You can help make your road to recovery easier. Knowing what can and what will happen helps you know how you want to proceed. Your brain becomes addicted to an addictive substance such as cocaine. Cocaine abuse causes your brain to get out of balance. Over time, your brain demands increasing amounts of cocaine, with increasing frequency. It needs it to use as a replacement for the neurotransmitters that handled the tasks of normal brain functioning.

 

Damaged neurotransmitters can have many effects — not just on addicts. For example, there’s a condition called Excessive Daytime Sleepiness — a form of narcolepsy. No, probably you’ve never heard radio advertising campaigns in which the radio commercials talk about this condition. But it’s just another example of the obstacles presented by malfunctioning neurotransmitters.

 

So, if your brain is addicted, it is going to continue to send you messages to feed it more cocaine even after you make the decision to stop using. Of course you want to quit your addiction. But you can’t do it without a fight. That’s the reason that people relapse so often. The urge and cravings to use are just too strong to stop due to your addicted brain.

 

1.  Believe. Maintain a positive attitude. One key to successful detox is a positive attitude. Cravings to use cocaine aren’t in the imagination; they’re real…and real tough. Don’t forget, this is a brain thing. It’s not about you being weak or a failure.

 

2.  Focus on a goal. Clearly identify it. Make it as clear as possible. The more detailed and specific the images you hold in your mind, the better. Be driven by it. Focus your thoughts on it. Speak about it. Think about it as you fall asleep. Do NOT give up on yor goal. Ever. Do it. Everything you’ve been through will seem worthwhile once you achieve that goal.

 

3.  Know you are not alone. You are far from alone. Many others before you have succeeded in ending their relationship with cocaine once and for all. Hope and help are available for family, friends, medical professionals, support groups like A.A, and spiritual advisors, too. Many more people than you’d think actually understand your problem.

 

4.Hold yourself accountable for your choices. Stay committed to holding yourself accountable for your actions, both past and present. If possible, find someone you trust and respect to hold you accountable as well.

 

5.  Trash your stash. Rid yourself of the people, things and places that acted as accessories in your acquisition for cocaine. Clean out your car, your home, your workspace, and your cellphone from any connections to cocaine.

 

6.  Remove yourself from negative patterns. Make sure you remove yourself from your old negative patterns, situations and surroundings. Where, how, when or with whom did you use cocaine? The answers to these questions will house your greatest, most familiar temptations. Avoid them, permanently.

 

7.  Establish for yourself new positive patterns. When stimulated by positive new situations, patterns and surroundings, your mind will begin to think differently. They will help focus your addicted brain on something other than demanding you give it more and more cocaine to function.

 

8.  Create positive forms of fun and enjoyment. Go back to doing healthy things you loved to do before getting addicted. Try new activities or the hobby you always wanted to explore. Keep your mind active and engaged in exciting and entertaining ways that safely bring you peace, pleasure and happiness.

 

9.Engage in physically healthy activities. Exercise often. Commit to a healthy diet. Exercise and nutrition  helps you to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally than the cocaine did.

  Tags: Cocaine, Addiction, cocaine cocaine, cocaine abuse