Though the urban crack wars of the 1980s have passed into legend, there is still today a pressing need for crack addiction rehab. The drug is so strong that just one smoke can turn a would-be recreational user into a hardened addict. One use can also kill. Since the drug is notoriously inexpensive, it preys upon those least able to fend it off, damaging entire neighborhoods.

Source

The South American cocoa leaf is the source for cocaine and all its derivatives. The Indians habitually sucked or chewed the leaf for its stimulant properties. Those properties were relatively weak. However, chemists discovered the active ingredient and processed the leaf into true cocaine in the mid 19th Century. It wasn’t till the 1980s that drug dealers derived a form that could be smoked without risking blowing themselves up.

Effects

A mere ten seconds after the user smokes the drug, he or she experiences a strong sense of elation brought on by a surge of dopamine. Any difficulties the user suffers in daily life seem to vanish during the next ten elated minutes. This is followed by a depressive crash. That crash renders the user helplessly looking to get back to the elated feelings that only just passed.

Responsibility

Tantalizingly, that feeling only takes a few dollars, so it’s never far away. The user quickly gets caught in a treadmill of going from hit to hit, with the greatest terror being the possibility of ever touching the ground. The drug becomes all the user cares about. Any earlier commitment, up to and including the family bond, loses all importance. Addicts have been known to sell off everything of value, to steal and borrow from others, or become prostitutes, rather than give up their high.

Physical Symptoms

Aside from these “lifestyle effects” are a long list of obvious physical symptoms. These begin with the dilated pupils of someone under the influence. Users are prone to seizures, auditory hallucinations, and stroke. They might have difficulty breathing, and their lungs might collapse. Their heartbeats can become irregular, and they might suffer heart attacks. Sudden death can come from several directions.

Treatment

Treatment begins with detoxification, which takes place on an inpatient basis in a controlled environment such as a hospital. Withdrawal from any cocaine addiction can continue for several days to a week, and is indicated by craving the drug, irritability, sleep problems and loss of appetite. The patient may be administered propranolol to ease the withdrawal and vigabatrin to treat seizures.

Psychological Help

After medical drug detoxification, the psychological aspects of the abuse must be treated as well. Those without permanent damage or whose addiction had been less pernicious, can be treated through counseling on an outpatient basis. However, others will have to come to “rehab” or a treatment center as an inpatient client. Afterward, the patient might be placed in a group home for recovering addicts, monitored by a social worker or therapist.