Is Residential Care Really Necessary for Cocaine Detox?

Residential detox is absolutely necessary if you have decided to quit abusing cocaine. The withdrawal syndrome associated with cocaine abuse is severe, and you will require safe, professional treatment in order to get through it safely. Call 800-934-3781 (Who Answers?) to find treatment options that will help you end your cocaine abuse for good and detox safely.

Cocaine Withdrawal and Its Symptoms

It is never safe to detox at home from a powerful substance of abuse, but according to the National Library of Medicine, “The level of craving, irritability, delayed depression, and other symptoms produced by cocaine withdrawal is as strong as other types of withdrawal, or even stronger.” These symptoms can be extremely difficult to cope with once the individual begins withdrawal, and many people do not realize this.

Depression can quickly lead to suicidal symptoms if the individual does not receive treatment. It is unsafe for someone to be experiencing these issues and to not have access to 24-hour care. The cravings caused by cocaine withdrawal can be so severe that many individuals cannot control their actions, leading them to relapse.

Relapse and The Potential for Overdose

When someone attempts to go through withdrawal at home, there is a high chance they could possibly relapse. And unfortunately, after attempting to withdraw from the drug, many people do not realize that their tolerance for cocaine has subsided, causing them to use more of the drug than they can handle and potentially overdosing.

Cocaine withdrawal can cause severe depression that requires professional treatment.

Cocaine overdose can be deadly, and it is more likely that someone will experience an overdose at this point in their lives because they do not realize their tolerance has diminished. It is very unsafe to try to withdraw alone and without the help of professional healthcare providers because relapse is such a high risk.

Delayed and Prolonged Withdrawal Symptoms

Early withdrawal symptoms associated with cocaine abuse will often subside after a few weeks or so. These can include:

Anxiety
Agitation
Fatigue
Anhedonia
Troubling sleeping
Nightmares

However, depression and cravings––two of the most dangerous symptoms––can continue for months after the other symptoms have abated, making cocaine withdrawal one of the longest detox periods and one of the most dangerous.

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, very late in withdrawal and even years after their last use of the drug, “individuals may experience brief periods of intense drug craving, such that objects and people in the addicted person’s life can become a conditioned trigger for craving and relapse.”

If a person does receive proper treatment in a detox center to learn how to cope with these cravings and avoid certain triggers, it will almost be impossible for them to avoid relapse in the future.