What Happens in Cocaine Rehab?

Beginning treatment for an addiction to cocaine can be frightening. You may not know what to expect during treatment and you likely have questions about the recovery process. The first step to entering a drug treatment program is deciding if inpatient or outpatient treatment will be best for you.

Inpatient treatment is usually recommended for addictions to drugs like cocaine, however sometimes circumstances can make that impossible. Employment and family commitments may make outpatient treatment a better option. Outpatient treatment is also less expensive and may be more cost effective when funds are limited or when there is no insurance to help cover the costs.

Initial Exam

Whether you choose an inpatient or outpatient treatment program the first thing that usually happens in cocaine rehab is an intake or initial examination. During the intake examination it is important to disclose any other medications you may be using. It is also import because this is where any underlying mental illnesses will be detected, diagnosed and treated.

Mental illness is often an underlying factor in addictions to drugs like cocaine. Without realizing that these mental illnesses exists, they may use drugs like cocaine to make themselves feel better. In reality, they are self medication to control their symptoms.

Detox

Support groups are often a part of cocaine addiction rehab.

The next stop in your addiction treatment will be detox. This is the most difficult phase of addiction treatment because when someone develops an dependence on drugs or alcohol and then abruptly stops it can make them very sick. Withdrawing from cocaine and other amphetamines can have distressing psychological effects that people enduring describe as a living hell.

Medications, counseling and the support of family and loved ones are critically important during this time. A person detoxing from any drug is vulnerable to relapse with the proper support. The desire or craving to use the drugs again can be so overwhelming that it completely envelops their thoughts and actions. Behavioral therapy in addition to medical treatment can help with these symptoms until the detox process is complete.

Long Term Treatment

Detox by itself is not going to be enough to conquer an addiction to cocaine. After detox is complete long term treatment is highly suggested. There is no set amount of time for treatment as it is usually voluntary but studies have shown that longer treatment programs that last for at least six months are the most effective.

Community Programs

After being discharged from your treatment program, counseling should be continued indefinitely. Community programs like Narcanon offer continued therapy. Addiction has no cure so it is very important to keep your newly learned life skills fresh. Those beginning treatment for cocaine or other drugs should know that they will need treatment for the rest of their lives. Often after a while, the recovering addict feels a false sense of confidence.

This is usually when they are the most likely to relapse and need treatment more than ever. According to NIDA, “Cocaine abuse and addiction continue to plague our Nation”. Understanding the recovery process from the very beginning and educating yourself on how to stay focused in your recovery every step of the way can mean the difference between successfully recovering and falling back into the dark pit that is cocaine addiction.