Signs of Crack Addiction

Crack cocaine side effects can sometimes be noticed early on in the addiction process.

Crack addiction has many physical and emotional signs that mark devastation for both the user and for those who love and care about the individual.  Physically, an individual who is addicted to crack may show signs of being malnourished, underweight, and sick looking.  It’s also common for individuals who are addicted to crack to have a raspy sounding voice as a result of the damage to the vocal cords and lungs from smoking crack.

Emotionally, crack addiction brings on signs of paranoia, anxiety and depression.  Family members and friends often notice that the individual who is abusing crack seems to be separating him or herself from the people who care about them.  Crack addiction causes hyper-alert behavior which increases the rate of paranoia and anxiety that is felt by the addict.  Many people who suffer from crack addiction have delusions and similar psychological problems that require long term psychiatric care even after the addiction is no longer a part of their lives.

Signs that it’s Time for Crack Rehab

If you or a loved one is showing any of the above signs of crack addiction, it’s important to seek immediate help.  A variety of programs exist for the treatment and rehabilitation from crack cocaine addiction including inpatient crack rehab, outpatient crack rehab and aftercare.  Some of the guaranteed signs that it’s time to seek help for crack addiction include:

• Health problems associated with crack addiction such as gastrointestinal problems, liver problems or respiratory problems
• Trouble holding a job because work is missed as a result of smoking crack, or because work is performed poorly as a result of the addiction
• Financial problems such as spending money that was meant for bills on crack, losing a home or vehicle as a result of smoking crack or having to constantly borrow from friends or family members to support a crack habit, or stealing money or goods to purchase crack
• Legal problems such as being arrested for possession of crack cocaine, being arrested for being under the influence of drugs, or being arrested for the purchase or sale of drugs
• If you can’t stop using crack even though you have promised your friends or family members or yourself that you wouldn’t do it again and despite the negative consequences that surround the crack addiction, you just can’t seem to stop—it’s time for crack rehab!