Find out everything you need to know about how cocaine addiction is treated in rehab.

One of the common questions people ask before entering cocaine rehab is, "How is cocaine addiction treated?" Entering treatment for cocaine addiction can be a scary step to take, particularly if you are unsure of what types of treatment you will encounter. In order to be successful, cocaine addiction treatment programs need to address all the issues that contribute to a person's drug use. That includes treating any co-occurring abuse of other substances or mental health issues that may exist in order to avoid relapses in the future. While treatment for cocaine addiction is individualized to some extent to treat each person's particular needs, there are certain components that you can expect to see in all successful cocaine addiction treatment programs.

Questions about how is cocaine addiction treated can best be answered through an examination of the programs that have proved to be most successful. When it comes to questions about how is cocaine addiction treated, the National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends evidence-based approaches to cocaine addiction as being the most successful strategies for helping cocaine addicts achieve long term recovery.

How cocaine treatment works

How cocaine treatment works is by using a variety of behavioral strategies to teach addicted individuals to identify triggers, problematic patterns in thinking, and situations that have led them to abuse cocaine in the past. Patients are taught effective relapse prevention strategies to deal with these triggers without using cocaine. By anticipating likely problems and situations that may arise and teaching coping strategies to combat cravings, cocaine treatment programs can help even severely addicted individuals live a life free from cocaine abuse.

What happens in cocaine addiction treatment

Once you enter cocaine addiction treatment, you will spend a week or so in medical detox. Medications can be administered to ease withdrawal symptoms and make you as comfortable as possible. Once physical withdrawal symptoms have decreased, you will begin the rehab part of your cocaine addiction treatment to help you cope with the emotional and psychological cravings for cocaine that remain. These cravings can linger for months, depending on the severity of your addiction.

Types of cocaine addiction treatment programs

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, reports that the most effective cocaine addiction treatment programs typically consist of a combination of behavioral therapies and counseling components that work together to address all the factors that can lead a person to use cocaine. Depending on your particular path to addiction, you can expect to participate in:

* Cognitive behavioral therapy - Here you will learn to recognize and avoid triggers that tempt you to use cocaine. You will gain coping skills that enable you to face the challenges of life without relapsing into cocaine abuse.

* Marital and family therapy - Family dynamics often play a large role in cocaine abuse. Counselors will help you begin to repair your relationships and rebuild the trust destroyed by cocaine abuse, and teach strategies to improve overall family functioning.

* Individual therapy - Counselors will help you explore the issues that led you to become addicted to cocaine and teach you resolve them in a healthy, positive manner.

* Peer to peer / 12-step support groups - Participating in support groups with other individuals in recovery from cocaine addiction will give you a new perspective on problems and issues you face while building a support network of individuals invested in your successful recovery.

* Contingency management intervention - Positive incentive-based reinforcements are used to encourage abstinence from cocaine.

Now that you have a better understanding of how cocaine addiction is treated, the next step is entering treatment. While cocaine addiction is difficult to overcome, with the help of evidence-based cocaine addiction treatment programs, you can learn how to enjoy a brighter future free from substance abuse.