How To Quit Using Cocaine

If you’re looking for how to quit using cocaine, you’re in the right place. And, you’re not alone.

A 2014 study showed that over one and a half million people misused crack cocaine in the United States alone. Today, this epidemic affects teens, young adults, middle-aged and elderly people alike.

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to quitting this (and other) addictive drugs. The high from cocaine, in particular, is very strong and fast — dopamine rises, euphoria ensues, and afterward, the user craves that feeling even more.

Cocaine addiction can greatly harm a person over time; it’s very difficult to quit without the proper support system and guidelines in place since the drive to get high is often very strong. The first thing you should do when attempting to quit injecting, smoking, or snorting cocaine is to seek addiction treatment from trained professionals.

Here are several things you should know about quitting cocaine use.

How To Quit

As stated, the only way to quit cocaine is to quit. Everything that comes along with that — detox, withdrawal, rehab — makes this trying. Here is a quick guide on things that can help manage:

-Find a constructive hobby

Fill your time with other things. Revisit an old passion. Discover a new one. Go to the gym; take a painting class; volunteer; join a flag football league. If you find something else to invest in and hold you accountable, it can make recovery easier. Also, cravings can revolve around timing. If you fill your time, the craving will subside.

-Find a Group

It helps to find a strong, reliable group of people who can help you stay out of cocaine usage. This could be friends, family members, support groups, a counselor, or anyone who helps you stay on the right path.

-Find Motivation

Quitting cocaine is no easy task. Remind yourself why you’re getting clean: a parent, a child, your own health. Create a reward system for yourself when you don’t use — treat yourself to your favorite meal or something to keep you moving forward.

Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions surrounding addiction treatment. People may think they are too hooked, too poor, or too weak to quit drugs.

The reality is, with the right system in place and a dedicated team of professionals helping you, you can quit using cocaine. Getting clean ultimately requires a system and structure. There are options in place for people attempting to stop using and avoid falling victim to the harsh withdrawal effects.

Withdrawl

Withdrawal from cocaine is difficult, and often insights relapse. People experience mood swings, anger, depression, insomnia, anxiety, exhaustion and a host of other symptoms. The good news is that these are temporary. The bad news is these symptoms can feel unbearable. Additionally, avoiding any type of addictive substances is important to recovery.

Treatment

Addiction treatment can vary. Here are some options for treatment:

-A detox center can help monitor your withdrawal symptoms. Cocaine withdrawal is intense and often causes a relapse. This can be managed with something like a detox center, in which a medical team can help monitor your vitals and keep you on track when quitting.

-Sober Living Communities may be an option. These are places dedicated to helping people get clean. Addicts find these support communities therapeutic and helpful in the treatment process. They can be used at any stage.

-A one-on-one counselor can help you manage cocaine addiction, as well as other factors that may contribute to your addiction. There are many psychological and emotional stressors involved in cocaine withdrawal and usage in some cases. A counselor specialized in drug abuse can help you quit and stay sober.

-A rehab facility is the best way to stay clean after detox. Some people use rehab facilities for several months to encourage positive and sober behavior. Rehab facilities like Newport Beach Recovery can help build a support system and strong foundation for a post-cocaine life.

Summary

No matter your situation, quitting drugs is difficult to do alone. It’s important you have a dedicated and strong team by your side in this process.

If you or someone you love is attempting to quit cocaine, we can help. Newport Beach Recovery is a drug and alcohol rehab in Costa Mesa, CA. Learn more about us at newportbeachrecoverycenter.com

Signs It’s Time To Stage An Intervention

Dealing with drug addiction can be the hardest thing to do. That is because most of these addicts don’t realize that they are suffering. For a drug addict, all they care about is getting their high, and this can be risky. Firstly, they will spend all their money on drugs without thinking about their basic needs. As we all know, drug addiction is a condition that gets worse with time. If you meet a drug addict miserable in the streets, know that they were once ordinary people with healthy lives until the drugs ruined them.

What does it mean to stage an intervention?

When someone is new to using drugs, they will look normal for a while, not knowing that they are a time bomb. When real symptoms start showing, however, even the people close to them will realize that something is wrong. This should be the right time to stage an intervention because the signs of addiction are now too apparent. For those who don’t know stage an intervention is, note that it is a way of helping a drug addict entirely. However, it requires the people close to the addict to come together and plot a solution.

What happens in a stage intervention group?

