Effective Cocaine Addiction Treatment, Options, & Rehab

Cocaine addiction treatment typically involves detox and therapy in an inpatient rehabilitation program. Learn the effective cocaine addiction rehab and treatment options.


Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Deciding to find cocaine addiction treatment is the first step toward recovery. It’s also the most crucial step. Once someone admits to struggling with cocaine addiction, the only way forward is to seek professional help for safe detox and effective relapse prevention. Cocaine is an illicit drug that affects the nerves, producing euphoria. Though most know cocaine is addictive, thousands try it daily. You do not have to take cocaine or crack cocaine every day to be addicted to it. Considering the risk of addiction and deadly overdose that accompanies the drug, it’s important to know the signs and long-term effects of cocaine addiction.

What Is Cocaine? 

Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug made from the coca plant leaves. It increases the natural chemical messenger (dopamine) levels in brain circuits related to controlling movement and reward. Cocaine comes in a few different forms. The most common is a fine, white powder. It can also be made into a solid rock crystal. Today, cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means that it has a high potential for abuse but can be administered by a doctor for legitimate medical uses, such as local anesthesia for some ear, eye, and throat surgeries[1].

No matter how much cocaine is taken, it is dangerous. Some of the most common serious problems include heart attack and stroke. Addiction recovery professionals recommend facing cocaine abuse with a long-term cocaine addiction treatment plan that promotes positive decision-making and overall health improvements that include learning coping skills. 

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug used by 14-21 million people worldwide [2]. In 2018 there were 874,000 new cocaine users [3]. Since cocaine is combined or ‘cut’ with other chemicals, people have no idea if the dose will be weak or strong. These other chemicals may include fillers, such as paint chemicals, cornstarch, fentanyl, and its analogs, which are added purely to boost profits.

How Addictive Is Cocaine?

The National Center for Health Statistics data shows that drug overdose deaths from cocaine use are rising, with more than 16,000 people dying in 2019. [1] Cocaine addiction treatment is required as it is a complex illness. Cocaine addiction seriously impacts your mental and physical health and can result in premature death.

Is Cocaine addictive? Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. Although healthcare providers can use it for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational cocaine use is illegal.

Cocaine looks like a fine, white crystal powder as a street drug. Street dealers often mix it with cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase profits. In addition, they may also combine it with other substances, such as the stimulant amphetamine or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. [2]

There are different ways of consuming cocaine or a line of coke. First, it can be inhaled through the nose or injected into a vein. And then it can be used via genital or rectal routes. Moreover, it can be smoked after being processed into crack cocaine.

Addiction can occur quickly from any of these methods. The user can become addicted to cocaine from the first use due to its powerful effects and sensations of pleasure and intense well-being, feeling more mentally alert and heightened sexual arousal.

Cocaine Addiction Symptoms

Cocaine is also known as coke, C, flake, snow, crack, and blow. It is highly addictive. Cocaine addiction can develop quickly, even after trying a line of coke only a few times.

Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction Include:

  • Irritability or anxiety
  • Psychosis and hallucinations
  • Withdrawal symptoms when usage stops
  • Spending excessive time and money looking for cocaine
  • A tolerance for the drug, requiring large amounts to get high
  • A desire to keep using even when health complications arise
  • A negative impact on quality of life, relationships, and employment
How long does it take to get addicted to cocaine? Smoking or injecting a line of cocaine also introduces the substance into your bloodstream faster, allowing it to take effect more rapidly and putting you at a higher risk of dependence. 
How long does it take to get addicted to cocaine? Smoking or injecting a line of cocaine also introduces the substance into your bloodstream faster, allowing it to take effect more rapidly and putting you at a higher risk of dependence. 

Effects Of Cocaine

Cocaine may increase your alertness and energy because it is a stimulant. It affects your brain’s neuropathways, making you feel talkative, energetic, and euphoric. Addiction can be physical, meaning your body craves the drug, and mental or you strongly desire the drug’s effects.

It will bring you feelings of pleasure and satisfaction for a short period as cocaine causes your dopamine levels to rise to make you feel euphoric.

