Cocaine Withdrawal

For those individuals who are heavy users of cocaine, you will notice that when you are trying to quit completely, or trying to get off the drug slowly, there are going to be many cocaine withdrawal symptoms you are going to experience, due to getting the drugs out of the body, and the body trying to create a new balance without the drug in its system. A cocaine withdrawal is going to take place when you are quickly taking the drug out of your system, or when you decide to quit cold turkey and stop using the drug all together.

Due to the fact that cocaine brings about many feelings of joy and elation due to the brain releasing higher than normal amounts of bio chemicals, once the body goes in to a cocaine withdrawal, it is quickly going to start experiencing certain symptoms, and less than happy feelings which it was feeling while the individual was using the drug. When the user stops taking the drug, or when their initial binge ends all of a sudden, the body is going to feel the crash from the cocaine withdrawal almost instantaneously, due to the need and want it has developed for those drugs. Not only will the cocaine withdrawal bring about much higher cravings and desire to take the drug, but those who stop are going to find there are also other symptoms which are going to be part of the cocaine withdrawal phase, which they might find extremely difficult to cope with, especially for the first few days after removing the drug from their body and their system.

For the most part, those who go through a cocaine withdrawal will not find the physical symptoms which are found with other types of drug withdrawals (nausea, vomiting, or shaking). But, each individual is different, and will react to the cocaine withdrawal from their system in a different manner, so it is always possible that some of the physical symptoms are going to kick in, and will happen in certain individuals who are quitting and going through the full effects of cocaine withdrawal from their body. On the flip side, those who are going through a cocaine withdrawal will find that the symptoms of irritability, delayed depression, and the higher levels of craving for this drug, are going to be higher than that which is experienced with other drug withdrawals. Due to the highly addictive nature of the drug, it is going to keep trying to creep its way back in to the user's system; therefore, being aware of this, and knowing you are going to experience strong cravings during the cocaine withdrawal, is something users must be aware of, in order to get through the toughest early days.

The symptoms of cocaine withdrawal -
Although each user is different, and each one is going to experience a different combination of symptoms, there are some common and primary symptoms one can expect as they are going through their cocaine withdrawal. Some of the symptoms include:
- the agitation and restless behavior in the body (in many cases leading to insomnia, or changes in sleep patterns), all for no apparent reason;
- feelings of depression are also highly common in those who are going through a cocaine withdrawal;
- generalized malaise and feelings of fatigue and constant tiredness will tend to kick in for certain individuals;
- an increased appetite will also set in for many users;
- many who are going through cocaine withdrawal will experience extremely vivid nightmares, and unpleasant dreams when they finally do get to sleep; and
- many will experience slowed down activity and range of motion.

Depending on how severe and how excessive an user was, the cocaine withdrawal symptoms can last for a much longer period than that of other drug withdrawals as well. Many will experience the symptoms of craving the drug, and continual depression for months at a time, even after the initial cocaine withdrawal of the drug from their system. This typically occurs in those who were habitual users of the drug, and typically used it on a daily (or every other day) basis; but, even for certain recreational users, these symptoms from the cocaine withdrawal might last for at least a couple of weeks and up to a few months time. In certain cases of cocaine withdrawal, many reports of suicidal thoughts and behaviors have also been reported, due to the depression and lack of motivation that the individual feels in their life, once they get the drug out of their system. No matter who the user is, or how long (or how frequently) they used the drug, during the cocaine withdrawal stage, cravings are not going to die down, and knowing that they are going to last for a few month's time post quitting, is something to expect for those who did use cocaine in the past.

Support & Treatment -
For those who are going through cocaine withdrawal, making sure you have supportive family, friends, and a strong support system, is extremely important to you if you are going to get past the toughest times early on. In many cases, you may want to consider a treatment facility early on, just so you can get through the toughest cocaine withdrawal symptoms with professionals by your side, and having the best doctors and nurses around to help you get past the toughest times and tough cravings. But, once you are finished with treatment, you must have people who love you around, and who will do anything to ensure you succeed, and do not turn back to using the drugs.

Keeping all factors, symptoms, and post feelings in mind when you are considering quitting, and will go through the cocaine withdrawal stage, are things that can help users know what to expect. If you know what the toughest times are going to be like, it will make things a bit easier, and will give you the strength to get through the cocaine withdrawal phase once you have given up the use of this drug.