Cocaine Addiction in Laredo, TX
Cocaine was the original local anesthetic. However, doctors quickly realized how addictive the drug was and discontinued its use. Today, cocaine is an illegal substance that is subject to addiction. When you or a loved one suffers from cocaine addiction in Laredo, rehabilitation treatments are available.
Cocaine is a drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant. Those who abuse the drug may choose to smoke, inject, or snort the drug. While cocaine is sold on the streets as a white powder, drug dealers remove a chemical found in the cocaine known as hydrochloride. Doing this turns cocaine into crack, which makes a crackling noise when a person smokes it. The result is a fast high that unfortunately can prove deadly for some.
Cocaine addiction in Laredo is not only a problem to a person's health, but also the cause of many deadly side effects. If a person struggles with overwhelming cravings and withdrawal symptoms of cocaine, cocaine addiction recovery can help.
Dangers of Cocaine
Cocaine abuse is a problem across Texas. However, the rate of abuse has decreased as cocaine has increased in price and drug dealers have mixed cocaine with the medication levamisole. This medication has been associated with a number of harmful health side effects, which include damage to the veins, increased risk for skin infections, and affected healing. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 1.4 percent of Texans had reported using cocaine in the past year. This number is slightly below the average number of 1.7 percent across America. An estimated 411 people in Texas died from cocaine use and poisoning in 2013. This number is down from 778 in 2006.
In 2017, law enforcement officials have seized a significant amount of cocaine in the area. In February 2017, The Laredo Police Department seized 25 bricks of cocaine during a routine traffic stop. This is roughly the equivalent of $1 million. In March 2017, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized $1 million worth of cocaine at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge.
Cocaine use can cause changes in a person's brain, most specifically in the frontal lobe of the brain. This affects a person's gray matter, which is responsible for memory and thinking. Cocaine abuse can also cause a person's basal ganglia in the brain to enlarge. The basal ganglia is responsible for cravings and rewards in the body. The changes associated with cocaine make it highly addictive, and the brain starts to require more and cause cravings. The result is a serious cocaine addiction that can require treatment for cocaine addiction in Laredo.
Cocaine can have a number of harmful side effects on a person's health. Examples include a higher risk for seizures, heart failure, stroke, and respiratory failure. A person can also overdose on cocaine, which can lead to death. Cocaine abuse increases a person's likelihood for having a hardened aorta, which feeds blood out of the heart and into the extremities, by 35 percent, according to Medical News Today. The seriousness of these effects requires careful attention in our inpatient rehab in Laredo.
Cocaine Addiction Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction in Laredo can include the following:
- displaying changes from a person's regular behavior, such as euphoria, aggressiveness, paranoia, or poor judgment
- burned fingers or lips that can occur when a person smokes crack
- dilated pupils
- experiencing delusions or hallucinations
- runny nose and/or nosebleeds due to cocaine abuse
- track marks or areas where a person injected cocaine into their veins
After a binge on cocaine, a person can experience a "come-down" of side effects that include depression, agitation, apathy, exhaustion, or sleeping for very long periods of time. Someone may also find paraphernalia associated with using cocaine. This can include glass pipes known as a crack pipe. Small plastic bags, syringes, or items used as a tourniquet, such as a rubber hose, are also items that may be found.
Seeking cocaine addiction recovery is very important because cocaine can deteriorate a person's mind over time. The addiction treatment process involves administering medications to reduce feelings of anxiety and/or stress, such as benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan, or Versed. This can help a person navigate their way through cocaine withdrawals.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 6 percent of cocaine users sought addiction treatment for cocaine abuse in 2013. Unfortunately, those who abuse cocaine and particularly crack are at greater risk for using additional drugs. This increases the risk for overdose and damaging health effects. Seeking cocaine addiction treatment programs in Laredo can help a person overcome this vicious cycle and ideally stop the potential damage to a person's health.