Usually, the people close to the addict decide to come together so that under the leadership of one of the members. The group first meet to discuss the condition of the patient then begin strategizing on what needs to be done. This is very important because the group needs to work in an organized manner. Drug addicts can be cunning, and without a proper plan, they can play games with you when you are thinking that they are recovering.

After the group is done and ready, the next move is usually to confront the addict. This also should be done with a lot of caution because you don’t want the addict feeling as everyone is fed up with them. The best time to confront the addict is when they are sober at least and can have a conversation. What follows should be according to the plane, and the group needs to stay intact and active until the mission is done.

The good thing with staging an intervention is that the addict gets to be helped by the people who care about them the most. Realizing this will drive them to stick to their addiction treatment because even an addict cannot stand breaking the hearts of everyone around them.

How to know when to stage an intervention

One of the main signs that it is time to stage an intervention is when you notice strange behavior with an addict. These can include a change in their schedule when they started coming home late and exhausted, avoiding everyone, including food. A change in behavior can be considered as an advanced level of addiction. That is because the body system is getting comfortable with the substance and taking control.

Increased tolerance to drugs is also not a good sign. This happens when the addict always wants a little bit more of the drug every time. They will want to have more bottles of beer whenever he or she is out for a drink with friends. This can get to a point where the addict wants to have more bottles of beer even if there is no occasion. That is how someone ends up drinking every day.

Short-term memory loss, is also known as mental fogging is another clear sign that it is time to stop the drugs. At this point, the addict will forget things so fast, and at times, cannot remember what has happened a few seconds ago. Among the worse addiction symptoms, mental fogging is the worst because the addict will no longer be useful to the community.

You can quickly point out a drug addict from the way he or she looks. They usually don’t care about their looks, and in most cases, they are untidy. No one wants to be around a smelly person, and for someone to allow themselves to smell, they must have a mental problem. Drug addicts don’t mind wearing the same clothes for even a week as long as at the end of it all; they have their drug.

Magnified emotions are also a sign of drug addiction. Note that addict is generally rebellious and will not want anyone to come between them with their drugs. They will get emotional when you attempt to stop them from doing what they want and will always be in a bad mood.

Conclusion

Staging an intervention does not entirely mean that the group is responsible for helping the addict out of the problem. Part of the solution can be convincing the addict to go for rehab. However, the group is a vital part of the recovery process because a recovering drug addict needs all the support they can get. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact us for help! Addiction is a serious disease and needs to be treated as such. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we provide everything you need to start on the path to recovery.

Tips To Help You Recover Your Loved One From Addiction

Addiction is one of the traps that are almost impossible to come out from. That is because it can have a permanent effect on the brain. The first step of addiction treatment is acceptance. The victim needs to admit that they have a problem and need help.

Next, he or she is examined to determine the level of addiction so that a suitable treatment can be administered. It is although essential to know that an addict that has recovered from addiction can quickly backslide and get back into their habit against their will. Relapse is the worst thing that can happen after spending so much money on rehab services. However, there are ways of keeping a recovering addict from relapsing, and they include;

Ensuring that they complete the treatment program

Completion of an addiction treatment program means that the patient is loaded with the right information about how to fight their urge. Addicts that drop out of the program midway show clear signs that they are not ready to change their ways. One of the leading relapse causes is the inability to resist the temptation. Without any guard, you will have no choice but to give in.

Supporting their interests

One of the main signs of drug addiction is isolation. A drug addict will want to avoid people as much as they can because they are embarrassed. This leads most of them to lose interest in many things since the substance has clouded their judgment about everything. During addiction recovery, patients are encouraged and guided into finding their way back to what they used to be passionate about. These can be anything from sports, music and even fashion.

To help them stay distracted from thinking about relapsing, you need to draw them deeper into their interests. For example, if the patient is passionate about playing soccer, buying those boots or a ball is a great way to start. You can organize for them to join a local team.

Change the environment

Relapse recovery can be interrupted by simple triggers like seeing someone using the drug can quickly bring up the urge. That is why it is suitable for recovering patients from changing locations after completing their treatment. This should reduce any chances of the patient accessing the drugs. Note that one of the main reasons for addiction is having access to the substance.

The friends to the recovering addict who is in most chances abusers as well are also living in the same area. We all understand how it’s hard being the black sheep when taking the patient to a new location, ensure that they cannot get access to the drugs. Also, ensure that the people around them are kind and caring. You don’t want your recovering patient to go back to abusing drugs because they did not feel accepted and loved.

