Crack Addiction and Abuse Risks

People who try crack can not only become addicted quickly, but it is impossible to predict when the next craving will hit or how bad it will be. Because crack is so powerful and addictive, users must take more of the drug with each dose, otherwise they will "crash" and experience severe depression along with other withdrawal symptoms. Users can become both psychologically and physically addicted to crack after just the a few doses; that's how powerful it is.

The Canyon is a drug and alcohol rehab center that helps crack addicts break their addiction to this powerful drug and reclaim their healthy, normal lives. This is accomplished with the help of expertly trained therapists and physicians who utilize a variety of conventional and alternative treatments to help patients combat addiction, leading to a life free from dependence on crack.

Crack Addiction and Abuse Risks: Side Effects

Although crack can provide an intensely pleasurable high, the downside is that it comes with some very risky side effects, many of which are serious or even life threatening. Depending on your tolerance to the drug, how often you take it and if there are any other drugs mixed in with it (which frequently happens with crack bought off the street) you may experience side effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to stroke, heart attack and even death. Other side effects include loss of appetite, convulsions, nasal passageway damage and anxiety.

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Crack Addiction and Abuse Risks: Mixing Crack with Alcohol

When crack and alcohol are mixed together, they form a lethal combination which can lead to sudden, instant death. The reason for this is that together, alcohol and crack create a compound called cocathylene, which creates an imbalance in the body chemistry of the user. If a person's body chemistry is changed enough (which can easily happen in the presence of cocathylene), toxic substances are produced which leads to sudden death. This unfortunate chain of events occurs in the liver, when the body tries to process both crack and alcohol simultaneously.

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Crack Addiction and Abuse Risks: Crack Withdrawal

Crack withdrawal symptoms don't just affect people who are trying to get off of the drug. They can also affect people who have no resources left to purchase it, or those who are entering drug treatment to try to break their crack addiction. Unfortunately, crack withdrawal symptoms can be severe, but they can be eased and lessened through the assistance of properly trained treatment center physicians and therapists. Some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with crack detox include fatigue, anger/violence towards family members or friends, depression, involuntary shaking or spasms and disturbed sleep cycles.

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Crack Addiction and Abuse Risks: Crack Overdose

Crack, a concentrated form of cocaine, can be lethal even in small doses due to the fact that it is easily absorbed into the body. Smoking the drug (the most common way of taking it) compounds the possibility of overdose, since it is difficult to gauge how much you are ingesting. Problems associated with crack overdose range from increased heartbeat and hyperventilation to severe cardiac damage, coma and death.

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Crack Rehab at The Canyon

The Canyon's Healing Life Program is designed to help you achieve complete and total freedom from drug addiction, using a variety of conventional and unconventional treatment options. At The Canyon, your successful recovery is our top priority, and our staff and therapists are here to help you every step of the way. Contact us today at for more information.

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