Forms of Cocaine and Amphetamines and Addiction Treatments Cocaine and amphetamines come in different forms and are taken in many different ways. They are also very addictive because of the effects they produce when taken. This paper will review the different forms cocaine and amphetamines are available in. The paper will also review the routes of entry for the drugs and the most popular forms. I will also review treatment options available for addiction to cocaine and amphetamines.
Cocaine Forms
Cocaine is extracted from the coca plant via a chemical process. Once the cocaine is extracted from the leaves, it is in a salt, powder form. From the salt or powder form it is altered by combining it with many different items to increase potency …show more content…
Amphetamines are produced through a chemical synthesis and there are six different methods to synthesize amphetamines. Amphetamines have been around since 1887 and were used as a decongestant in 1934. Amphetamines are currently used today to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and like cocaine, they are both schedule II drugs according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (NIDA, 1969b). Amphetamines come in different forms depending on the use. The most common form is in a pill form. Crushing the pills and adding water or alcohol is the clandestine form for injection. It is also produced in a liquid form and under suspension. This allows the drug to be administered by injection. Amphetamines have many different trade names from Adderall to Adzenys …show more content…
There is an ongoing effort to find a suitable medication to treat these addictions. However, behavioral interventions have been proven to help stimulant addictions. There are three types of behavioral interventions that are effective, contingency management (CM), congnitive-behavorial therapy (CBT), and therapeutic communities (TC) (NIDA, 1969c). CM focuses on incentivizing abstinence from drug use by providing the patient a reward for staying sober. CBT helps to identify the conditions that are there when the patient wants to use the drug. CBT also provides patients with coping skills to use when faced with the potential for relapse. TCs help the patient by controlling their environment. It allows them to get help from other addicts and support staff. This helps to develop their understanding of their triggers and helps them with skills to return to society. Because cocaine and amphetamines are both stimulants, their treatments are the
Cocaine Forms
Cocaine is extracted from the coca plant via a chemical process. Once the cocaine is extracted from the leaves, it is in a salt, powder form. From the salt or powder form it is altered by combining it with many different items to increase potency …show more content…
Amphetamines are produced through a chemical synthesis and there are six different methods to synthesize amphetamines. Amphetamines have been around since 1887 and were used as a decongestant in 1934. Amphetamines are currently used today to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and like cocaine, they are both schedule II drugs according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (NIDA, 1969b). Amphetamines come in different forms depending on the use. The most common form is in a pill form. Crushing the pills and adding water or alcohol is the clandestine form for injection. It is also produced in a liquid form and under suspension. This allows the drug to be administered by injection. Amphetamines have many different trade names from Adderall to Adzenys …show more content…
There is an ongoing effort to find a suitable medication to treat these addictions. However, behavioral interventions have been proven to help stimulant addictions. There are three types of behavioral interventions that are effective, contingency management (CM), congnitive-behavorial therapy (CBT), and therapeutic communities (TC) (NIDA, 1969c). CM focuses on incentivizing abstinence from drug use by providing the patient a reward for staying sober. CBT helps to identify the conditions that are there when the patient wants to use the drug. CBT also provides patients with coping skills to use when faced with the potential for relapse. TCs help the patient by controlling their environment. It allows them to get help from other addicts and support staff. This helps to develop their understanding of their triggers and helps them with skills to return to society. Because cocaine and amphetamines are both stimulants, their treatments are the