How To Stop Smoking Crack Cold Turkey: What to Expect and How to Prepare for Detox

Some people choose to stop smoking crack without any medications and without tapering. While this can be dangerous, it is possible. People can experience severe withdrawal symptoms even with medical supervision, but nurses and doctors can monitor how the body reacts and treat symptoms as they occur. When people attempt the cold turkey strategy at home or without medical assistance, it can be dangerous if complications arise. For example, the depression that occurs during withdrawal could lead a person to attempt self-harm.

Medical professionals advise against the cold turkey detox method, particularly at home. When someone abruptly stops using crack, withdrawal can begin rapidly and be more severe. This can create a life-threatening situation for some people. It can also lead to an overdose if someone returns to a high dosage of crack after not taking it for a period of time.

How To Stop Smoking Crack Cold Turkey

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In a 2016 study of nearly 700 smokers with tobacco addiction, 49 percent of people who quit cold turkey were still off cigarettes a month later, compared to 39 percent of those who tapered off gradually.

Support may be key. In the study, participants who quit cold turkey received help to quit. Among people who try to quit smoking cold turkey on their own, only 3 to 5 out of 100 stay off cigarettes long-term.

Quitting addictive drugs such as heroin can be much harder cold turkey. These substances cause physical changes in the brain that lead to severe cravings and withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking them.

This happens because crack causes the release of large amounts of dopamine in the brain. This is a chemical that makes you feel happy. If you use crack repeatedly, the body stops producing dopamine on its own and becomes dependent on the drug. Strong cravings coupled with an aversion to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms can make quitting cocaine very difficult. Even in the face of negative consequences in almost every aspect of their life, a person who is addicted to crack cocaine will continue using. The only way to overcome addiction is to undergo detox and then enter rehab.

The professionals at drug treatment facilities develop individualized strategies for dealing with these symptoms. While it is recommended that some drugs be tapered off during detox, people addicted to crack cocaine need to quit cold turkey with medical supervision. Unlike opioids for which there are replacement therapies, there is no substitute for crack cocaine. You simply have to stop taking the drug and allow it to leave your body.

If you don't drink often, quitting alcohol cold turkey typically doesn't present any issues. However, if you regularly consume alcohol or tend to drink heavily, stopping drinking abruptly can be dangerous. Working with your healthcare provider can help you stop your alcohol use safely.

Quitting crack cocaine cold turkey means that a person suddenly stops using the substance completely. While some people may try to do this on their own, quitting crack cocaine is best done with the support of treatment professionals. For people with co-occurring disorders, this may be especially important to address additional needs during detox and withdrawal.4

