present:

Physical Symptoms of Crack Abuse: Long-Term

If the suspected addict has been using for a long time, look out for these physical symptoms:

Mental Symptoms of Crack Abuse: Long-Term

If the suspected addict has been using for a long time, look out for these mental symptoms:

It is important to remember that street drugs, like crack cocaine, go through a number of hands and are manufactured in many different ways. This means that an individual’s symptoms will be different from one person to another.

Treatment for Crack Addiction 

Unlike other substances, there are not any FDA-approved medications to specifically treat stimulant use disorder. However, medications may be used to help treat some of the general symptoms of withdrawal. Choosing to get treatment for crack cocaine addiction is a brave first step toward a healthier lifestyle.

Common treatment options include:

• Residential or inpatient treatment centers may be best for people with a severe addiction or those who have relapsed. People stay in inpatient facilities for the duration of treatment.
• Outpatient treatment centers allow you to live at home while going through crack cocaine rehab. Treatment can be at varying levels of intensity and duration depending on a person’s needs.
• Recovery housing acts as safe, sober, transitional housing for people stepping down from other forms of treatment. It can help people adjust to life without using crack cocaine before living independently.

Treatment services may include:

• Mutual support groups like 12-step programs involve regular meetings with others struggling with crack cocaine addiction to support the recovery process.
• Behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management.
• Co-occurring disorder treatment for people with co-occurring mental health disorders.
• Continuing care planning helps people plan for the next steps in their recovery journey, like therapy or step-down treatment.

Can You Overdose on Crack?

Can you overdose on crack? Yes. Individuals who overdose on crack do so because of the highly addictive properties of crack cocaine and how it affects the brain and body. The route of administration for crack cocaine is important because of the way it enters the system. When crack cocaine is smoked, the drug quickly enters the body’s bloodstream before crossing the blood-brain barrier, which affects the central nervous system. Chest pains from convulsions may occur, and unintentional overdoses are common due to a surge in the desire for a stronger ‘high.’ The quality of cocaine in processed crack varies quite a bit, with the purity of street cocaine being highly variable.

Crack Overdose Symptoms

Overdose and overdose deaths are risk factors associated with crack cocaine misuse. The total number of cocaine overdose deaths rose from 5,419 in 2014 to 19,447 in 2019, making it even more important to prevent crack cocaine misuse. Combining crack cocaine with other substances may also increase the risk of overdose and other adverse health effects.

Symptoms of crack overdose include:

Crack and Alcohol Abuse

Cocaine Addiction Treatment Near Me

First and foremost, if you think that a loved one is abusing cocaine, you should first research the drug and addiction associated with it so that you can better understand what your loved one needs. Next, you must plan an intervention to provide your loved ones with options to battle their addiction in a safe and supportive environment. During this intervention, make sure that you offer compassion and support instead of judgment. Lastly, offer your support throughout the entire treatment process.

In addition, crack addiction can have severe physical and psychological effects, so it is essential to seek treatment as soon as possible. Inpatient drug rehab offers intensive care that can help you get through the early stages of withdrawal promptly. Since crack is usullu smoked, you might want to know “what does cocaine smell like? We’ve learned how it can be cut with fentanyl and rat poison which can lead to overdose and death, so it is important not to smell or taste it just to test its purity.

Medically-Assisted Detox

Detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated process of withdrawal, but it doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to drug use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves making changes in both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Person-Centered Therapy – is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution Focused Therapy – is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Drug abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorder and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. In this strategy, both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend largely on the treatment for both disorders done by the same team or provider.

PJ O’Brien Got His Life Back From Crack Addiction & Now Has A Loving Wife & Child During Sobriety Video

PJ O’Brien’s Addiction Recovery Story and Testimonial Video

“My name is PJ O’Brien.

I’m originally from Long Island, New York.

I have clean two years on October 4 of 2019.

My bottom was me smoking crack and eating chicken wings out of a dumpster for a month before I decided to get help from desperation for recovery.

Every day, you know, try to help out newcomers. I run a home group. I go to meetings every day and just never forget my worst days.

Got my life back. I got married, have a beautiful wife, and we just had our first child on August 31 that just passed.”

Does Addiction Rehab Work?

Longer stays in treatment frequently result in better outcomes, however success can vary from person to person. Detox alone is rarely beneficial for long-term recovery. Does treatment work? Attending treatment increases a person’s chances of long-term recovery compared to not attending.