Cocaine may also minimize your desire for sleep and food. For some, cocaine helps them think and perform tasks more quickly. Seeing that, many users begin to crave the feelings that cocaine creates.

The frequent use of cocaine can cause you to develop a higher tolerance to the drug. Therefore, this may lead you to use more significant amounts of it, negatively impacting your mental and physical health.

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How long does a line of coke last? Compared with the effects of other substances, the cocaine effects don’t last very long. A typical cocaine high lasts only 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how you ingest it.
How long does a line of coke last? Compared with the effects of other substances, the cocaine effects don’t last very long. A typical cocaine high lasts only 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how you ingest it.

Physical signs of cocaine addiction include:

  • Unhealthy weight loss
  • Increased heart rate
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Headaches
  • Chest pain
  • Heart arrhythmia
  • Heart attack
  • Seizure
  • Stroke

Psychological signs of cocaine addiction include:

  • Paranoia
  • Panic
  • Hallucinations
  • Aggression
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Impaired judgment
  • Repetitive or abnormal behaviors

COCAINE ADDICTION FACT SHEET

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Crack Addiction: 8 Signs Your Loved One Is Using

1. The presence of the drug. Would you recognize a crack if you saw it in your loved one’s home? It’s a type of cocaine that comes in the form of small, rock-like crystals that are various shades of white, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. 

2. Crack paraphernalia. Users smoke this drug, often from a narrow glass or metal pipe that may have a round bulb at the end, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Some create makeshift pipes with household items. A 2020 study in the International Journal of Drug Policy says these items can include:

  • Soft drink cans 
  • Glass bottles 
  • Plastic water bottles 
  • Lightbulbs 
  • Empty asthma inhalers 

You may notice black burn marks on any object used to smoke crack.

3. Extreme bursts of energy. Crack is a type of drug called a stimulant, which means someone who’s high on it could have bursts of energy that are much more excessive than normal. Your loved one might: 

  • Talk rapidly
  • Act erratic or aggressively
  • Seem anxious or on edge

The high from smoking crack can last about 5-10 minutes, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says. But it can be more intense than the high from snorting powder cocaine.

4. Fatigue or changed sleep habits. When the effects of the crack wear off, the extreme energy gives way to exhaustion. According to American Addiction Centers, your loved one may seem extremely tired and sluggish, and they could even sleep for days

5. Appetite changes. Your loved one may devour food incredibly fast, or they may completely lose their appetite. If they’re not eating, you may notice that they’re quickly losing weight.

6. Overdose. This is a medical emergency. Symptoms can include:

  • Enlarged pupils
  • Chest pain
  • Seizures
  • Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

If your loved appears to be having any of these symptoms, call 911 right away. They could be having a heart attack, stroke, or another life-threatening problem.

7. Oral health problems. “One of the most obvious signs someone is suffering from a crack cocaine addiction is a rapid decline of oral health,” William L Balanoff, DDS, a clinical dentist, and prosthodontist, tells WebMD Connect to Care. Balanoff says crack use can cause: 

  • Bleeding in the mouth 
  • Gum recession
  • Rapid tooth decay

8. Withdrawal symptoms. Someone who’s addicted to crack can have uncomfortable or dangerous symptoms when they stop taking it. These symptoms can include:

  • Muscle pain
  • Diarrhea and fever
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Suicidal thoughts

Crack Cocaine: Key Facts

  • Smoking crack produces almost immediate effects.
  • Crack cocaine’s effects typically last between 5 and 15 minutes.
  • Crack cocaine produces powerful effects that, in some cases, can result in sudden death.

Line Of Coke

Snorting a “line of coke” or cocaine puts your physical and mental health at risk.

