Cocaine and alcohol are two commonly abused substances with opposing effects. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant, increasing energy and speeding up thoughts; alcohol depresses the brain. Both drugs can activate the pleasure sensors in the brain, resulting in a feeling of euphoria. Alcoholism and cocaine addiction, which can cause serious health and lifestyle problems, can be treated using several different approaches.
Medical Detoxification
One of the difficult aspects of treating alcohol and cocaine addiction is withdrawal. When people who use cocaine and alcohol use the drugs for an extended period, the brain naturally adjusts its internal chemistry to adapt to the chemical effects of cocaine and alcohol. As a result, when the user tries to stop using the drugs, withdrawal symptoms can result. This can cause severe discomfort and generate an intense yearning for the drugs. Both cocaine and alcohol abuse can cause withdrawal symptoms, though cocaine withdrawal is not as dangerous as alcohol withdrawal, the New York Times says. Patients going through alcohol withdrawal, on the other hand, can hallucinate or develop convulsions due to the intensity of the withdrawal. The goal of medical detoxification, also known as medically supervised withdrawal, allows the patient to be monitored during the withdrawal process, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says. Medications may also be prescribed to help relieve some of the symptoms of withdrawal and to ensure that the patient is safe throughout the entire process. Although medically supervised withdrawal can be used as a standalone treatment, many patients who abuse alcohol and cocaine suffer a relapse without additional support.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment programs provide more extended treatment. In outpatient treatment programs, the addict is required to visit a clinic at regular intervals, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says. Often these outpatient programs provide drug counseling services, either one-on-one or in group sessions. Many of these programs also use forms of behavioral treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral treatment. This approach helps addicts identify behaviors and situations that result in drug use and gives them ways of avoiding or coping with these obstacles to sobriety. Multidimensional family therapy helps patients and their families and loved ones understand addiction, and to identify how they may be able to influence the addict's behavior. Motivational incentives may also be used to reward addicts for staying sober.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment is a more intensive approach. It requires the addict to live within a specially designed community that allows for addiction treatment around the clock. Residential treatment uses many of the same principles as outpatient treatment and typically lasts between six months to one year. These programs are especially effective for patients with severe addictions to alcohol and cocaine or who have other mental health problems.
