The euphoria you found with cocaine can be exceptionally difficult to leave behind. Once the drug takes hold in your mind, it has the potential to impact and alter nearly every aspect of your life. It may have even become your lifestyle, probably taking a toll on your family, career or education.
Cocaine Detox
Cocaine detox at one of the best drug rehabilitation centers in Europe constitutes the most important step you’ll take on the way to recovering your sanity and quality of life. Cocaine is highly addictive and its cravings are intense. Acute withdrawal symptoms can last for weeks, and it’s not going to be an easy time.
Your withdrawal also impacts the people around you. In fact, the people you choose to surround you during this time are as much a part of your recovery as your initial decision to quit. The drug rehab with the highest success rate can show you how.
Bumpy Ride
Whether you were a weekend warrior or a full-time junkie, cocaine detox doesn’t come easy, even with the help of the best rehab clinics abroad. The actual drug itself only stays in your system for 72 hours; its psychological effects, though, can linger far beyond that timeframe.
If you’ve been on cocaine for years, your detox and overall recovery may be more difficult to achieve than if you only binged occasionally. Long-term, heavy users typically experience much more severe symptoms of withdrawal. A crash that follows a binge can last for hours or even days. But extreme and long-term addicts may have to live through cravings and withdrawal symptoms that can take weeks or months to pass.
The Physical Process Evolves
Your body’s ability to process and expel all the toxins from your body is what’s commonly referred to as detoxification or detox. And detox from cocaine is unpredictable. In general, the detox period causes such symptoms as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Apathy
- Dysphoria
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Lack of sleep
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Poor attention and concentration
- Restlessness
There are many factors — from your active addiction to your physical condition — that contribute to your individual experience with cocaine detox. But most detox from cocaine can be broken down into three distinct phases:
- Crash is the initial phase, where exhaustion and hunger are the most prevalent as your body attempts to recover necessary rest and nutrients.
- Withdrawal follows the crash. This phase can last as long as 10 weeks and is marked with unpredictable moods and irritability as your brain struggles to readjust and regulate its chemicals.
- Extinction, the final phase, can last for months after your last use. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) can result in poor impulse control and difficulty regulating your emotions.
Knowing the Risks
Thankfully, detox from cocaine doesn’t pose all the life-threatening risks and dangers as detoxing from sedatives and alcohol, but there are still some associated dangers. The most serious risks of detox from cocaine include:
- Seizures, which is why medical supervision is important
- Cardiovascular issues in the wake of any stimulant abuse, due to the extra strain they place on your heart — heavy users run a higher risk of irregular heartbeat, heart attack and stroke
- Mental health issues, perhaps the most significant cocaine detox side effect, as your level of negative thinking may skyrocket in response to the decreased feelings of euphoria, which is exacerbated if you have pre-existing depressive disorders
- Anger, because as you detox, you may begin feeling noticeably more violent and aggressive, suffer fits of anger or begin lashing out against strangers and loved ones as you struggle to contend with agitation, confusion and paranoia
- Cravings associated with cocaine detox, which are often strong enough to result in relapse
How to Detox from Cocaine Safely
Your chance for a successful recovery increases dramatically with a healthy support system. You aren’t the first person to face the overwhelming task of detoxing from cocaine. When you understand and appreciate the trials of those who have fought for sobriety before you, you can learn from their experiences and their wisdom.
How to detox from cocaine isn’t a well-kept secret. The staff at the best drug rehab overseas are more than happy to guide you through your dark time to brighter days. They have the knowledge and relevant experience to make this turbulent transition as smooth for you as it possibly can be. You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily and you never have to feel like you’re alone.
Continuing to Stay Clean
Detox from cocaine is extremely difficult. But the cravings don’t last forever. They come in waves. And just like in the ocean, waves pass. Keeping busy mentally and physically is a great way to distract yourself from cravings. Exercise is an effective way to reduce cravings.
Exercise, in fact, is a healthy, natural way to release endorphins. Endorphins have the potential to help you feel better because they change your bodily sensations. They can also distract you from triggers and cravings. Most programs for serious recovery from cocaine recommend an element of daily exercise.
Your Recovery Counts
Each person and each addiction are different. So, when you wonder how to detox from cocaine, know that it’ll look a little different for you too. That’s why it’s so beneficial for you to work with experienced rehabilitation experts who are familiar with the ins and outs of recovery. The highly-trained professionals at the best international rehab have seen many faces of addiction. They’re never going to shy away from you in your time of need.
So, take that first step to get your life back. You deserve a life free from the bonds of addiction and the clutches of cocaine. Detox provides a solid foundation for your recovery, but it’s one step on a long path. If you’re ready for lasting relief and recovery, the top drug rehab clinic is waiting to hear from you.