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I think Crack addiction is
I think Crack addiction is much more severe and so I suppose the treatment process is a little more extreme. The withdrawal symptoms are much more difficult with Crack, so the detox period is especially important to be closely monitored by a professional.
Crack cocaine or 'freebase'
Crack cocaine or 'freebase' is smoked and absorbed into your lungs, much like a cigarette. Snorted powder takes a few minutes to get into your blood stream thru the nose blood vessels .
The high off crack cocaine is immediate and severe. But then less than 2 minutes later it starts to metabolize and you start to crave more. The craving for more crack is so intense, you will consider doing ridiculous things to get more. This lasts for about 20 minutes or more depending how high you are to begin with and the length of your habit.
The detox off crack is minimal to zero. You sleep and eat for 2 to 3 days . Sometimes even more. When you eventually feel awake enough to get up, you will feel depressed, hungry and clumsy. This will last roughly 2 weeks.
There will be an immediate period of remorse and regret followed by a rosy period of well being that lasts from the 2week mark until 6 weeks.
Then the crash starts. The reality ,loneliness and depression can be overwhelming. Many crack addicts go straight back to smoking crack at this stage.
In my opinion this is the real trap. The trap of not wanting to face up to feelings , emotions and responsibilities and concequences that we specifically ignored by using the crack in the first place.
Only those who have a genuine interest in caring for themselves will put in the enormous effort it requires to change their lives, so they wont take the soft option of just choosing the crack some more.
Getting off crack to save a job, marriage, relationship or child almost universally fails. Its not the right reason.
We must get off the crap only for ourselves and only when we are sick and tired enough we will do whatever others tell us is necessary to stay off the drug.
Well you certainly seem to
Well you certainly seem to have the facts straight, although I thought you were qouting a textbook until you said "we"....so welcome.
secondly as to the why "we" try to get off crack, marriage, kids, job etc. I personally don't think that matters, so long as something motivates us to seek help. But what my piont, in regards to your post, is
To qoute T. Gorski..
"pointing out problems without remedies does little good"
So what do you suggest as a program of recovery.
I am searching for the most effective model and as can been seen in my other post, I don't think the 12 step approach is the ideal technique for crack addicts.
Thank you for any insight.
Regards,
Larrylive
Tho I am cut I am not slain, so I shall lie down and bleed a bit and rise to fight again another day.
I am not aware of different
I am not aware of different approaches, for any drugs as a matter of fact. But I certainly recognize the need. If any one is familiar with something other than the Minnesota Model aka;12 step, please let me know, particularly if the recidivism rate is less than 80%.
Feel free to conyact me at..recoveredcrackhead at yahoo
regards,
larrylive
Tho I am cut I am not slain, so I shall lie down and bleed a bit and rise to fight again another day.
I don't think there's much
I don't think there's much difference in the treatments for crack addiction and cocaine addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the majority of people who seek treatment for cocaine abuse are crack users and likely use multiple drugs (71 percent in 2006). NIDA doesn't draw much distinction between the two and seems to just consider crack a form of cocaine. Plus, because a lot of people do use multiple drugs, there's a lot of overlap in drug addiction treatment. There aren't any medications to help with cocaine or crack addiction, so the only available treatments for either are behavioral in nature.
Also according to NIDA, there are several behavioral therapies that show promise for treating both cocaine and crack addiction: motivational incentive therapy (where patients are rewarded for abstaining from drugs), cognitive-behavioral therapy (a standard therapy for many problems), and residential programs.
-V-