What You Need to Know About the Rock Drug

The use of the rock drug dates back thousands of years. It is a drug with a long history of abuse throughout the world, including South Africa. If you or a loved one is abusing this drug, know that recovery is possible. One of the first steps towards finding recovery or helping someone you love to enter recovery, is to understand the effects of this notorious substance and the most prevalent symptoms of drug abuse.

What is the Rock Drug?

Like a variety of other street drugs, the rock drug is extracted from a naturally occurring plant. Also known as “crack cocaine, nuggets and candy,” the rock drug is extracted from the South American coca plant. In essence, crack is a variant of cocaine, although the latter is used in powder form, while the rock drug comes in blocks of white, yellow or pink crystals and is smoked in a pipe. The use of the drug causes a fleeting but intense high, resulting in an increased heart rate, a feeling of heightened awareness and a noticeable surge in energy. Once the high tapers off, the user may be left feeling depressed, edgy and in certain cases, extremely paranoid. The pressure that the effects of the rock drug puts on the body means that users are more susceptible to heart attacks, strokes and seizures.

Side Effects of the Rock Drug

Disturbed Sleeping Patterns: The intense high that the use of crack cocaine causes, is not conducive to sleep. Recent studies have also shown that the use of this drug can cause major disturbances in one’s circadian or biological clock due to excess amounts of dopamine in the brain. For this reason, abusers of crack often show noticeable signs of sleep deprivation, such as dark circles around their eyes, irritability and sallow skin.

Tooth Decay: One of the most prevalent signs of crack cocaine addiction amongst long-term users is tooth decay. Drugs that are stimulants like crack cocaine can cause users to grind their teeth, which can wear away enamel over time. The rock drug also decreases the amount of saliva in the mouth, causing what is known as “cotton mouth.” This can lead to a decrease in the amount of good bacteria in the mouth and ultimately, advanced tooth decay. Crack users often also have cracked or blistered lips as a result of using a hot crack pipe.

Aggression: When addicts cannot get their fix in time for the craving to be alleviated, restlessness, mood swings and paranoia can set in. Users of crack cocaine often become aggressive when they are prevented from getting high and are known to lash out against those around them. It is not uncommon for users of the rock drug to believe that those around them are plotting against them. As a result, addiction can lead to extreme isolation as well as severe depression and anxiety.

If you identify these side effects in yourself or a loved one, know that help is readily available. Contact us for a free consultation and we’ll support you in your recovery journey.

Sources:

Foundation for a Drug-Free World
Verywell Mind 
Drugabuse.com

Stories of Recovery

• The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
  Oliver VG
  Read more
• On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
  Johan B
  Read more
• I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
  Carla S
  Read more
• "Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
  Angelique J
  Read more

Read more

Approved Medical Aids

Addiction as a Family Disease

The connection between the family and the addict

A person with the disease of addiction is often not the only one who suffers. Often, the family closest to that addict is affected. In most cases, the family members of an addict or alcoholic suffer emotional, mental and psychological pain as a result of their loved one’s actions. But why is this the case? Families are often believed to be systems that form their own organisation and they develop ways of interacting with each other and the outside world. A change within the family system can lead to changes in the greater system. How does this happen?

How Addiction effects the family

Addiction and alcoholism usually affect the family in many ways. They can experience short-term or long-term effects, usually caused by the addict/alcoholic involved. In most cases, the damage starts off slowly. The addict/alcoholic may be able to hide their addiction well and the family still have trust in them. This can then escalate to strain within the family unit, which eventually leads to mistrust and broken relationships. As family are closest to the person with the disease of addiction, they notice first hand the physical and emotional symptoms the addict/alcoholic may encounter such as aggression, weight loss, isolation, etc. Relationships often become sensitive as they may confront the person addicted which may lead to arguments or violence if the person addicted is in denial. This causes immense emotional and mental strain on the loved ones trying to help. Drug addiction and alcoholism usually causes broken families, lost friendships and ends up leaving the person alone and isolated. Statistics show that 1 in 5 children grow up in a home where their parents abuse drugs and alcohol and 19% of individuals between 12 and 20 experiment with drugs and alcohol due to peer pressure at school or trying to escape a toxic home environment.