  • Snorting a line of coke damages the membranes that line the nose.
  • Cocaine use can cause chest pain, raised blood pressure, heart attack, respiratory (breathing) problems, strokes, seizures, and kidney failure.
  • Smoking cocaine can cause breathing problems and loss of voice.
  • Injecting cocaine can cause abscesses and infections such as Hepatitis C and HIV if the equipment is shared.
  • Anxiety and panic attacks are common. These can continue after cocaine use has stopped.
  • Erratic behavior, agitation, irritability, and paranoia can lead to aggressive behavior and irrational violence.
  • Paranoid thinking can lead to anxiety and progress to psychotic illness.
  • You may experience ‘grandiosity’ – where you have an exaggerated belief in your importance and abilities, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. This can lead you to take risks, particularly when driving, leading to accidents.

How Much Is A Line Of Coke

Cocaine is one of the most expensive illicit drugs to use because the “high” experienced after a hit is relatively short-lived compared to other stimulants like methamphetamine.

The cost of cocaine by measurement:

  • a gram of cocaine can sell anywhere between $25 and $200
  • a bump of cocaine costs between 1 and 5 dollars, and there are 25 “bumps” (doses) of cocaine per gram
  • the price of crack cocaine is $60 per gram in the United States, on average
  • the price of cocaine addiction per year for someone with a severe substance use disorder could cost between $80,000 to $175,000 annually

On the black market today, crack cocaine and powder cocaine sell for approximately the same price. Depending on a person’s tolerance level, they can go through up to five grams of crack or powder cocaine daily.

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Causes Of Cocaine Addiction

Repeated exposure to cocaine results in neuroadaptation. This includes sensitization, increased drug response, and tolerance or decreased drug response. In other words, your body will crave more of the drug to get the same effect. Anyone who uses cocaine is at risk of becoming addicted first if they have a family history of cocaine or another drug dependence. Suppose you have depression. It’ll also increase your risk of cocaine addiction.

Cocaine addiction is also associated with medical conditions that include:

– Hepatitis

– Respiratory diseases

– Gangrene of the bowels

– Weakened immune system

– Moreover, studies have shown that cocaine use speeds up HIV infection. [3]

Effects Of Cocaine Withdrawal

Addicted users who stop using cocaine will undergo an initial crash, known as withdrawal. In particular, withdrawal can be intense and challenging due to cravings and uncomfortable side effects. Firstly, withdrawal from cocaine can cause intense discomfort. Consequently, this can cause a strong desire to use the drug again. And even when withdrawal symptoms have subsided, sudden cravings are still common. Furthermore, the effects of cocaine withdrawal include:

  • Fatigue
  • Hostility
  • Paranoia
  • Anxiety
  • Agitation
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Depression

Support systems such as friends, family, treatment facilities, and others recovering from addiction help you push through this phase.

Cocaine Abuse Statistics

Cocaine is the second most trafficked illegal drug in the world. The most recent statistics show that international seizures of cocaine have continued to increase and now total 756 metric tons, with the most significant quantities of the drug intercepted in South America, followed by North America.


5.2 Million

Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 1.9% (or about 5.2 million people) reported using cocaine in the past 12 months.

Source: SAMHSA

1.3 Million

Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 0.5% (or about 1.3 million people) had a cocaine use disorder in the past 12 months.

Source: SAMHSA

19,447

In 2020, approximately 19,447 people died from an overdose involving cocaine.

Source: CDC WONDER DATABASE


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  1. How does cocaine produce its effects?

    The brain’s mesolimbic dopamine system, its reward pathway, is stimulated by all reinforcing stimuli, such as food, sex, and many drugs of abuse, including cocaine. This pathway originates in a midbrain region called the ventral tegmental area and extends to the nucleus accumbens, one of the brain’s key reward areas. Besides reward, this circuit also regulates emotions and motivation.

    Source: NIDA

  2. How is cocaine addiction treated?

    Presently, there are no medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat cocaine addiction, though researchers are exploring a variety of neurobiological targets. Past research has primarily focused on dopamine, but scientists have also found that cocaine use induces changes in the brain related to other neurotransmitters—including serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and glutamate.

