Dealing With a Cocaine Addiction
The only word I can use to describe a cocaine addiction is exhausting. After several years of freebasing cocaine, I had become a shell of myself and an angry, nasty person. At the height of my addiction, I was spent. Every bit of physical, emotional, and mental energy I had was gone.
I finally sought help through Best Rehabs In Arizona, and by some miracle, I was able to overcome my drug addiction. How do you get over such a powerful addiction as cocaine? I will help break down the effects of freebase cocaine and the steps that one can take in order to come out alive and clean on the other side of it.
I didn’t try drugs until I was older. I was in my mid-twenties when I first tried cocaine. I was introduced to cocaine via freebase. Smoking cocaine quickly became my thing and it’s all I wanted to do. Every second of every day was consumed by my freebase and crack addiction.
Keep reading to know more about my story, and learn a bit about how Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery can help you find recovery if you are struggling as I did!
The Risk Of Overdose from Cocaine
Powder cocaine and crack cocaine are equally as bad, though there are some differences. When I would snort cocaine, it didn’t exactly affect me the way freebasing cocaine did. I would smoke freebase cocaine and be totally out of my head. I quickly turned to crime in order to fund my habit, and it was slowly killing me.
The risk of overdose was always there, but I didn’t care. Even after seeing people around me overdose and die, it wasn’t enough to stop me. I never personally overdosed, but I have witnessed others overdose on crack cocaine. Since 2018, cocaine overdoses have been on the rise.
Overdosing never came to my mind. I thought I was some kind of superman when I was using cocaine. The same risks applied to me the way they applied to everybody else, but I refused to see them. The base form of cocaine had crippled my mental capacity and made me believe I was invincible.
Powder Cocaine vs Crack Cocaine
Powder cocaine is produced from the coca plant. Once this powdered form of cocaine is created, it can then be cooked with water and baking soda to produce a solid form of cocaine known as crack. Crack cocaine is also known as freebase cocaine, cocaine base, and cocaine sulfate.
Crack cocaine is a much more concentrated form of cocaine, so it can be much more addictive. I’ve never tried pure cocaine, but crack is as close as you can get to have that feeling. This version of cocaine is extremely potent and requires a whole different set of treatment approaches. Crack cocaine got its name because of the crackling sound it makes when heated up and smoked.
The Immediate Addiction: Smoking Cocaine
I had engaged in powder cocaine use casually, but when I began smoking freebase cocaine, it got me to a whole different level of addiction that I didn’t know was possible. Converting powder cocaine into freebase cocaine can be done relatively easily, so it is something that an addict can create themselves.
Injecting cocaine is another way that the drug can be administered, but snorting and smoking cocaine are usually more common ways of ingesting the drug.
When I started smoking crack, I understood why I had heard so many bad things about it. The first high is something that you will forever chase. There are many forms of drug abuse, but crack cocaine is right at the top as far as the most dangerous.
Of all the substance use disorders, I’ve never heard people talk about any other drug the way I’ve heard them talk about cocaine. It truly consumes you in every way possible.
The Health Effects Of Freebasing Cocaine
An addict doesn’t often think of the things they are doing to their body by engaging in substance use. The only thing on your mind is having enough of the drug to get you through the day. When you have a crack cocaine addiction, you are living moment to moment and not considering your future. The only thing in your future is more crack.
Freebase cocaine has a huge effect on the heart and central nervous system. Engaging in heavy crack use can lead to heart attack, stroke, seizures, and significant harm to the lungs. Because the drug is so highly addictive, users will often overlook a medical emergency and refuse help even if they are in need of immediate medical attention.
Freebase cocaine use can also lead to heart palpitations and a rapid heart rate. These conditions can lead to an increased risk of heart failure. A heavy crack user can also suffer from severe respiratory issues. The mental effects of freebasing cocaine are also extreme and can include hallucinations, paranoia, memory loss, and delusions.
Withdrawal Symptoms Of Freebase Cocaine
Cocaine withdrawal is similar to the withdrawal symptoms associated with other substances, though there are some differences. Because freebase cocaine is so potent, the withdrawal can be very intense. Most forms of drug use will lead to withdrawal symptoms, and the severity all depends on your level of addiction.
Common withdrawal symptoms of freebase cocaine include depression, fatigue, mood swings, and vivid or unpleasant dreams. I have been clean for three years and I still have nightmares about my cocaine use. There are long-term effects of cocaine abuse, but they are normally mental effects such as this.
When you suffer from drug addiction, you do a lot of damage to your brain, and it can take a while for it to return to normal function.
The Deterioration of My Whole Self
I put my brain through a whirlwind of chaos during my addiction. I smoked cocaine until my lips bled. I would have extreme paranoia and believe that everybody around me was trying to kill me. It was difficult for me to understand the damage I was causing to my mental health.
When I finally had the opportunity to get clean, I gave it my all. Recovering from cocaine addiction is a long road, but if you submit to the process, recovery is possible for anybody.
Recovering From A Freebase Cocaine Addiction
When I finally entered treatment, I was smoking myself into oblivion. My mind was barely my own at that point. It took some convincing, but ultimately I realized that I didn’t want to overdose and die. It was time for me to put the small glass pipe down for good, no matter how hard it was going to be to do that.
The euphoric effects of drug addiction make it easy to mask whatever pain you are hiding deep down. Drug use is usually somewhat linked to past trauma or unresolved issues. Mental health issues are a big part of addiction as well. If you are suffering from a mental health issue and an addiction at the same time, it requires a number of treatment options.
Freebase cocaine not only did a lot of damage to my body, but it weighed heavy on my soul as well. I was a shell of my former self. It wasn’t until I was clean for a year that I could begin to face the demons that I was hiding from. Smoking crack ruined every aspect of my life, and picking up the pieces took a long time.
Achieving Lasting Sobriety From Addiction
There are various methods to get clean, but it starts with you. Recovery has to be number one. For me, it comes before anything else in my life. Sure my family is the most important thing to me, but I can’t be good for anybody else if I’m not good enough for myself.
My recovery journey took a lot of soul-searching and therapy. I have to put a big emphasis on my behavioral health. I go to meetings, and I celebrate milestones in a healthy, productive manner.
It’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago I would sit in a dark room and create freebase. My life revolved around making and smoking cocaine. When I began treatment, I thought I would miss the high. I have my days where I still feel triggered, but I don’t miss feeling the way that I felt. I don’t miss staying up for days on end, losing my mind every time I ran out of the drug.
The Importance of Support and Staying Connected
When I go to support groups, I listen to everyone’s stories intently and try to be as honest as possible about my own story. Other people’s experiences help shape my thought process. Every person is different, but addiction does not discriminate.
Anyone can end up using freebase cocaine. Anyone can end up in a dark place at the wrong time. The trick of recovery is keeping that in mind every step of the way.
Get Treatment Options for Freebase and Cocaine Now
If you are getting tired of the effects of freebasing, crack, or just plain old cocaine itself, think about getting some help. By the time your addiction reaches the point mine did, it will likely come as a huge relief just to take a break from the endless cycles of getting, preparing, and doing coke.
If you hear any part of your own story in my words or think a loved one may be struggling as I did, give yourself a chance and reach out to Best Rehabs In Arizona Recovery. For me, it made a world of difference, and if you give yourself a chance, it likely will for you too.