Crack cocaine is a strong stimulant and is a type of cocaine made into small lumps or rocks that make a ‘cracking’ sound when burned. It is smoked and the main street names are rock, gravel, nuggets, crack or blow.
Smoking crack cocaine has immediate effects on the body which usually peak for around two minutes and last for just 10 minutes. Within 90 minutes of your last dose, you could already be experiencing a ‘comedown’ and craving more crack cocaine.
The short-term effects of crack cocaine include:
The long-term effects of crack abuse can include:
If you think somebody you love may be abusing crack cocaine, watch out for these signs and symptoms:
It’s important to remember that there could be other reasons behind many of these symptoms, so monitor behaviour but try not to jump to conclusions.
When it comes to treatment for addiction to crack cocaine, private rehab is the best option. At Primrose Lodge we offer a holistic treatment programme which meets your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. Rehabilitation for drug addiction begins with detox, where the body is flushed of all drug-related substances. We provide a supervised medical drug detox and support throughout withdrawal, to help manage your symptoms.
Because every addict experiences withdrawal differently, your treatment programme will be tailored to suit your needs. After making it through detox and withdrawal with the 24/7 support of our clinical team, you will receive a combination of group and one-on-one therapy, as well as other therapy to suit your individual needs, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This can help get to the root cause of your addiction and prevent you from relapsing. Our staff can also provide assistance with nutrition and exercise to help you stay healthy as you recover, as well as advice to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Crack cocaine can be a difficult addiction to beat, with cravings returning months or even years after you have successfully completed treatment in rehab, which is why aftercare is so important. We offer 12 months of aftercare free to anybody successfully completing treatment at Primrose Lodge. We also recommend joining a fellowship group where you can receive support from others going through a similar experience
Detox and withdrawal from crack cocaine can be tough as the drug has such a short half-life. You are likely to experience uncomfortable symptoms which can be almost impossible to manage on your own. At our rehab, our clinical medical team will manage your detox and we may prescribe medication to help provide relief from your symptoms to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.
Going ‘cold turkey’ from crack cocaine can lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, so you may be prescribed a substitute medication which you will be tapered off slowly, to minimise your symptoms. We recommend a minimum of 28 days as an inpatient in treatment to ensure that you receive the treatment you need after withdrawal and detoxification. This helps reduce your risk of relapse and can help you to learn strategies to cope with cravings once you are back in the real world.
If you are addicted to crack cocaine, we can help. It is never too late to seek treatment for addiction, however long you have been using crack. Our expert clinical team and counsellors work together to provide a holistic treatment programme that can help you to kick your addiction and stay on the road to a healthy, drug-free future. To find out more about your options and how we can help you, call us on 0203 553 9263