Treatment Options for Crack Cocaine Recovery

Crack cocaine is an incredibly addictive and devastating drug. When a person becomes addicted to crack, they will often need serious treatment to work through to their recoveries. Depending on the patient’s needs and situation, there are several different treatment options for crack cocaine recovery.

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment is often necessary for many crack addicts. Binging, an action which many people who abuse crack participate in as its effects are often so short-lived, can cause “full-blown psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations,” paranoia, and intense aggression (NIDA). If you are addicted to crack and experiencing these issues, inpatient treatment may be right for you.

At an inpatient facility, you will likely receive these treatments as a part of your crack recovery treatment program:

• Medication to help you through the more difficult psychological withdrawal symptoms
• Behavioral treatments like contingency management and cognitive-behavioral therapy that will help you fight cravings and triggers
• 24-hour care in a controlled environment
• Vocational and nutritional classes to help you get your life back on track

This treatment is especially beneficial for those who need constant care and supervision and time away from the regular stressors of their lives.

Outpatient Treatment

Family therapy, support groups and individual therapy are just some of the methods that help in crack rehab.

Outpatient treatment is also a common treatment for those addicted to crack cocaine. The same treatments of behavioral therapy and medication will be applied, and these will be depending on the needs of the patient. The biggest difference is that the patient will be able to attend treatment and then go home afterwards, allowing them to be with their children or families if necessary.

While medication is often helpful, “presently, there are no proven medications to treat cocaine addiction” (NIDA). Some might be prescribed to aid the patient in a smoother, less uncomfortable withdrawal phase, but therapy will be the most heavily used treatment for crack addiction, especially in outpatient centers.

Behavioral therapy sessions that teach patients how to change the way they think about their addictions (cognitive-behavioral therapy) and those which work to correct the changes made to the reward center of the brain by giving patients rewards for abstinence (contingency management) have been found to be effective for crack recovery treatment. In an outpatient facility, patients can often expect to attend group therapy which will be helpful in allowing them to meet and lean on other patients who are dealing with the same issues.

Mutual-help Groups

The NIDA states, “Community-based recovery groups – such as Cocaine Anonymous––that use a 12-step program can also be helpful to people trying to sustain abstinence” (NIDA 2). This option is often good for continuing a solid foundation after you have finished treatment. Many people feel that groups like these which are more about group members helping each other, having role models, and working through addiction as an ongoing process were an integral part of their recovery from crack addiction.

The main treatment for crack addiction is behavioral therapy which is used in almost every type of treatment program. This is because is is currently the best option. But there are many ways and facilities in which an individual can recover from crack addiction, and you must choose the one that is best for you.