If you’re doing an internet search for “is cocaine a stimulant,” you or someone you love is likely experimenting with cocaine and at risk of developing a cocaine addiction. Cocaine is a dangerous party drug that became popular in the 1980s and is still a concerning problem for many people. Cocaine abuse can lead to serious health complications and severely decrease your quality of life the longer you abuse this illegal substance.
The Ranch Tennessee supports those who are struggling with an addiction to cocaine, meth, and prescription stimulants. We will welcome you and perform a full health assessment to determine the best course of action to treat the illness. Our cocaine addiction treatment program is tailored to each client’s unique symptoms and will include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication-assisted treatment (MAT), mindfulness practices, and other beneficial therapies.
Is Cocaine a Stimulant?
Cocaine is a natural stimulant that is grown from the coca plant, Erythroxylum coca. It’s native to South America but is grown all over the country for its euphoric effects, energy, and attentiveness. It also comes with a high risk of abuse and addiction and is known to cause serious health complications, including cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
The short-term effects of cocaine include intense energy, extreme feelings of happiness, muscle twitches and muscle spasms, dilated pupils, and irritability and restlessness. It can also cause:
- Paranoia
- Unpredictable and violent behavior
- Stomach pain and nausea
- Increased body temperature
- Constricted blood vessels
- Auditory hallucinations
- Impaired judgment
If the abuse continues for a long period, it can lead to serious health complications and affect your quality of life. You will develop an addiction to cocaine as well as heart problems, brain damage, and mental health issues, such as paranoia, depression, and anxiety. It can also damage the nasal cavity and lead to deviated septum, nosebleeds, sinus infections, and palatal perforation.
If you or someone you love is struggling with cocaine abuse, there are treatment programs available that can stop the abuse before causing irreparable harm.
Recognizing the Signs of Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine abuse can be difficult to detect if you don’t know what to look for. People will go to great lengths to hide the abuse and will take steps to hide these signs from friends and loved ones.
If you’re worried that someone you know is abusing cocaine, here are some of the signs of cocaine abuse to watch for:
Behavioral Signs of Cocaine Abuse
A person who is abusing cocaine will have sudden, unexplained bursts of energy and hyperactivity, unprovoked episodes of aggression, and take more risks. They will lie about where they were and what they were doing and who they were with. When using cocaine, they have to take a larger dose just to feel the same effects of smaller doses.
Physical Signs of Cocaine Abuse
These signs are easier to spot as they are more difficult to hide. People who use cocaine will experience frequent nose bleeds, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate. Other physical signs of cocaine abuse include:
- Excessive sweating
- Rapid weight loss
- Insomnia
- Seizures
- High body temperature
If they try to stop without medical support, they will experience several withdrawal symptoms that include fatigue, anxiety, irritability, paranoia, nausea, vomiting, and other common withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological Signs of Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine abuse will also affect the mind and cause serious cognitive symptoms. These signs include heightened focus and concentration, along with psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. It can cause sudden, drastic fluctuations in mood, excessive anxiety, prolonged periods of mania, and decreased feelings of pleasure.
Co-Occurring Disorders
Cocaine abuse can lead to the development of additional mental health conditions. It’s common for people to develop anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, antisocial personality disorders, and schizophrenia. If this happens, the best option to treat the abuse is to enroll in a cocaine addiction treatment program.
Join The Ranch TN Today for Our Whole-Person Cocaine Addiction Treatment Program
Is cocaine a stimulant, and how can I break the addiction? At The Ranch Tennessee, we support Nashville residents who are struggling with a cocaine addiction and ready to make a new start. We have experience treating all types of addiction. Therefore, we will create a customizable program that can include behavioral therapy, holistic therapy, and medication to ease any addiction withdrawals and cravings. You will participate in group and private therapy sessions where you will learn valuable skills to stop the abuse once and for all.
To begin a conversation about cocaine abuse and how we can treat it, fill out our online contact form or call 1.844.876.7680 today to schedule a consultation and tour.