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Can Willpower Help Someone Use Less Cocaine?

Comments (3)
answered 01:52 AM EST, Sun March 03, 2013
anonymous anonymous
How can I strengthen my willpower? Is this what people learn to do in rehab? I cannot afford to go to rehab or stop working but I would like to try to reduce how much cocaine I take. Are there some mental exercises or something that I can do to help me with this?

Anna Deeds Says...

Anna Deeds A. Deeds

Thank you for your question. First, I'd like to point out that there is no safe amount of cocaine to use. Cocaine is a powerful and dangerous drug. Even a small amount of cocaine can damage your body. Cocaine can cause even a healthy person to have a heart attack or stroke from a single use. Please read this article on WebMd. 

Second, addiction recovery involves a lot more than willpower. In fact, one of the signs of addiction is the inability to cut back drug use even when the person sincerely wants to use less. Because an addict cannot cut back drug use, rehab teaches addicts how to live life without the use of drugs in any form. The goal of rehab is complete abstinence. 

You mentioned that you cannot afford to go to rehab or stop working. I would like you to consider what will happen if you do not stop using cocaine. Aside from the health consequences, you are risking jail time. Every time you buy an illegal substance it could be from someone who got caught selling and is working for the police. If you buy from someone you don't even know, that person could be a police officer. Getting arrested would probably cost you your job anyway. 

In addition, cocaine users develop a tolerance for the drug. This means that you have to use more and more cocaine to get the same effects. The more cocaine you use, the more money you have to spend. Eventually, you will not be able to afford it and will have to find other sources of income. This generally leads to more illegal activity and higher risk of jail time. 

As your addiction progresses, your relationships will suffer. So much of your life will revolve around getting drugs, money for drugs or using drugs that you won't have time for family and friends. Cocaine use will make you irritable especially when you run out. Most people tend to take out their irritability on those closest to them. This will cause added stress to your relationships. 

I know I haven't painted a pretty picture of addiction. The truth is it gets much worse than this. The emotional turmoil that addiction causes is difficult to describe. However, you might be thinking this won't happen to me. Every addict thinks this in the early stages of their addiction. Who would continue to use drugs if they believed their life would get that bad? But they do continue because as addicts they cannot stop without help. Most addicts continue to use until they have lost everything. 

Considering how much you have to lose, how can you afford to not go to rehab? You can always get another job but there is no replacement for the pain that addiction causes. I hope my answer helps you understand where continuing to use cocaine can lead and you get the help you need to stop. 


Page last updated Jul 22, 2016

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