Crack Cocaine Detox & Withdrawal Services
Crack cocaine is a concentrated form of cocaine, and because crack cocaine is so potent, crack cocaine withdrawal can be more intense than cocaine. Using crack cocaine causes changes in your nervous system and brain, increasing the amount of dopamine released and interfering with dopamine reabsorption.
Withdrawal from crack is very intense and uncomfortable but our detox center has been created to support you through this difficult experience and support you on your road to long term recovery.
Crack Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms
The most common crack cocaine withdrawal symptoms occur in three phases. During the acute phase, you are likely to experience immediate physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms such as
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Anxiety
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Disturbed dreams
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Irritability
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Exhaustion
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Concentration problems
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Mood swings
The second withdrawal stage can be extended over weeks or months and is referred to as Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). When symptoms last for longer than three weeks they are classified as PAWS. This stage is typified by symptoms such as:
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Severe depression
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Sleep problems
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Shaking
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Extreme cravings for crack
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Emotional outbursts
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Anxiety
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Elevated blood pressure
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Loss of motivation
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Agitation
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Extreme fatigue
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Anhedonia (loss of pleasure)
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Panic attacks
The third withdrawal stage is called extinction, and this is based on social environments, people and triggers that can cause intermittent cravings a long time after you have stopped using it.
Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms
Physical symptoms from crack cocaine withdrawal can last for between one to three months. The psychological symptoms like disturbed dreams, intense cravings, and obsessive thoughts can last up to six months.
Your crack cocaine withdrawal symptoms will depend on variables like:
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Your genetics and brain chemistry
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Your tolerance to crack
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The duration and severity of use
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Whether you used other substances and alcohol
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Whether you have any co-occurring illnesses or mental health conditions
Many clients feel as though they are ‘cured’ from crack cocaine addiction after their first week in crack detox, but this is the breakdown of your physical dependency, and you are still vulnerable to relapse after week one. For this reason it’s best to detox in a medical facility with the right support from medical professionals for long term sobriety.
24-72 hours after your last use
Body aches, paranoia, insomnia, fatigue anxiety, cravings and mood swing are common. These symptoms often subside after the first 24-hours.
Week one
After the first 72 hours have passed, other symptoms start. You will feel tired but will have trouble sleeping and are likely to experience a loss of motivation.
Week two
Cravings will be intense during the second week and depression may set in. By this stage your brain is not producing enough dopamine for you to feel strong positive emotions, however anxiety is also common.
Weeks three and four
Mood swing is common as your brain chemistry adjusts to living without crack. Your physical cravings will have stabilized but psychological symptoms persist. Anxiety or depression may stay with you for a while. Even though they have no pharmacological differences, the process for crack and cocaine withdrawal is markedly different.
How to Detox from Cocaine Safely
The safest way to detox from crack cocaine addiction is in a medical facility because the crack cocaine withdrawal process is extremely intense and there are a number of potential complications that can occur from the drug abuse. Pulmonary disorders like shortness of breath, breathing difficulties and coughing up blood are common and need to be managed medically. Cardiovascular problems like increased heart rate, high blood pressure and chest pain pose a serious threat to your health and cannot be managed at home.
Trusting Your Doctors
Each crack cocaine addiction patient needs a customized treatment plan to be developed, based on your medical history and brain chemistry. For this to occur, you need to be completely honest and transparent about your crack addiction and usage, as well as whether you have been using other substances or alcohol. Private rehab doctors and GPs are trained professionals who know how to manage chronic disease safely, and drug addiction is a disease.
While you may have strong feelings about crack cocaine abuse and may not want to tell anyone how much you have been using or how long you’ve been using it for, not doing so can impact negatively on your detox and addiction treatment process.
Can I Quit Crack ‘Cold Turkey’?
There is no tapering approach to detox from crack cocaine, so you will need constant support and monitoring throughout the process to monitor crack withdrawal symptoms.
In addition to the severe physical symptoms that can occur, depression, mood swings and other mental health issues are best handled under medical supervision. Some patients do experience suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm and need professional support to help them cope through the hardest parts of their detox from substance abuse. Poor appetite, nutritional imbalances and sleep problems can make crack cocaine withdrawal symptoms worse.
Cravings for crack cocaine puts you at risk of relapse unless you are medically supervised, and relapse can lead to overdose.
In a Residential Setting
When you book yourself into our detox program as an inpatient, you are in a safe and controlled environment in our treatment center that is distraction- and trigger-free. This is very important for recovery from crack cocaine because many former users find that the social aspect is a strong trigger, and making new friendships and learning new habits in different environments plays a big role in keeping them from relapsing.
Our residential program is designed to support long term recovery by looking after you through the most difficult moments of your detox.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Crack Cocaine Detox?
Our detox center specializes in helping people to overcome their physical addictions to crack cocaine. Each patient is assessed on admission, and has a tailored withdrawal process management plan developed, which is designed around evidence-based therapies. During your stay, you will be supported by an experienced and committed team of professionals 24-hours a day. They will provide psychological support for mental illness and symptomatic relief during crack withdrawal, and manage the severe symptoms to help you get through it. Once you have completed your crack detox you can enroll in a residential or outpatient rehab program, for the best chance of long term recovery from substance abuse.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Crack Cocaine Detox and Withdrawal?
Our medical detox and rehabilitation treatment center has been designed for comfort and safety. We enable our patients to retreat into a luxurious and non-judgmental space where you receive 24-hour medical supervision and clinical interventions to help you forge your long term recovery path. Once your drug detox is complete you can enroll for in-patient or out-patient crack cocaine rehab in a familiar setting as you learn the tools and coping skills required to address the underlying triggers that resulted in your drug dependency. Aftercare, support groups and sober living homes provide you with extended care programs that facilitate long term sobriety in an understanding community.
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Contact us now to ask about our crack cocaine detoxes now!
Is a Detox Enough to Tackle Addiction?
A medical detox breaks a physical addiction to crack cocaine but it does not address the psycho-emotional factors that drove you to use crack in the first place. Your detox essentially gives you a clean slate to start the process of rehab, so once your physical withdrawal symptoms have eased up, you will begin a crack cocaine rehab program that addresses aspects of your life like abuse, trauma, adverse childhood experience and stress.
A detox does not give you the skills or coping mechanisms to learn to deal with triggers. This is only developed through a longer term therapeutic process that involves group therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Therapeutic interventions will help you to understand why you developed your dependency and give you insights and strategies to cope with stressors so that you can achieve your life goals. Research indicates that crack usage is connected strongly to the social element, and overcoming this barrier requires intensive and long term therapy.
