How To Leave A Crack Addict? Ending A Toxic Relationship

Why Do People Stay in a Romantic Relationship With an Addict?

Can It Be Healthy To Be In a Relationship With a Crack Addict?

There are a few different scenarios where you might wonder what it’s like being in a relationship with a person with substance use disorder or whether or not it’s possible to have a relationship with a person with a drug addiction problem. The first could be if you were already in a relationship with a person before they became addicted to drugs, and now they’re in the midst of an addiction problem. You may be questioning whether or not the person with addiction issues and relationships are two things that can go together.

Another scenario where you might question how to have a relationship with an “addict” is if you’ve just met someone and found out they have an addiction problem but are not yet in a relationship with them. There are also situations where both individuals have addiction problems so the question may become, can two “addicts” have a healthy relationship. To provide insight to any of these questions, it’s important to understand addiction and what it does to relationships.

What is Relationship Addiction?

Relationship addiction is defined by a loss of control and cravings when it comes to being in a relationship with a specific individual. Like “love addicts”, individuals with relationship addiction seek feelings of euphoria and gain intense chemical reactions and releases while in pursuit of or in a relationship.

While it is normal to feel longing and as if you cannot deny the love of your life, being in a relationship with a person with addiction problems is characterized by needing a relationship to be happy. This individual cannot be alone and can jump in and out of different relationships, regardless of the impact of addiction on them. Or they can stay in the same complicated and unstable relationship full of drama, arguments, make-up-to-break-up patterns, and betrayal as opposed to being alone.

Oftentimes, trauma starts in childhood or can happen from one’s unhealed relationship history; repressed trauma may have a causal link with relationship addiction. Healthy relationships can be challenging to form and maintain.

What are the Signs of a Relationship Addiction?

Originally, relationship addiction can imitate normal relationship behavioral patterns. Becoming infatuated with a partner, longing for closeness, frequent desire for sex, and feeling out of control emotionally are also normal. Like love and sex addiction, relationship addiction has specific characteristics. For relationship addiction, these include but are not limited to:

In addition to the above traits, a person can experience other addictive qualities that are comparable to love addiction and codependency.

Consequences of Smoking Crack 

Crack is a slightly different form of cocaine that is mixed with another basic chemical such as baking soda or ammonia. When smoked, crack produces a very fast and intense feeling of euphoria. Unfortunately, this feeling is extremely addictive. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, around 72 percent of cocaine-related drug treatment admissions are due to crack cocaine. This is a startlingly high statistic considering the dangers of smoking crack. Users often underestimate the consequences of smoking crack cocaine.

Long term Consequences of Smoking Crack 

When someone thinks of smoking crack they do not always consider the lasting damage that cracks cocaine can do. Some of the long term effects of crack are:

• Brain damage – crack use floods the brain with dopamine. This chemical causes feelings of pleasure. Because of this flooding, the brain starts to shut down the receptors for dopamine. Once they are shut down, it makes it very difficult for the addict to feel pleasure without the drug.

• Circulatory system damage – continuous high blood pressure leads to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiac issues.

• Neurological damage – because crack acts to excite the nervous system continuously, it can burn the system out. This causes memory loss, seizures, uncontrolled muscle movements, unregulated temperature, and fluctuating blood pressure. This damage is most often permanent.

• Respiratory damage – just as smoking cigarettes damages the lungs, crack also damages these delicate tissues. Unlike cigarette smoking, the damage that crack does to the lung is not reversible.

• Severe depression – due to the dopamine flood crack causes, the lack of the drug causes the opposite reaction. Many addicts suffer from treatable but permanent states of depression and psychosis.

• Tooth decay – although tooth decay seems like a lesser problem, severe tooth decay causes blood infections which sometimes if untreated can kill.

• Reproductive system damage – continual crack cocaine use results in infertility, erectile dysfunction, and the inability to feel pleasure in both men and women.

• Hepatitis C and HIV from sharing paraphernalia.

