Cocaine is often a drug of choice among people who deal with depression, lack of motivation, feelings of apathy, difficulty concentrating, or who simply want the boost of feel-good hormones and adrenaline that they believe make fun even more fun. Unfortunately, the balance can easily tip, leaving cocaine users struggling with anxiety both in the short and long term. For those who already have an underlying anxiety disorder, cocaine can indeed wreak havoc on its intensity and your ability to manage it. If you suffer from anxiety and are chronically using cocaine, you will benefit from treatment for these co-occurring disorders in a cocaine rehab in Atlanta, GA—Sanative Recovery and Wellness.
At Sanative Recovery and Wellness, we understand the way anxiety and the abuse of cocaine can combine in detrimental ways. Our professional, experienced staff of clinicians provides evidence-based therapies to address co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Learn more about cocaine and anxiety disorders by reaching out to us via calling us at 877.899.1502.
Cocaine and the Brain
The human brain regularly produces neurotransmitters and other chemicals that are responsible for sending messages to all the systems of the body, as well as for managing feelings, maintaining focus, producing pleasure, and so much more. One of these chemicals is called dopamine.
When you use cocaine, the brain’s dopamine-producing and recycling center is shut down. The cocaine takes over, producing extreme levels of euphoria and preventing the brain from regulating mood. That is one reason why, at the end of a cocaine binge, you feel utterly depleted and unable to function. The only way you can figure out to feel close to normal again is to take more cocaine, and the cycle continues. Addiction is not far behind.
The stress response is increased dramatically when cocaine is being chronically abused. The adrenaline and cortisol that enter the chemical mix in the brain result in a constant state of fight or flight. That is a simple description of what an anxiety disorder is like.
Your use of cocaine has set the stage for chronic anxiety. In other words, cocaine has created the conditions under which you’ve developed an anxiety disorder. Or, it has exacerbated any underlying anxiety that you had prior to using cocaine.
Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
If you experience anxiety, whether it developed before or after you started misusing cocaine, you are likely familiar with the following symptoms:
- Panic attacks, recurring fear, and emotional discomfort
- Insomnia
- A sense of doom or imminent danger
- Shortness of breath
- Hyperventilation
- Racing heart
- Tight muscles
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Compulsive overthinking
- Inability to focus
These symptoms are similar to how extreme exposure to cocaine feels and are exacerbated by the ongoing use of the drug. But, if you have a cocaine use disorder, stopping is not easy without support.
Consider treatment for the co-occurring disorders of cocaine addiction and anxiety at Sanative Recovery and Wellness.
Treatment for Cocaine Addiction and Anxiety
In a professional drug treatment facility like Sanative Recovery and Wellness, your treatment team will thoughtfully design an individual treatment plan to address your co-occurring disorders of cocaine addiction and anxiety.
Once you have gone through a safe, medically managed detoxification, you will begin the work of early recovery. First and foremost, one or more evidence-based therapies will be recommended for your one-on-one counseling sessions. At Sanative Recovery and Wellness, we offer the following cutting-edge modalities for treating co-occurring disorders:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Contingency management
- Community reinforcement and family training (CRAFT)
- REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy)
- Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)
- Motivational interviewing
- Moral Reconation Therapy
With input from you and based on your addiction and health histories, we will determine the right approach to your recovery treatment. In addition, you’ll have access to meditation therapy, music therapy, and other experiential approaches that will enhance your treatment’s success as well as your overall sense of well-being.
Find Addiction Treatment at Sanative Recovery and Wellness
We want to help you regain your mental and physical health, leave cocaine behind, and learn to manage your anxiety in healthy ways. Let one of our staff answer your questions about addiction rehab, the links between cocaine and anxiety, and what treatments might work best for you. Call us at 877.899.1502 or use this online form to connect today.
