Spotting signs of cocaine abuse in a teen is important. The faster that parents can spot cocaine abuse symptoms, the sooner they can get help for their teens. However, most parents don’t know what symptoms to look for because they don’t deal with cocaine abuse on a regular basis. In some cases, spotting abuse signs quickly can prevent abuse from developing into addiction and needing a teen cocaine addiction treatment center.
Cocaine Abuse Symptoms
There are plenty of signs to look for in regard to cocaine abuse. Keep in mind that not every teen will have all of the symptoms of cocaine abuse. Some of them might only have a few. For that reason, it’s important for parents to have a good understanding of all the symptoms.
First, it’s easiest to look for changes in appearance. For example, people who use cocaine typically have dilated pupils.
How they use cocaine also causes appearance changes. Those who snort cocaine might have frequent nosebleeds or runny noses. Those who inject cocaine are likely to have track marks on their arms.
While under the influence of cocaine, parents are likely to notice addictive behaviour patterns in their teens’ behaviour. It’s common for people who abuse the drug to show overexcitement or even overconfidence. Also, they typically go long periods of time without sleep. They can lose their appetite as well and start losing weight as a result.
In addition, it’s possible to see teens run into social, academic, and financial trouble when they use cocaine. Some teens start skipping or showing up late for work or school. They might also suffer from financial problems because they spend all of their money on buying more cocaine.
Lastly, parents should watch out for mental and emotional changes too. People on cocaine typically experience a lot of mood swings and irritability. When they aren’t under the influence of cocaine, they’re likely to suffer from bouts of depression.
Cocaine Withdrawal Timeline
The first step of overcoming cocaine abuse is detoxing from the drug. Because of that, teens should visit a facility that offers a youth detox program. As teens stop taking the drug, symptoms of cocaine abuse start to disappear. However, they start to experience cocaine withdrawal symptoms.
These symptoms typically start around 24 to 48 hours after teens stop using cocaine. Within 72 hours, the symptoms typically reach the peak of severity. It’s important for them to seek detox services before their symptoms reach this point. Typically, the side effects are strong enough to make them start using cocaine again just to achieve relief.
However, cocaine detox is just the first step in overcoming this drug. After that, teens still need to address the root cause of their addiction. For this reason, they need to find a rehab center that also offers substance abuse treatment. Such a facility teaches them about why they abuse this drug and how to stop.
Contact Us Today to Give Your Teen a Brighter Future
Parents want to do everything they can to help their teens get ahead in life. In some of these cases, they help their teens overcome cocaine abuse symptoms. At Venture Academy, we help teens overcome behaviour and substance abuse problems. A few of the programs that we offer include:
- Teen anger management program
- Trauma treatment
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- School programs and education
Don’t let cocaine abuse symptoms develop into a full-blown addiction. Get your teen the help that he or she needs today. Reach out to us today at 866.762.2211 to learn how we can put your teen on the right path.