Encourage patient to stick to meditation

Meditation after addiction treatment is a way of calming down an addict and suppress the urge to use drugs. A recovering addict goes through so much trouble, and without following the prescribed medication, they become anxious and vulnerable to relapse. One of the common problems that have led recovering addicts back to addiction is lack of sleep. These medications, however, are meant to make the patient comfortable and in control.

Maintaining therapy should also be considered as part of the medication process. That is because it plays a significant role in helping a recovering patient re-connect with the world once more. A therapist helps these patients to make rational decisions and holds their hand through the post-treatment period until the patient has fully recovered.

Propose other ways of dealing with stressful situations

Stress and other human problems are known to be one of the leading causes of drug addiction. When this habit gets out of hand, things can get worse because addicts are not stable. During the treatment period, such addicts have been taught how they need to approach problems and solve them quickly. Your work is to keep reminding such patient about how to carry out themselves and solve challenges like a normal human being.

You will also want to engage the patient through sporting activities. This will help them greatly with anxiety another emotional disorders that can make them become violent and cause significant damage.

Conclusion

Relapse prevention is vital for any recovering addict because anything can trigger back their addiction. According to experts, a drug addict can get back to addiction way faster than the time spent in the rehab. That is why most rehab centers spend more time preparing the patients for the outside world like how to get in touch with their loved ones again.

Support groups are also another great way of ensuring that an addict does not relapse. That is because, within these groups, patients are allowed to support each other and encourage them to go clean. The best thing with help groups is, participants are people who are going through the same thing and are self-motivated to overcome their addiction. Contact us today if you or a loved one are struggling with addiction. At Newport Recovery Center, we are here to help you get sober!

The power of Music in Recovery

Music is a cross-cultural experience. You don’t have to understand the words or be familiar with the genre to feel the effects of a superior composition. Music’s ability to change our moods, minds, and behavior is well documented in popular culture. However, the power of music during recovery from addiction is still a newer concept.

Music therapy is a comprehensive treatment system that combines listening, theory, and performance. Adding this therapy to an addiction treatment plan helps patients find relief through some of the most difficult points of their journey while also strengthening them for what lies beyond. How does musical therapy help those fighting through addiction treatment feel better, stay stronger, and recover more quickly?

The Physical Effects of Music

The effects of music aren’t just mental. The mental effects of music cascade throughout the body, producing physical results that can aid the addiction treatment process. These include:

  • Improve communication. Listening to and performing certain genres of music have been proven to increase vital mental skills. A study from the Institute of Music and Mind at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada found that those who use their musical skills frequently show increased activity in the auditory cortex of the brain. This area translates sounds into understandable words and phrases and is vitally connected with our communication skills. Playing instruments can make it easier for patients in treatment to communicate with those who are there to help them.
  • Improved memory and learning. The auditory cortex isn’t the only brain structure positively impacted by music. The prefrontal cortex, which is the seat of our sensory processing abilities, is also improved through performing and listening to music. Over time, patients are able to retain long and short term memories better, which helps them learn new ways of coping with life’s stresses without reaching for a substance.
  • Increased dopamine production. Dopamine is a vital neurotransmitter. Substance abuse damages the body’s ability to naturally produce this substance in useful amounts. Music naturally stimulates dopamine production, which helps even moods, relaxes the body, and calms the mind.

The Mental Effects of Music

Everyone knows how a good piece of music makes them feel. Crashing cymbals, twinkling keyboards, and artfully strummed guitars can lift spirits and stimulate a change of mind. During the recovery process, these effects can be used to the patient’s advantage in many ways.

  • During the detox stage, calming music can help patients cope with the physical and mental stress that comes with the experience. Once the acute stage is passed, playing calming music can help patients keep a level of mood throughout treatment.
  • When the urge to relapse pops up, music can inspire patients to stick with their program. In these cases, upbeat and meaningful tunes are the most effective. Many patients enjoy music with spiritual overtones that help them connect to their higher power for aid.
  • Music can connect support groups. Singing and performing together as a group helps members connect on a safe, emotional level. This facilitates group and private talk therapy sessions. When they’re alone, group members can turn to that piece of music to help them when they can’t reach their support system.

Techniques in Music Therapy

How is music therapy used in the recovery process?

  • Performance. Singing and playing instruments is a physical experience that helps patients work out stress in a healthy way. Keeping your hands and mind busy is a great way to fight the urge to relapse.
  • Meditation. Quietly listening to inspirational tunes while alone is another successful therapy tactic. The right selection can lower blood pressure, relax tense muscles, and help patients cope through difficult stages.
  • Exercise aid. Physical exercise is a well-known technique for resetting the body after detox. Add music to a workout to stay inspired, engaged, and joyfully active through the sweat session.

