There is a direct correlation between substance use and mental health disorders. An addiction can lead to mental health issues and vice versa. It’s why professional treatment centers offer dual diagnosis treatment so that co-occurring disorders can be addressed at the same time. Cocaine, specifically, is a highly addictive stimulant drug. Treating multiple disorders alongside each other has shown to be much more effective than treating them separately. This has only been the norm for approximately the last thirty years, based on more thorough research in the medical and therapeutic communities.
For help finding a cocaine rehab in Texas—for you or a loved one—contact the treatment team at The Arbor today.
How Cocaine Impacts Mental Health
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug that is either naturally derived from the coca leaf or lab-grown as a synthetic drug. How people use the drug varies as it comes in different forms and is ingested in a variety of ways—snorted, smoked, and injected. No matter how it is made or consumed, its addictive nature remains.
Directly affecting the dopamine receptors in the brain, cocaine creates a euphoric high that users chase. Unfortunately, the continued use to create the high wreaks havoc on physical and cognitive functions. Eventually, drug use may be the only way the person can feel pleasure due to the damage the drug has done to the brain’s ability to produce dopamine naturally.
The high of the drug use is temporary, and when the effects wear off, the user crashes, which can put them into a highly depressive state. This can cause someone to become violent, panicked, or paranoid due to their diminished cognitive state. These episodes can only get worse and lead to suicidal thoughts or drug use that causes an overdose. One’s ability to communicate, pay attention, and remember things can be directly affected.
Enrolling in a dual diagnosis program to treat both mental health and substance use disorders will give you the best chance at treating both conditions effectively and achieving a state of recovery. This is achieved through a combination of evidence-based therapies, behavioral therapies, and experiential therapies to create a treatment plan unique to each person.
Cocaine Side Effects
The negative side effects of using cocaine are many, especially when it comes to your mental health. Effects can be both short-term and long-term. Mental health is especially susceptible because dopamine receptors can become severely damaged from extended cocaine use.
Short-term side effects of cocaine use include:
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Hallucinating
- Irritability
- Moodiness
Long-term side effects of cocaine use include:
- Negative effects on the temporal lobe and prefrontal lobe function
- Permanent changes in neurotransmitter production
- Cerebral atrophy
- Heart attack or stroke
- Chronic depression and anxiety
- Consistent psychotic episodes
If you or a loved one are experiencing side effects related to cocaine use disorder accompanied by co-occurring mental health conditions, do not wait to seek professional treatment.
Find Treatment Options at The Arbor
The Arbor takes a holistic approach to addiction treatment and recovery. Each client receives a customized treatment plan—that they are wholly involved in designing—utilizing a variety of therapeutic modalities. It’s a continuum of care that starts when you enroll and follows you through your lifelong recovery in one form or another.
The Arbor offers a variety of treatment options on our 67-acre campus outside of Austin, Texas:
- Residential treatment
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Dual diagnosis program
- Relapse Prevention
- Sober living
- Alumni program
- Family program
Behavioral therapies and experiential therapies are combined with traditional therapeutic programs to ensure that the whole person is addressed as part of a substance use or mental health disorder.
Find the right treatment option for you or a loved one by contacting The Arbor today at 844.413.2690. You can also complete our convenient online inquiry form.