Cocaine/Drug Addiction and Recovery

Hoping for a better day tomorrow?

To how many of us does this scenario sound familiar? You wake up sick, you're late to work, or worse, you don't even show up for work. Maybe you lie and hurt the ones you love, you steal, you deceive. Addiction, this disease, has a vicious control over every day of your life. No, you didn't plan on it turning out this way. That drug use, perhaps, cocaine, maybe some other drug of choice, was just for fun. Maybe in the beginning it was fun, then suddenly, who can remember the exact day, time or place, it became a habit. Habit, or dare we say the word: ADDICTION.  Through the drugs we're attempting to avoid the reality of life, the hurt, pain, and misery we find each and every day. We seek relief by self-medicating ourselves with our drugs of choice. Ah, temporary relief, how sweet. But with the new dawn comes the same old problems so we turn again, and again, and again to our drugs. 

DRUG ADDICTION AS A DISEASE

Let's take a look at the disease concept of drug addiction. Perhaps the easiest way to do that is by looking at a couple of diseases you are familiar with, either personally or through someone close to you: cancer and heart disease. With either of these two diseases, you don't wake up one morning and suddenly just HAVE either of these diseases, they progress in our bodies over a period of time. Perhaps there were warning signs such as chest pain or a lump in the breast or other family members with the disease. The same is true for the disease of addiction: you need to recognize the warning signs. Drug addiction is chronic, it's progressive, and if not treated, can be fatal.

WARNING SIGNS OF ADDICTION

Increased tolerance  - You are chasing that first high. Regardless of how much you use, or what drug you use, it's never enough to achieve the same high as that first time. Tolerance to a drug builds with each use and you're never going to catch that first high again.. If you find that you are chasing it, chances are you are an addict.

Change in social group - Life-long friends and family who do not use drug are now replaced with your new " best buddies" who use drugs with you. You look forward to hanging out with your new friends not for the social aspect, but because you know there will be drugs involved. 

Decline in health - As drug use progress your overall health declines. Changes in general appearance, weight loss, dental hygiene, loss of muscle tissue, muscle cramps and twitching. and mood swings are common among drug addiction, especially cocaine addiction.

Addiction Recovery

As stated above, drug addiction is chronic and progressive, it cannot be cured, but it can be arrested. When you find that your life is no longer acceptable to you, there's no control over the drugs, but they control you, help can be found. When you answer yes to the question "Am I an addict?". search for your road to recovery. Explore possible rehab facilities, outpatient treatment and self-help groups.