If you must understand how to stop cocaine addiction, you need to know what cocaine actually is. The drug is also referred to as benzoylmethylecgonine, or coke if you’d rather not bite more than you can chew. It is gotten from coca leaves and can alter a person’s brain function after a while of consistent use. Above all, cocaine is an incredibly addictive drug.
Unfortunately, despite the dangers to your health, you can’t just “turn off” a cocaine addiction. More often than not, you need a series of consistent actions alongside professional help if you must win the battle against coke. However, as challenging as it may be, it is not entirely impossible.
To prove that to you, we’ll be sharing a few insights on how to stop cocaine addiction in this article.
How Do You Stop Cocaine Addiction?
You should know that there isn’t any “ultimate” guide to stop taking cocaine. Of course, you can still go to the internet to learn how to stop cocaine addiction. However, in reality, everyone’s situation is peculiar, and what works for Jerry may leave Tom stranded in a bind.
Alongside that, due to its brain-altering capabilities, stopping cocaine abruptly can really hurt you. As such, at some point, the chances are that you may need professional cocaine addiction rehab. Nevertheless, you should still give yourself a head start on the journey by following these five tips for getting rid of cocaine addiction:
Inform those who matter about your decision to quit cocaine
We understand that this part might be a bit difficult. It’s even worse if you promised your loved ones that you’d quit before only to relapse later. But it is still necessary. You cannot learn how to stop cocaine addiction or even implement these tips if you choose to go through the journey alone. So, you must inform someone about your decision to quit.
It really does not have to be a lot of people. As long as they’re understanding and they are truly invested in helping you change, they should make your list.
As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid people who will judge every chance they get or try to invalidate your struggle. Even if they mean well, they may end up doing more harm than good.
When you inform your loved ones about your decision to quit cocaine, ensure that you let them know that you want them to actively assist you in the journey. This is because you need to remain accountable to someone if you must quit cocaine abuse.
What you’ll gain from following this tip is a reliable support system. They’ll check in on you every now and then to monitor your progress. Alongside that, they’ll help if you fall/falter and assist in getting you back on track.
Related article: Cocaine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, Effects
Modify your habits and social circles to fit your new goal
This tip regarding how to stop cocaine addiction is arguably one of the most important of them all. Don’t understand why? Well, let’s break it down from the first half.
Usually, when you’re very inclined to do something, it doesn’t happen in isolation. It often comes with a habit that you’ve built over time. For example, some people can hardly go through a movie without a snack, and some can’t eat without watching something. This may not be so bad compared to cocaine addiction, but you should get our point. In their case, the movie is tied to the meal and vice versa.
In the same vein, taking cocaine may be tied to some of your habits. Do you find yourself snorting every time you down a bottle of alcohol? Have you built a doping habit around your study periods to help you remain alert/efficient?
When you identify those habits that bring you back to the white, powdery arms of cocaine, you need to modify them. Adjust or eliminate those habits so that you don’t have to go back to being a user.
Concerning the modification of your social circle, it’s not very likely that you’re a solo doper. So, if you have friends that induce your snorting, you may want to reevaluate those friendships. While it might be challenging, you can start by politely turning down invitations to hangouts with the friends you used to do cocaine with.
Fill up your schedule
When you’re still figuring out how to stop cocaine addiction, your worst enemy is idleness. This is because you’re likely to go back to cocaine when you have nothing meaningful to do.
When your mind is less busy, it begins to wander. Except when asleep, this fact rings true for everybody. When your mind starts its random journey across different memories or scenarios, it may accidentally stop by at the last time you snorted coke. You’ll feel a little tingle in your nose.
Gradually, the urge to go back to coke will start creeping in. It keeps growing until it’s much harder to ignore than the initial tingle. Eventually, you may find yourself using it again.
To prevent all these from happening, just do something else. When you keep your mind occupied with another activity, you’ll be less likely to start thinking of coke or craving it. A few activities to try include exercising, volunteering where necessary, doing chores, etc.
However, if you want to go a step further, you can discuss with a professional who can help you learn how to stop cocaine addiction. They’ll be particularly helpful in assisting you to come up with a strategy to make those activities a part normal routine.
Find inspiration in other people
Conquering an addiction is an incredibly serious business. The stakes are even higher when the addiction you’re dealing with is something as strong as cocaine. In fact, it requires an effort that leaves most people feeling overwhelmed.
One way you can get over this overwhelming feeling is by getting some inspiration from other people. We don’t think we need to try too hard to convince you that you’re not the first person who has had to deal with a cocaine addiction before. There have been many others before you, and you can read about them or listen to them at will.
Among other things, even if you don’t know them directly, their stories will give you strength. Different things work for different people. But, seeing how other people were able to pick up their lives instead of letting cocaine be their end can work wonders for you.
Surfing the web for their stories may not be the best idea, though. Our two cents on the issue is that you should join a support group. There, you’ll see humans like yourself who are making progress in their journey against your common foe.
Understand and handle what’s causing your addiction
All these points on how to stop addiction are pretty effective if you follow them properly. We have no doubts about that. However, if you don’t discover and deal with what caused the addiction in the first place, you might not achieve much.
You see, this situation is like wanting to cut down a tree because it attracts way too many snakes for safety. You can cut off its branches for as long as you live. But, they’ll merely grow back prettier, and maybe even stronger. The only way to take care of the problem is to remove the tree from its roots.
So, if you’re learning how to quit cocaine, figure out why you started in the first place. Did you do it to get away from negative emotions such as depression or uncontrollable anger? If so, you may need to see a therapist so you can learn how to handle those emotions better.
Did you do it to get away from all the chaos at home? You have to deal with that too. Did you do it out of a need for validation from your friends? You’ll have to deal with that feeling of inadequacy as well. Whatever the cause, if you don’t deal with it, you might end up going back to cocaine.
Potential Challenges While Trying to quit Cocaine
If you’re wondering how to stop cocaine addiction, you should know the potential pitfalls. The major things you’ll have to deal with are withdrawal symptoms. This is where professional help comes into play.
Depending on how far gone you are, your body may not be able to handle losing cocaine so abruptly. So, you may experience such withdrawal symptoms as depression, exhaustion, mild to intense cocaine cravings, hallucinations, imbalanced appetite, etc.
In Conclusion
Learning how to stop cocaine addiction takes gut and a determination to make positive changes. However, the real work comes when you have to put what you’ve learnt to practice. At that point, you’ll need consistency, determination, and all the support you can get. Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.
Related article: How to Quit Cocaine Addiction