  3. How is cutting-edge science helping us better understand Cocaine addiction?

    Two cutting-edge areas of science, genetics and brain imaging, are significantly advancing our understanding of cocaine addiction. Researchers estimate that genetics contributes 42 to 79% of cocaine use and dependence risk. Of course, with a complex disease such as addiction, many different genes are involved, and the environment can influence their expression. There appears to be a significant overlap in the genes that put people at risk for all addictive substances, perhaps indicating a common biological pathway for addiction regardless of the drug.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment Plans

You will be diagnosed with cocaine addiction based on your current usage and the degree of your dependence on drugs. Most importantly, if you’re a user who wants cocaine addiction treatments, you will need to commit to stopping.

There are a variety of treatment methods, such as:

Treatment Facilities – Residential treatment programs work to cover all facets of addiction.
Medications – Some medications with other purposes, such as antidepressants, can be helpful. But, to treat cocaine addiction specifically, there are no medications designed yet.
Alternative Therapies – Other solutions to help overcome cocaine addiction include exercise, hypnosis, acupuncture, and herbs. However, further research is required to determine the effectiveness of these techniques on cocaine dependence.

If you or a loved one are struggling with cocaine abuse, We Level Up NJ cocaine addiction treatment specialists standing by to help.
If you or a loved one are struggling with cocaine abuse, We Level Up NJ cocaine addiction treatment specialists standing by to help.

Cocaine Addiction Rehab In New Jersey And Detox Program At We Level Up NJ

Your first step in recovery from addiction should be to medical detox in a safe and medically supervised setting. For anyone suffering from addiction, just the thought of stopping use can cause severe mental distress. But, with the help of a medical detox center, the medical detox process is managed.

We Level Up NJ’s thorough approach to rehabilitation supports several levels of care to ensure the best possible outcome for every patient who enters our doors. From an intensive and more supportive atmosphere for those in the early days of recovery to a comfortable residential-style living dynamic upon completion of detox, we are here to help guide you down the safe and results-based path to your sobriety.

We Level Up NJ cocaine addiction treatment center medically assists patients in clearing their systems of addictive substances, such as cocaine. A comprehensive team prescribing medications can alleviate your withdrawal pains while monitoring your health 24 hours as we assure your safety and comfort.

Then, a residential level of care opens up after the detox. Our residential care program slowly and effectively introduces the individual into an atmosphere of therapeutic growth, marked by master’s level therapists, clinicians, group counselors, psychiatrists, and a community of like-minded individuals with the same aim: to attain sobriety and live a great life.

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People with a cocaine addiction and their loved ones can find cocaine addiction treatment and support through various avenues.
People with a cocaine addiction and their loved ones can find cocaine addiction treatment and support through various avenues. Search for “cocaine addiction treatment near me” today to begin your recovery journey.
Some of the many modalities applied and practiced within our residential treatment facility are:
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • 12-Step Groups
  • Group Therapy
  • Biofeedback
  • Alumni Support
  • Stabilization
  • Holistic Therapy

Cocaine Addiction Rehab In New Jersey


We Level Up NJ cocaine addiction treatment tailors the program to the individual and the individual to the recovery program. We begin by assessing our client’s history of mental health, drugs, and alcohol-related past. Provided that the needs of each patient are specific and personalized, we aim to provide comprehensive support for mental health, addiction, and dual diagnosis treatment.

Patients in our residential therapy programs will live comfortably within the facility during this crucial and fragile time. This supportive environment is designed to give patients 24-hour care for sobriety, removing temptations for relapse and applying an air of recovery into every component of the treatment for cocaine addiction timeline, including cocaine addiction rehab in New Jersey. We Level Up NJ find’s that when patients live in a supportive community, especially during their early recovery process, they can truly focus on what matters most: their recovery.

Call us today if you’re struggling with cocaine, as we can help you explore addiction treatment options.

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Sources:

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm – CDC/NCHS National Center for Health Statistics
[2] https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine – National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
[3] https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-cocaine – National Institute on Drug Abuse

Center for Behavioral Health and Statistics and Quality. (2020). Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Graphics from the Key Findings Report. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2016). What is cocaine?

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services. (2017). Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2005 – 2015. Reference No.: 283-07-4803.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Treatment of stimulant use disorders.

Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug scheduling. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Commonly used drug charts.