These techniques can be effective in group or private sessions. Music therapy is also easily adapted into a home practice to support the work outpatients do with their therapists.

Music is more than a pastime. When used consciously and purposefully, it can help those fighting addictions by providing a healthy outlet for many of the negative emotions that can come along with the healing process.  Talk to your addiction treatment specialist about adding music therapy to your program.

How to Find Treatment for Addicted Couples

Close relationships, including family and friends, can also be the first casualties of addiction and substance abuse. A significant other is the one most directly in the line of fire when an addict is under the influence. So, as part of the recovery process, it’s important to understand how addiction has affected loved ones and even destroyed relationships. Then, the next step is to implement support systems, and determine how to repair those broken relationships before it’s too late.

How Addiction Affects Couples

Addiction and substance abuse can destroy a marriage or relationship. It can also be psychologically damaging even if the couple stays together, since patterns of co-dependency and enablement, as well as physical and psychological abuse,  can also be part of the equation.

Secrecy:

One of the devastating effects of addiction is the damage to open and honest communications in relationships. Deception and lies can go hand-and-hand with guilt and shame. A reality of substance abuse is that it can change a person’s behavior, even their personality.

Mistrust:

Even if you’ve been with the person for years, it’s still difficult to overcome the loss of trust. After all the painful episodes where trust might have broken or twisted in the past, it can be difficult for a couple to move forward. It takes a lot of strength and forgiveness to rise above as the history of repeated breaches in trust, even if each of them loves each other still.

Financial Difficulties:

Relationships can be even further destroyed and put in jeopardy when substance abuse and sometimes-erratic behavior leads to financial hardship. Beyond just the cost of booze and drugs, addiction leads those affected to make poor decisions, which in turn can lead to a devastating loss.

Partner Support

A relationship where one of the individuals is in recovery is not easy. Depending on the past history, the couple may be struggling with coming to grips with a partner who is trying to improve, perhaps even trying to change their habits, but it can also be easy to fall back into old patterns of addiction. A committed relationship is difficult, but it can also be one of the best ways to keep on that path toward recovery. A loved one/partner can offer support and encouragement, both in demonstrating love and forgiveness, but also in understanding the personal history that may have led to the addiction. A partner can also help by avoiding those people or places that were most associated with substance abuse.

Beyond just assisting in distraction and avoidance, a couple can support each other in a second-chance for their relationship, but also so their lives. Recovery from alcohol and substance abuse is a wake-up call to many, particularly when health, wellness, and even job and joint relationships hang in the balance. It often comes down to a choice of recovery or a permanent split, and even then, the relationship may be beyond repair.

Tap into Couples Therapy

Whether a couple moves forward with that “lifetime of love” together or not, couples’ therapy is an essential component of recovery. With what may have been years of secrecy, lies, growing mistrust, financial hardship, and loss, sobriety may sound too good to be true. Plus, there were probably other episodes when that road to recovery was attempted, with the only result being a heartbreaking relapse.  That’s why couples’ therapy is so important. After a history of a painful and difficult relationship, it’s important that both partners understand that recovery is a joint effort.

How to Sustain Recovery

Substance abuse affects every part of a relationship, so a couple who is working through recovery together can be presented with both positive and negative results. But there are several very important things to keep in mind:

  1. Change doesn’t happen overnight.
  2. Relapse is possible, even when you love each other.
  3. Time really doesn’t heal all wounds, but forgiveness can help.
  4. Each partner is important to the survival of an addicted couple.
  5. The scars may fade, but it may be difficult to forget.
  6. Therapy really is essential to the survival of a couple dealing with addiction.
  7. Couple revitalization and survival also must involve communication and rebuilding a life back together.
  8. Sobriety is a choice an addicted person must make every day, but so too is the decision to support and stay in a relationship that has been dismantled by substance abuse.
  9. A very real part of the recovery of an addicted couple is also the process of building new habits.
  10. While not fast or easy, the journey toward recovery for an addicted couple can be rewarding.

Ultimately, the direction of your recovery may not end up where you’d anticipated, but we don’t have any really great way of predicting the future of a relationship. Even without drug abuse, alcohol, or substance use, a relationship can be hard. So, allow yourself time and space, and seek out the help you need as you journey toward recovery together.  Contact us today to make the first step on the right path to recovery. Newport Beach Recovery Center is here to help.