What Is the Best Treatment for Crack Cocaine Addiction?
The ideal treatment option for crack cocaine addiction is a long-term inpatient program with lengthy aftercare support resources.
A long-term program lasts three to twelve months. Short-term options are 28 to 60 days. Our experts recommend long-term care because the average crack cocaine user struggles with chronic relapse and has made multiple attempts to achieve sobriety. Relapse rates are high with crack cocaine.
Aftercare support would involve ongoing peer support meetings, 12-step meetings, and or sober living homes. The first year of sobriety is crucial, and most relapse occurs within a month of leaving treatment.
The longer someone remains connected to sober people and a support network, the better their chance of staying sober during that first year.
Our directory lists available options in your state. In addition, contact your local Medicaid office or health insurance provider to find out what is available.
TIPS: How to Help a Loved One Addicted to Crack Cocaine
- Learn about crack cocaine abuse and addiction. Understanding what crack cocaine does to the body and mind is crucial and how a crack cocaine addict behaves is crucial. Learning about the treatment options for crack cocaine abuse and addiction is also helpful. Speaking to a professional such as one of our referral specialists can help you understand the treatment steps recommended for crack addiction and available treatments in your area.
- Let them know that you are there to support them and that you are here to help them. When having a conversation concerning their crack cocaine problem, make sure they are sober. Encourage them to get treated, as it will only worsen if this continues. This conversation should not be confrontational, but it should be honest.
- Do not enable the addict. As you support your loved one, it is essential not to let this become enabling behavior. It is crucial to support the person, but just as important to not support their crack addiction. Boundaries should be set to show the person that his crack cocaine abuse will not be tolerated. This can include cutting off all financial assistance, for example. It is crucial to uphold these boundaries. The same concept applies to consequences. As you let the person know of the consequences they will face if they keep using crack cocaine, follow through with the consequences. Although it may seem unkind, you are helping the person. The real enemy is addiction.
- Persist in communicating with your loved one about their crack cocaine problem and getting help. If talking to them is getting you nowhere, you can hire a professional interventionist. Some rehabilitation facilities will provide an interventionist to help with the process. An intervention is a specific process with steps designed to make the person realize they have a problem and need treatment.
- In all of this, it is essential to remember that the addict is responsible for their actions. However, many of the individual’s destructive behaviors are related to their addiction. Who they were before their addiction is who they are. The only true help for them is to treat their addiction.
Ask a Professional
What type of drug is crack cocaine?
Crack cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant drug. It is a concentrated form of cocaine that’s more easily smokeable. Ingesting crack cocaine produces rapid onset of intense euphoria, among other stimulating effects. The effects are incredibly short-lived, lasting only minutes at most.
What does crack cocaine look like?
Crack cocaine is an off-white to yellowish substance with a waxy texture. It is often found in the form of “rocks,” dense clumps of the oily product that resemble small chunks of soap. It’s most commonly referred to as “crack” due to the crackling sound produced when the substance is burned to smoke.
How long does crack cocaine stay in your system?
Crack cocaine and cocaine stay in the system for roughly one to three days at detectable levels in the urine. The range is influenced by how heavily the drug is consumed before cessation and the person’s unique body type and habits.
Why is crack so addictive?
Crack is highly addictive due to the rapid onset and strength of its effects and how they’re brought about. Crack functions the same way as cocaine, sharply increasing dopamine uptake and producing a near-immediate and intense euphoria. Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive substances known to man, not for its physical effects but its ability to enslave a person mentally. The “crash” that follows the high can lead to extreme cravings for more crack that short-circuit rationality and judgment. Binge use is widespread with this drug since this cycle of getting high and crashing occurs over only a few minutes, and heavy users can consume thousands of dollars worth of crack in one sitting.
How is crack used?
Crack is usually smoked via a method called “free-basing.” Users typically use a simple glass tube with a small piece of another material like a copper scouring pad shoved in one end. Crack may also be injected. However, the drug isn’t water-soluble, so this takes a bit of technical skill and chemistry and, therefore, is an uncommon method of consumption.
Want to know more?
The questions from Addicted.org’s “Learn from our Experts” are answered by Michael Leach, CCMA. If you need further clarification on any of the questions above or have any other questions you can contact him directly at mike@addicted.org.