Reasons Why People Should Leave Relationships With Crack Addicts

There are many more valid reasons why people should leave romantic relationships with drug addicts than not. Some of the major reasons why a person should start ending a relationship with a crack addict include:

Abuse

Since chronic crack use alters the brain in ways that often change the way a person behaves, people who are normally calm can become highly angry and irritable when using crack. As a result, people who are high on crack can even become abusive. To avoid being mentally, physically, or emotionally abused, it’s often best to end a relationship with a crack addict.

You Enable the Addict 

Many individuals who choose to stay in a romantic relationship with a crack addict become enablers. An enabler is a person that supports negative and self-destructive behavior in another person. Often, an enabler is someone that is close to the person with the problem that he or she is enabling. So, it’s not uncommon for romantic partners of crack addicts to become enablers. Unfortunately, though, enabling a crack addict is harmful to both the crack addict and the enabler. 

Denial

A major characteristic of individuals with substance use disorders is denying that they have a problem. They might feel like they have their crack addiction problem under control and that they can stop using at any time. 

Not Taking Responsibility

If your partner constantly places blame on others for their problems, you need to reconsider your relationship. People need to accept the consequences of their actions and learn that they are responsible for what they do. 

Dishonesty

Someone with a crack addiction can be secretive about whereabouts and sources of money. Individuals who are addicted to crack also frequently lie about taking substances. This dishonesty could turn into stealing and cheating, and your crack-addicted spouse could even be having an affair with someone else.

Possession

Your partner should never try to control where you go, who you see, and how you receive money. A healthy relationship allows both people to pursue activities and interests of their own. A possessive partner could be a recipe for disaster.  

How to Leave a Drug Addict 

Recognize That You Need to Leave

The first step to learning how to leave a crack addict is recognizing that you need to leave. You should recognize that it’s time to leave your partner that’s a drug addict by asking yourself the questions that we mentioned above and truthfully telling yourself the answers to such questions. 

Get Yourself a Support System

Support systems are not only important for recovering addicts. They’re also crucial to the loved ones of individuals in crack addiction treatment. This includes current and former partners of crack addicts. Therefore, prior to ending a relationship with a crack addict, establish a support system for yourself. 

Take Care of Yourself 

When you’re the partner of an individual that suffers from crack addiction, you need to take time out for yourself. Doing so will make sure that you’re mentally, physically, and spiritually alright. That way you won’t get drained and randomly lash out at the crack addict one day. 

Even if you plan on leaving a relationship with a crack addict, you need to take time out of yourself to take care of yourself. This includes doing anything that you enjoy, whether that be dancing, yoga, or playing an instrument. 

Create Boundaries

Creating boundaries between you and your partner that suffers from crack addiction is important. This is especially true if you plan on leaving that partner. When people don’t create boundaries between themselves and their partners that suffer from crack addiction prior to ending the relationship, the breakup will likely get messy. This is because people that suffer from crack addiction may reinvade the lives of their former partners. 

One boundary that an individual that is planning on ending a relationship with a crack addict should establish is living in different locations. Individuals that plan on ending their relationships with crack addicts should also not allow their lo

Leave

The final step in how to leave a crack addict is to actually leave. Ending a relationship with a crack addict may be painful. Still, it’s often the best thing to do for the partner who is suffering from crack addiction. Besides, if you make the sacrifice of ending a relationship with a crack addict that you’re still in love with for the sake of his or her sobriety, you may be able to get back together after he or she completes rehab and is in crack addiction recovery. 

Things to Remember As the Person Ending a Relationship With a Drug Addict

If you’re the person ending a relationship with a crack addict, you should remember the three C’s of addiction. The three C’s of addiction is a mantra that loved ones of people that suffer from crack addiction say to themselves. 

You Did Not Cause It

Spouses and romantic partners of people that suffer from alcohol or crack addiction often blame themselves for their loved ones’ conditions. This is because they are the closest person to the individuals that suffer from crack addiction. 

To effectively end relationships with crack addicts, individuals should remember that they didn’t cause their loved ones’ addictions to happen. At the end of the day, the individuals that suffer from crack addiction are responsible for their own life choices.

Crack 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 crack 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 usually 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 crack overdose and death, so it is important not to smell or taste it just to test its purity.

Learning how to leave a crack addict is not an easy decision but you must face it once it’s there. Crack effects are devastating not only to the person but also to the whole family. Addiction is a family disease.

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.