Like cocaine, actual withdrawal from crack is rarely, if ever, life-threatening. However, there are still several aspects of crack withdrawal that can put someone in a potentially fatal situation, especially if left unmonitored or during an unsupervised crack detox.For example, many people find the symptoms of crack withdrawal to be too much to handle, especially without the aid of any medications a professional detox center can provide to ease discomfort.The intensity of these symptoms can, and frequently does, cause people to relapse mid-withdrawal. It can also cause them to binge a larger amount of crack than they usually would to get rid of their withdrawal symptoms, which can lead to a deadly overdose.Another danger is the psychological effects of crack withdrawal symptoms. Feelings of severe depression and an increase in suicidal thoughts and behavior are pronounced, which could cause someone in crack detox to harm themselves or take their life.If someone has been taking crack cut with something else or has been using it in conjunction with other drugs, they can experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. This can occur if someone attempts to detox from crack on their own.While withdrawal from crack cannot directly kill you, the withdrawal symptoms can lead to potentially-fatal scenarios. These dangers are much more easily-avoided when you undergo detox at a professional medical detox center."}]},"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity1","name":"What Are the Risks of Quitting Crack Cold Turkey?","acceptedAnswer":["@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity1_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"Crack detox is among the most difficult of all drugs. Although it\u2019s not inherently dangerous like benzodiazepines or alcohol, there\u2019s a reason why people addicted to crack can\u2019t stop and will do unconscionable things to get more of the drug. Crack withdrawal symptoms can be severe and cause suicidal thoughts, so you might wonder what the risks are of quitting crack cold turkey. Medical professionals will always advise you to seek professional help, but not everyone wants to take that route. Let us explain why you should. If you\u2019re wondering how to stop using crack, we\u2019re always going to say treatment. Quitting any substance abruptly poses significant risks, and it\u2019s not advisable if you\u2019ve been abusing crack for a long time. You might be asking, \u201cHow long do crack withdrawal symptoms last?\u201d Well, the longer you\u2019ve been using crack, the more severe your symptoms will be and the longer they\u2019ll last. If you experience suicidal thoughts while going through crack detox cold turkey, you must seek professional care immediately and check into a crack detox center. What makes quitting crack cold turkey so appealing? Well, the stages of crack addiction will advance quickly, and many people will burn through any savings they have to support their habit. For that reason, the idea of paying a lot of money to go through crack detox is hard to stomach, especially if you\u2019ve spent all of your money on drugs. Another reason avoiding a detox center is better, at least in the addict\u2019s mind, is because they can use it in moderation, as opposed to stopping all at once. Many people believe they can separate themselves more easily from the world of drugs on their own terms rather than force themselves away from it in a treatment center. However, it\u2019s nearly impossible to avoid the people, places, and other triggers that remind you of using drugs when you\u2019re not inside a facility equipped to deal with all these issues. So, what are some of the risks? Quitting crack without professional help can be dangerous because your body has become accustomed to its presence in your system. Abruptly stopping crack use can lead to unpredictable withdrawal symptoms. Although seizures aren\u2019t common, you never know what can happen. You can also experience heart problems due to damage caused by crack use. You\u2019re at risk of developing so many conditions that it\u2019s not safe to do this alone. If you decide not to go into crack detox, you must at least opt for some form of medical supervision for drug abstinence. It\u2019s the safest option and produces the lowest potential for risks without the right care. A doctor can prescribe you medication to deal with these symptoms, such as benzodiazepines to cope with the anxiety and help you sleep, or antidepressants to deal with the depression you will face. If your symptoms become overwhelming and you\u2019re contemplating suicide, you must ditch this approach and get help.A brief stint in detox may cost money, but it\u2019s not worth losing your life to avoid. Medical professionals can administer the right medication and keep you stable through the worst of the symptoms. Even if you are against long-term treatment, which is important because it\u2019ll help you develop tools to avoid triggers, getting over this initial hump can help greatly in your quest toward sobriety. Below, we\u2019ll discuss what you can expect through the stages of crack withdrawal and what to expect should you opt for crack detox and treatment."],"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity2","name":"What Are the Stages of Crack Withdrawal?","acceptedAnswer":["@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity2_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"There is no one answer on how long crack withdrawal lasts because each person\u2019s experience is going to be different based on several unique factors. Those include:\nHow long someone has been abusing crack\nHow much crack they were taking\nPrevious addictions in their past\nSigns of a co-occurring disorder or mental illness\nThe current state of their overall general health\nIf they attempt to stop using crack \u201ccold turkey\u201d\nIf they are using crack with other drugs or alcohol\nWhile the manner in which someone takes a drug also plays a factor in determining how long their withdrawal from crack will last, crack is almost exclusively smoked, which makes it negligible in this case.Crack is frequently used in combination with other drugs. The most popular of which include:\nTobacco\nMarijuana\nHeroin\nAmphetamines\nPCP\nDepending on the substance, this has the potential to significantly alter the expected timeline for an individual\u2019s withdrawal from crack. Otherwise, crack withdrawal stages are very similar to cocaine\u2019s and usually go as follows:\nCrash Phase: The effects of crack peak even faster than cocaine, which means it has a much shorter half-life. This means that someone can begin feeling the symptoms of crack withdrawal in as little as an hour after their last dose and generally no less than 12 hours. Early symptoms include increased appetite, agitation, and extreme paranoia.\nThis initial phase can last as long as several days, with the paranoia eventually subsiding over the first 24 hours as the symptoms of exhaustion, insomnia, depression, and anxiety manifest and eventually reach their peak. The crash phase is generally when people are most likely to relapse.\nCraving Phase: Once the crash phase ends, a majority of the physical symptoms will have passed, and the symptoms of depression and anxiety considerably subside.\nHowever, the psychological symptoms will peak. These can include intense crack cravings, mood swings, an inability to concentrate, and general restlessness.\nDepending on the factors above, the crack craving phase can last anywhere from one week to 10 weeks. If someone was abusing large amounts of crack multiple times a day for an extended time, they are much more likely to have a longer craving phase.\nExtinction Phase: During this last stage of crack withdrawal, the majority of the symptoms will either completely disappear or significantly lessen. Users are still prone to random bouts of crack cravings and mild depression, which can sometimes linger for as long as six months.