Get help today 888-287-0471 or sign up for 24/7 text support.
American Addiction Centers National Rehabs Directory

What is Crack Cocaine Detox & Withdrawal Like?

Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs available. Many people become addicted to crack after only one use, and most become addicted after a handful of uses taken over a matter of days. Crack offers users a brief high that lasts around five minutes but quickly subsides, leaving the user feeling depressed and wanting more crack.

Using Razor a man is making lines of cocaine white powder for snorting.Crack addiction is generally viewed as an inner city or criminal problem; however, in a 2001 survey 6.2 million Americans over the age of 12 tried crack in the previous year. Statistics such as these mean that understanding treatment options for crack cocaine addicts is important. Getting off crack is extremely difficult without getting medical and behavioral support from experts at crack cocaine detox centers.

Factoid:

Crack addiction statistics in 2001 showed that 2 percent of college students and 4.7 percent of young adults had used crack at least once in their lives.

Signs of a Developing Addiction

There are many physical and behavioral signs the accompany crack cocaine addictions. Many of them appear quickly, while others may take time to develop. Some signs of addiction are:

  • Unnatural confidence
  • Loss of appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Increased energy
  • Dilated pupils
  • Increased heart rate
  • Paranoia
  • Tremors
  • Seizures

These symptoms can present after taking the drug for only a short time. The sooner you seek help for your addiction, the more effective treatment will be.


Factoid:

Nearly 4 percent of high school seniors have used crack.

The Detox and Withdrawal Process

The most important action a crack cocaine addict can take is to seek help. The first step an addict must take is detoxing from crack cocaine. Detox is the process through which all the crack cocaine chemicals within your body are removed. Removing these chemicals is necessary to address the root causes behind your abuse of the drug and defeat your addiction.

Detox and withdrawal from crack has many physical and emotional symptoms. Often, the symptoms are reverse effects of what a person experienced while using crack. The person will often feel depressed because of the lack dopamine in their system. Their appetite will increase, and they will often feel sleepier. Depending on how long your addiction has lasted and the amount of crack cocaine taken, the severity of these symptoms can vary, and it is possible other symptoms can develop.

Factoid:

About 50 percent of cocaine and crack cocaine addicts have a concurring condition, such as depression or ADD. Treating these conditions at the same time the addiction is treated reduces relapse rates.

Finding Treatment Facilities Near You

The most effective way to beat a crack cocaine addiction is by entering a local crack cocaine detox center. Most drug rehab centers offer help for crack addicts who want to get better. These centers offer the medical and emotional support necessary to successfully stop using crack. Having trained professionals to help you through the process greatly decreases the chances of relapse.

At crack cocaine detox centers, you will receive help dealing with withdrawal symptoms that occur during detox. Inpatient treatment greatly improves the odds of success by making the drug more difficult to obtain and allowing you to fully focus on your recovery. Treatment will provide you with the rest, proper nutrition and medication that is necessary for you to fully detox and recover.

Another important part of recovery at crack cocaine detox centers is behavioral support. Crack cocaine addictions become so strong because of the intense emotional attachment many people feel to the drug. This attachment is due to the increased dopamine created in your brain by using crack. While dopamine is used to control the reward and pleasure centers within the brain, many everyday activities create dopamine in the brain naturally. It is produced from simple actions like eating a food that you like, and more complex actions like having sex, getting a job promotion, doing well on a test, or winning a contest. Crack cocaine bypasses the action needed to produce dopamine naturally and delivers a large amount to your brain all at once. So, instead of working to get good grades or better yourself to get a dose of dopamine, you focus all your energy on a drug that replaces these constructive activities and subsequently build an attachment to it.

This strong emotional response to crack can be the most difficult part of addiction to overcome. This makes it extremely important to seek professional help at a crack cocaine detox center. You will learn how to transfer your desire for the drug into healthier activities, and you’ll find better ways to deal with future cravings for the drug.

If you are addicted to crack cocaine and would like more information on detox and withdrawal centers in your area, call today.

Unsure where to start? Take Our Substance Abuse Self-Assessment

Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse. This evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are designed to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. Please be aware that this evaluation is not a substitute for advice from a medical doctor.

Was this page helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.

American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Read our full editorial policy

While we are unable to respond to your feedback directly, we'll use this information to improve our online help.

(0/100)