Best and Effective Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine Addiction Treatment Options for Recovering Abusers

More and more users are seeking cocaine addiction treatment in the recent years. In 2013, 68 percent of those admitted to treatment centers were cocaine and poly drug users.

Since cocaine addiction is a complex disorder affecting the brain and many aspects, it is important that the recovering addicts get the proper help from professionals. In worst cases, some patients have mental disorders that needed additional therapies.

Pharmacological approach of cocaine addiction treatment

There are no medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can treat cocaine addiction. At present, there are a lot of studies being done that focus on neurological solutions.

These drug-based therapies use medications that copies the action of the illicit drug in a restricted dosage. Over time, the dosage of these medicines is reduced to help the recovering addicts wean off from drug addiction.

Methylphenidate is one of the cocaine addiction treatment medications that are used to help the users in their recovery. It is basically used for treating ADHD, but offers the same neurological  similar to cocaine. The medicine has shown positive effect of lessening the dependence on cocaine.

Disulfiram used for treating alcoholism is also another medicine that has shown a promising effect. It has been found that the medicine impedes the conversion of an enzyme responsible for converting dopamine into norephinephrine.

Cocaine vaccine is also offered as another drug addiction treatment option that can assist in reducing chances of relapse. These vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to produce cocaine-specific antibodies to halt cocaine from reaching the brain.

Behavioral approach of cocaine addiction treatment

Behavioral treatments are now being used in both residential and outpatient rehab centers. It is often used alongside pharmacological approach to treat various drug problems. 

Contingency management (CM) or motivational incentive is a popular behavioral approach that offers rewards to recovering patients when they are able to abstain from addiction.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is another approach used by experts to prevent recovering patients from relapsing. This approach teaches recovering addicts various ways on how they can avoid the use of cocaine in different situations.

Therapeutic communities (TCs) are drug-free residences in which recovering addicts get help from other recovering addicts. Usually, patients are required to stay between six to 12 months where are offered with on-site vocational rehabilitation and other supportive services.

A telephone-based counseling is a cheaper method of follow up or aftercare for recovering patients. Here, recovering addicts receive telephone counseling for a period of three months. Voucher incentives are now used as an effective cocaine addiction treatment strategy to increase the numbers of people seeking telephone aftercare.