Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can be intense. A person’s level of cocaine abuse determines the severity of their withdrawal symptoms. If you have not used so much cocaine or taken it so often, the withdrawal symptoms will probably be less severe than for someone who has seriously abused cocaine.
How I experienced cocaine withdrawal symptoms
Chris and Wijntje experienced many of the typical cocaine withdrawal symptoms. Former Triora patients, they now lead happy and productive lives, free from cocaine.
“It's an obsession, a desire that overwhelms everything. To use drugs anyway, to get that one kick, that one high. That I probably felt the first time, but I never found again. That's the twisted part, in my head. I want to feel that first kick, that first high again. Because it was such a great feeling. But I'm fooling myself enormously. I'm very dishonest to myself if I do that.” Chris
“During the first week I asked if I could go somewhere, and they said no. I was panicking and hyperventilating, because things didn't go as expected. I had to learn to cope with things like that. That you can't always get what you want. How to deal with disappointment. And how to adapt to a normal rhythm again.” Wijntje
Typical cocaine withdrawal symptoms
During the crash that follows the initial “high” that cocaine produces, a cocaine user will have severe cravings for more cocaine to again experience the same high. When someone stops taking
cocaine, they will most probably feel empty, despondent, lethargic or exhausted and may have mood swings. They might also have trouble concentrating or remembering things. Cocaine withdrawal symptoms are worst in the first five days of stopping with cocaine.
Typical cocaine withdrawal symptoms include:
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks.
What are the dangers of concurrent addictions?
During an active addiction, someone addicted to cocaine may try to alleviate their symptoms by taking other substances such as alcohol, sedatives or medication. Cocaine abusers may also abuse other drugs. Taking alcohol together with cocaine is particularly dangerous. The risk of sudden death for someone using both cocaine and alcohol has been reported to be 20 times higher than someone taking cocaine alone (Kinney, 2009). Similarly if taken together with alcohol, an overdose can be fatal at one tenth the level of cocaine known to be fatal if taken alone (Perrine, 1996). Find out more about the symptoms and side effects of taking cocaine and alcohol.
How can Triora help me cope with cocaine withdrawal symptoms?
Quitting cocaine is not easy. We would stress that in cases of serious abuse, professional addiction treatment is almost always essential. Depression, paranoia and even suicidal thoughts can result, so anyone who decides to quit cocaine should be monitored for their own safety during the initial period.
At a Triora private rehabilitation clinic, we help you cope with these and other cocaine withdrawal symptoms, together with any other concurrent addictions such as alcoholism. While Triora does not focus on detox but rather on treatment after becoming clean, we can provide short residential alcohol and cocaine detox treatment for less serious cases. We provide 24/7 supervision and medical treatment, including prescriptions and medication related to addiction treatment.
Patients also find that Triora’s healthy menu helps on the road to recovery and a life free from cocaine. Our cocaine rehab centres also have fully equipped gym facilities, and swimming pools. Inpatient care includes a regular exercise programme to help you return to a healthy lifestyle.
How can Triora help prevent a relapse?
Triora provides aftercare as part of our residential cocaine addiction treatment. It can also be provided to outpatients at additional cost. Our treatment programme stresses the importance of self-help groups in staying clean for life.
