Most Common Long-Term Effects of Cocaine

By Web Dev | June 16, 2021 |

Any use of cocaine creates a health risk. The drug is highly addictive, often causing a wide range of health complications and dependence that is hard to break. More so, the long-term effects of cocaine can impact every area of your health and wellbeing. That’s why today is the right day to get help from a cocaine rehab program from Alina Lodge. Our team offers the programs and support you may need to achieve those goals.

Long-Term Effects of Cocaine Use Cannot Be Ignored

There are many ways long-term use of cocaine impacts a person. This starts with some physical risks, including:

  • Damage to organs in the body, including gastrointestinal tract problems like ulcers
  • A lack of appetite often leads to malnourishment
  • Heart damage and cardiovascular disease are a common side effect, increasing the risk of a heart attack
  • Stroke risks are high, especially when there are comorbidity factors
  • Neurological problems, including seizures, are more common in people who have a cocaine addiction

In addition to this, there are physical health risks associated with cocaine use itself. This can include a loss of smell, changes to the voice, damage to the lungs, and worsening of asthma. It can also cause a person to develop infections if the drug is injected into the arm.

Dependence and Cocaine Withdrawal

Long-term or consistent use of cocaine leads to the development of both tolerance and dependence. Tolerance forms, meaning a person needs to seek out more of the drug to get the same high. As that happens, it puts a person at a significantly higher risk for overdoes. That’s a life-threatening condition.

Dependence occurs as well. When the brain is exposed to cocaine, it starts to adapt to it. The reward pathway becomes less sensitive. More so, the circuits in the brain suffer stress and damage. The brain’s chemistry changes so much that it depends on the substance and cannot function normally without it. This is often evident when a person stops using cocaine for even a short amount of time. They begin to feel cocaine withdrawal.

Cocaine withdrawal can cause difficulty with mood swings, especially anxiety. It can also cause seizures, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, and numerous other health complications. A person battling withdrawal is faced with such intense cravings that it is nearly impossible for them to stop using the drug on their own.

How Cocaine Addiction Treatment Works

A cocaine rehab program at Alina Lodge creates a way for a person to stop using these substances safely. You’ll have medical support for the withdrawal effects you feel, including any high-risk complications. In addition to this, you will spend time working through counseling to better understand what’s happened and learn how to embrace life without addiction. The long-term physical effects of addiction are only minimized by the damage it does to mental health, relationships, quality of life, and self-confidence. In therapy, these things can improve.

For those with long-term cocaine use, treatment in a specialized treatment center is critical to protecting your health. Alina Lodge can offer the support you need in a modern, upbeat location with master-level clinicians. Learn more about our programs, including:

Overcome Cocaine Addiction with Help from Alina Lodge

The long-term effects of cocaine can be devastating. That makes today the right day for you to get treatment. Reach out to Alina Lodge, where we offer a comprehensive treatment program that can help you to stop using cocaine for good. Our team of master clinicians and dedicated professionals offers innovative therapies that may enable you to transform your future. Reach out to us online to learn more or call 833.685.1700 to schedule an appointment.

Posted in Addiction Treatment, Drug Rehab, substance abuse treatment

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