Signs of cocaine addiction
If you're struggling with cocaine addiction symptoms, Priory can offer you a free, confidential addiction assessment.
Find out more about Priory's addiction services and start your recovery today.
One-time cocaine use can quickly turn into a pattern of misuse, which can lead to cocaine addiction. As the effects of cocaine are typically intense yet short-lived, this can result in you taking more to re-experience the high, which in turn can cause your body and mind to become so used to cocaine that you build up a tolerance to it. This tolerance means that you'll need to take more cocaine in order to achieve the desired effects.
The signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction will vary from person to person, and this is the case with all types of substance misuse. However, there are several psychological, physical and behavioural symptoms that are associated with cocaine use disorder.
Common signs of a cocaine addiction
- You're finding that you have to take more and more of the drug to feel the desired effect
- If you stop using cocaine or reduce your dosage, you feel agitated, restless and depressed
- You can’t cut down or control how much you take, even if you try to
- You spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to get cocaine
- You disregard family, friends and work in favour of taking cocaine
- You're aware of the damage it's doing to you, but you can’t stop taking it
Symptoms of cocaine addiction
If you recognise the following behaviours in yourself, this may suggest that you have developed a cocaine/coke addiction.
- Acting impulsively or with increased energy
- Attempting to borrow or steal money
- Being dishonest about your whereabouts, associates and activities
- Being unable to curtail your cocaine misuse
- Engaging in reckless and risky behaviours
- Excessive viewing of porn
- Engaging with prostitutes/escorts
- Poor decision-making
- Restlessness
- Psychosis
- Brief state of euphoria
- Sudden overabundance of confidence
- Depression, mood swings and irritability
- Agitation
- Paranoia
- Elevated body temperature
- High blood pressure
- Persistent nosebleeds
- Excessive perspiration
- Loss of appetite
- Bursts of energy
- Insomnia or reduced need for sleep
- Liver and kidney damage
- Stroke
- Cognitive impairment
- Heart attack
Cocaine withdrawal and side effects
Cocaine is addictive and chronic cocaine misuse can cause lasting damage to your mind and body.
When your body adapts to the presence of cocaine, its absence, also known as cocaine withdrawal, may trigger the onset of a range of distressing physical and/or psychological withdrawal symptoms. These can include intense cravings for cocaine, nightmares, restlessness and paranoia.
When you're using cocaine excessively, stopping can be difficult, and the withdrawal and detoxification process can be daunting. When detoxing from cocaine, it is incredibly important that it's done right. There are ways to detox from cocaine safely to avoid added trauma and stress to the body. Priory offers a medically assisted detoxification process to ensure that it's done correctly with minimal risk.
Cocaine addiction treatment at Priory will often consist of detoxification and psychotherapy. This helps to remove the drug from your body, and supports you to work towards continued abstinence once you've completed your treatment programme.
For further details on Priory's cocaine addiction treatment and rehab and how we can help you regain control of your life free from cocaine, get in touch today.