\n"],"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity3","name":"What is Crack?","acceptedAnswer":["@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity3_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"Crack cocaine, typically referred to as \u201ccrack,\u201d is a free-base form of cocaine. This means it is made by taking powdered cocaine and combining it with water and a second substance\u2014usually baking soda\u2014 and then boiled until it becomes a solid, which is then broken into pieces and sold as crack.Crack gets its name from the \u201ccrackling\u201d sound the drug makes when it is heated and smoked.Because it\u2019s such a highly concentrated form of cocaine, it carries a more intense high and an even greater risk of addiction than cocaine in its powdered form. Yet, it is also absorbed differently into the body, even though it is chemically the same as cocaine.Its use did not become widespread until the 1980s, but, from there, it rapidly grew into an epidemic in just a few short years. In fact, between 1982 and 1985, the number of cocaine users increased by 1.6 million people, according to Britannica.com.Unlike the glamour and \u201cprestige\u201d associated with cocaine, which is considered the drug of choice for the wealthy and famous, crack sellers and distributors targeted economically-depressed areas. Similar to methamphetamine, crack is also seen as a \u201cpoor man\u2019s cocaine.\u201dUnder the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Controlled Substances Act, crack is a Schedule II Drug, which means it has a very high potential for abuse, but also has some degree of medicinal use.This is due to the fact that crack and cocaine are considered the same drug, even though, once in the form of crack, the stimulant has essentially no medical usage.While cocaine use, and by extension crack, has dropped off by a fairly significant margin in recent years, it remains a threat. Also, it is still possible for someone to get addicted to crack after a single use.In 2015, roughly half a million Americans were reported as regularly using or dependent on crack, with teens among the most vulnerable demographic for abuse.In addition to those troubling withdrawal symptoms, there is a litany of disturbing effects that occur with crack. These effects can manifest immediately and after a period of long-term use. It\u2019s worth noting that, depending on the composition of the drug, crack can also kill you after one use.The Center for Substance Abuse Research relays the following are short-term symptoms that can result from crack use:\nIntense euphoria\nAnxiety and paranoia\nAggressive, paranoid behavior\nDepression\nSudden death \u2013 even one use can cause overdose or death\nConstricted peripheral blood vessels\nIncreased rate of breathing\nDilated pupils\nHyper-stimulation\nIncreased blood pressure and heart rat\neDecreased appetite\nIntense drug craving\nThe long-term effects, which are predictably more harrowing, as recorded by the Center for Substance Abuse Research, are:\nDeath\nDelirium or psychosis\nBrain seizures\nHeart attack and heart disease\nTolerance and addiction, even after just one use\nAuditory and tactile hallucinations\nStroke\nRespiratory failure\nIrritability and mood disturbances\nReproductive damage and infertility (for both men and women)\nSexual dysfunction (for both men and women)\nReproductive damage and infertility (for both men and women)\nIncreased frequency of risky behavior\n"],"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity4","name":"Why Should I Do a Medical Crack Detox?","acceptedAnswer":["@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity4_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"While cocaine detox is often done on an outpatient basis, crack detox can be more intense and unpredictable, and inpatient medical detoxification is more likely to be necessary.Even putting those aside, managing to successfully detox from crack without outside help is nearly impossible and much more likely to end with relapse and increased risk of overdose.This risk is even higher when someone tries to stop using crack \u201ccold turkey.\u201d Regular abuse and binging on crack will have thrown the brain\u2019s dopamine levels off to such an extreme degree that when someone abruptly stops using it altogether, the body is thrown into extreme shock and withdrawal symptoms become even more severe and difficult to deal with.\u201cUnder the close supervision of a medical professional, withdrawal symptoms can be eased with different medications and complications can be handled without putting you in a needlessly dangerous situation that you would find yourself in if attempting crack detox on your own. \u201d"],"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity5","name":"What is the Next Treatment Step?","acceptedAnswer":["@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#QuestionsubjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity5_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"Once someone has finished their crack detox, the next step in the recovery process is to enter a rehabilitation treatment program. If detox is not followed up with a treatment program or any kind of aftercare, they will most likely relapse into using, most likely sooner than later, considering how long cravings for crack can remain.Flushing crack from your body does not cure you of addiction. For that, you need to understand the root of your substance abuse issues and learn the tools and skills to successfully manage it and improve your chances of remaining sober and avoiding relapse.Most treatment facilities will offer a variety of programs, including counseling, both cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, sober living communities, educational workshops, and more. Typically, you will work with your therapist or counselor to create a customized treatment plan that will be most effective for you."]]}],"reviewedBy":["@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_reviewedBy_Person","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/employee\/loren-miller\/","name":"Loren Miller","image":["@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_reviewedBy_Person_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loren-Miller-Square-150x150.jpg"]],"publisher":["@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_publisher_Organization","name":"Palm Beach Institute","logo":["@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_publisher_Organization_logo_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-01-at-3.24.58-PM.png"],"address":["@type":"PostalAddress","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_publisher_Organization_address_PostalAddress","postalCode":33401,"streetAddress":"314 10th St.","addressLocality":"\nWest Palm Beach","addressRegion":"FL "],"telephone":"+18559605456","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/"],"author":["@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_author_Person","name":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/author\/megan-hesse\/","description":" Megan is a writer for the Palm Beach Institute and has dedicated her career to creating well-researched content so that those that are in search of treatment can find the help they need.","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/author\/megan-hesse\/","image":["@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_author_Person_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/17fde50bf80730286028cec2626d19ac?s=80&d=mm&r=g"]],"about":"Crack Withdrawal","description":"Can crack cocaine withdrawal kill you? Learn more about crack cocaine withdrawal, how to stop crack use and treatment options.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/","datePublished":"2022-03-20T18:05:18+00:00","editor":["@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_editor_Person","image":["@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#Article_MedicalWebPage_editor_Person_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f58f53e9d97b0fb9f5a9fe546b081d55?s=80&d=mm&r=g"],"name":"Rebecca Bryan","url":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/author\/rbryan\/"],"headline":"Crack Withdrawal"}"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":["@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Drug Detox & Withdrawal Symptoms & Help","item":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/#breadcrumbitem","@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Crack Withdrawal","item":"https:\/\/pbinstitute.com\/withdrawal\/crack\/#breadcrumbitem"]window.schema_highlighter=accountId: "DelphiBehavioralHealthGroup/PBInstitute", output: false Skip to contentPalm Beach Institute Addiction Treatment in West Palm Beach

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