Understanding what crack cocaine is

The “freebase” form of cocaine is known as crack or rock and is normally smoked in order to experience the affects of it.  Today, crack cocaine is considered one of the primary drug threats in the US as well as being a significant public health threat.  It is considered one of the most powerfully addictive substances out there because of how quickly dependency results from increasing tolerance and the need to ingest more in order to experience the desired effects of it.

As a result, there are a number of drug rehab centers that currently offer crack cocaine addiction treatment programs in order to facilitate the needs of the suffering individual.  Unfortunately, not all of these facilities are experiencing good success rates with their clients because they are traditional facilities that still rely on conventional treatment and recovery therapies and take a one-size-fits-all approach to addiction.  Since no two people are alike, their addictions will have to be treated in a manner that is unique to them and their level of addiction.

What are the side effects of crack abuse?

There are numerous side effects that an individual may experience whenever they are abusing crack cocaine.  The most common side effects are:

• anxiety
• appetite loss leading to malnutrition and weight loss
• blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate changes
• cold sweats
• convulsions
• lung damage
• nasal cavity damage
• increased risk of heart attack or stroke
• insomnia
• nausea and vomiting
• mucous membrane bleeding and swelling
• restlessness and fatigue

Most of these side effects are serious enough and could become fatal if you don’t seek out a crack cocaine addiction treatment program so you can recover and live a normal life.

Symptoms of crack cocaine withdrawal

When an addicted individual enters theFreedom Center for addiction treatment and recovery, we initially interview you in order to asses what the nature of your addiction is and to determine the crack cocaine addiction treatment program that will target your specific needs.  Depending on the severity of your addiction, it may be necessary to undergo a medical detoxification process in order to rid your system of the addictive substance and any of its residues.

Here are some of the symptoms of what many individuals can experience when undergoing detox and then withdrawal:

• anxiety
• agitation
• angry outbursts
• depression
• disturbed or interrupted sleep
• intense cravings for the substance
• irritability
• lack of motivation
• muscle pain
• nausea and vomiting

If you would like more information about the  Freedom Center and the crack cocaine addiction treatment programs that we offer, please contact us at the toll-free phone number listed at the top of this page.