But how does the family play a role in all of this?

Family roles in addiction

Even though the addict may or may not cause most of the destruction within the family, often family members can play roles that can cause more harm than good. It is important to understand these roles and how to get help for these. Family members may often be in denial about their loved one’s addiction, refusing to accept they have a problem and letting them carry on as they are. The most common role is that of the enabler and/or rescuer which may often enable the addict by taking responsibility for their wrong doings, cleaning up their mess such as paying off their debt or even making excuses for them at work. Some family members may become extremely co-dependent.

Some signs of a co-dependent relationship can include control, nurturing, and maintenance of relationships with individuals who are chemically dependent.  

So, what can the family do?

Support for family affected by addiction

The family often places their loved ones in a safe environment to receive treatment and they are left to pick up the pieces. This creates chaos in their lives. For this reason, it is very important that the family seeks support for themselves on how to deal with their loved ones once they find a new path to recovery. Most treatment centres will have family support groups. Even if their loved one is not in treatment it is important for them to gain advice and counselling on how to get help for their family members.

There are support groups such as Al-anon and Nar-anon for families to cope with the stress of having a loved one who suffers from the disease of addiction. They can also investigate Tough Love groups.  

• Dominique Le Claire Rossouw

Stories of Recovery

• The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
  Oliver VG
  Read more
• On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
  Johan B
  Read more
• I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
  Carla S
  Read more
• "Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
  Angelique J
  Read more

Read more

Approved Medical Aids

Do I Really Need to Visit a Rehabilitation Centre?

If you’re asking yourself this question, then it’s probably a sign that you’ve recognised something about your behaviour that may not be healthy. Your drug or alcohol usage may be reaching a level where it is having serious consequences in terms of your physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. Perhaps your compulsion around watching porn or gambling is costing you your sleep, your self-esteem and your closest relationships. These are the kinds of circumstances that could lead you to wonder whether you need professional help. We can suggest asking yourself the following questions, which may help you to decide whether to speak to a counsellor at a rehabilitation centre.

1. Does your addictive behaviour appear to be getting progressively worse?

One of the hallmarks of addiction, is its progression. For some, the disease will take months or years to progress to a point where the addict feels he/she is experiencing serious negative consequences as a result of their behaviour. For others, the progression happens in a matter of days. But in all cases, the using or acting out behaviour becomes noticeably worse over time and periods of abstinence become less and less.

2. Are you making increasingly larger compromises to accommodate your addictive behaviour?

Many addicts relate to setting benchmarks for themselves in terms of what they will and won’t do to maintain their addictive behaviour. However, due to the progressive nature of the disease, these benchmarks always shift as the addict compromises more and more of their values to continue acting out or using.

3. Have you been approached by friends or family who feel you may have a problem?

At first, addictive behaviour may not be difficult to hide. But what many addicts can attest to, is having to tell lies and manipulate in order to make their behaviour acceptable. This may cause concern amongst their circle of friends and family. More often than not, those people will ask questions and try to figure out what the problem is. Your closest relatives and peers will most likely be the ones to notice that something is wrong before anyone else does.

“So do you really need to visit a rehabilitation centre?”

The truth is that no one can really answer that question for you. It’s a personal choice. But consider this – you have absolutely nothing to lose. Think about it this way – if you visit a rehabilitation centre and a counsellor recommends that you might benefit from treatment, you will be one step closer to getting help for your problem and changing your life for the better. Alternatively, if you visit a rehabilitation centre and the counsellor recommends that addiction might not be your problem, you will undoubtedly leave more informed and empowered to perhaps pursue other ways of learning how to make better choices and adapt your lifestyle. It really is a win-win situation.

If you or a loved one is in need of treatment from drug or alcohol addiction,contact us for a free consultation and we’ll support you in your recovery journey.  

Stories of Recovery

• The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
  Oliver VG
  Read more
• On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
  Johan B
  Read more
• I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
  Carla S
  Read more
• "Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
  Angelique J
  Read more

Read more

Approved Medical Aids