Please Help Withdrawal Symtoms Longer Term

[Sukanki]

Someone who actually is not me has just recently stopped his cocaine addiction/heavy use. I do not know a whole lot of details on the detailed amounts of use, but I do know that it was fairly heavy. We got over the initial 5 days or so together in which he experienced no sleep, anxiety, depression like symptoms and nightmares.

Although I know a fair bit about cannabis, x and pharms, i honestly know next to nothing (other than the basic list) about cocaine. He stopped roughly 1 and half months -> two months or so ago and is experiencing some problems.

He finds it hard to sleep and have fully rested sleep, feels dizzy multiple times a day, is showing signs of anxiety or mild paranoia and has nightmares associated with intense paranoia.

Are these permanent long term effects or will they ease off the longer he stays clean. I am really worried about him as he is starting to come up with delusional ideas which seem strange, unrealistic and scary for me to listen to.

I was wondering if anyone here knows much about cocaine addictions, withdrawals and long term effects to answer my question.

Thank you so much for reading this I hope you can help

[ex-junkie]

it really depends on how much damage swiy has done to themselves, during their addiction. for some people it can amplify already present mental problems, for some it can create them. however, its early days yet. sometimes the chemical imbalance only lasts for months, then they return to normal.

its really hard to say at this early stage. if its affecting their everyday life, then they should see a doctor.

[Spucky]

Do Swiny have experience with all this stuff like Paranoia and Depression
before he start cocaine?

[Sukanki]

No, he was telling me that the reason it was bothering her was because she can't remember ever being like this before he started. However, he was wondering if there were others who experienced this.

[Spucky]

There is something, called "withdrawal-psychotic-disorder".
If swiny use the search engine it will be possible to find a answer for this question!

Normally this will be gone soon, but if swiny feel it is uncontrollable he need a real Medic!

When swim was coming down he feel always like getting sucked into a Hole
(sounds funny but it was a very bad experience!)

[Sukanki]

Originally Posted by Spucky

There is something, called "withdrawal-psychotic-disorder".

Is there any chance you could link me to a page about this? I am struggling to find it

[Spucky]

There are so many, 133.000, cocain-realated 43.000,
this will be too much Work for me.
Use Google and start maybe with this one:
http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/...disorders.html

COCAINE-INDUCED ANXIETY DISORDER. The person suffering from this disorder has experienced intoxication or withdrawal from cocaine within a month from the time he or she begins to experience anxiety, panic attacks, obsessions, or compulsions. Panic attacks are discrete episodes of intense anxiety. Persons affected with panic attacks may experience accelerated heart rate, shaking or trembling, sweating, shortness of breath, or fear of going crazy or losing control, as well as other symptoms. An obsession is an unwelcome, uncontrollable, persistent idea, thought, image, or emotion that a person cannot help thinking even though it creates significant distress or anxiety. Acompulsion is a repetitive, excessive, meaningless activity or mental exercise which a person performs in an attempt to avoid distress or worry.

Regards

[ex-junkie]

Originally Posted by Spucky

Do Swiny have experience with all this stuff like Paranoia and Depression
before he start cocaine?

no swim has never taken cocaine herself, she is purely making a point based on reading the experiences of others.

swim was like that when she quit methamphetamines though, and she came good in the end. took about 12 months to get her head back to normal tbh.

swims guess is that the mental side would be quite similar to that.

[Spucky]

@ ex-Junkie: aehmmm.............

@ Thread-Starter,
Swim stayed in this kind of a mode for 3 Month,
so he went into a Monastery in Thailand to find peace!

[ex-junkie]

^methamphetamine abuse produces paranoia and depression just as cocaine does.

edit: swim thought swiy was the original poster, lawlz. scrap that.

[Dickon]

I have heard, although think this is more useful heuristic than gospel truth, that it takes 2 years to fully recover from cocaine addiction. The dopamine system that cocaine use will interfere with is tied up heavily with pleasure and so life without cocaine can involve anxiety, depression, cravings for which there is little in the way of pharmacological treatment.

Like so much in recovery, it is probably a case of riding it out, and getting appropriate support. Often simply talking about how one feels, "owning" one's feelings as it were, and letting them in is enough to initiate a change in them. It is a cliché that "addiction is a disease of denial", and I think the most dangerous thing is a false sense of "everything is fine". Damn it, 6-8 weeks into cleaning up, if everything is all right, it's not (well it might be, but only if a lot of luck is involved!).

Please remember we are dealing with a long term renormalisation of mood and function; the 12-steppers believe we never fully recover from addiction. There is work to be done, the nature of which is discussed in many threads here.

Good luck!

Dickon

[Sukanki]

Thanks everyone for their input and assistance, Dickon your post is amazing
We have somewhat spoke about it and to him seeing a doctor is out of the question, however he has told me that if symptoms don't improve in the next few weeks it is something he will contemplate.

Thank you so much for your support you have made this ordeal so much easier knowing there are others out there.

[fbmrider31390]

my friend was pretty addicted to coke for a while and when he quit i noticed that he would just get angry at little things for no reason, and have real big mood swings, for like 3-4 months after he quit. it was hard to put up with him sometimes but you just gotta be supportive

[lynnfromct]

SWIM said....

I have recently gotten clean and stayed that way... but I was addicted to crack/cocaine for 13 years. and I have to say - that until I finally up and decided I was totally done with it, I would have 3 or 4 months clean, and then wake up one night sweating, and swearing that if i didn't get high rightthen and there - I would die. and I would always go out and use. Now I am working on a year clean, and while I don't recommend anyone going to jail on purpose - i was in jail for first 3 months of coming clean - and it was what did it - I couldn't use.

well of course that isn't true - anything you can get outside of a jail you can get inside, but I thought this is my chance. and it worked. but don't listen to me, I can't do NA/AA - I have to pretend or act like that world (the drug world) doesn't exist. I can't talk to any of my friends, it's like I am alone now. All alone... but I am clean all alone... and I feel a heck of a lot better... and I wish your friend luck... don't give in.

but if you need a shrink by all means go... I have one, and a one on one substance abuse counselor too. don't go it all alone. have some back up.

later,

lynn

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Good information and perspective about getting off crack. Well done for getting to nearly a year too!
	Thank you for sharing this.

[usedagain]

Although physical symptoms are not too bad, I guess, there are some. . . such as fatigue and malaise. Does anyone know how long it take for energy levels to return to normal? My friend just wants to lay on the couch...two days now...maybe its a gradual thing.