Overcoming A Crack Habit: The Hardest Substance To Kick

While it's certainly possible to recover from a crack habit, know that it'll be a major challenge and that you'll need all the help and support you can get. It won't happen overnight. Recovery from crack is a lifelong process. But those who have done it all agree that it's worth the effort. You'll probably need inpatient treatment of some kind in order to detox from crack and to withstand the withdrawal symptoms, which can be considerable. If you can help it, don't try to withdraw from crack alone or you'll set yourself up for failure. Check out the treatment centers in your area. If you're short on funds and lacking insurance, there are programs to serve those of limited means. Be willing to go wherever you can get a bed. Inpatient facilities are staffed with professionals who can help, not only with initial withdrawal, but with a long-term plan to help you stay clean. Part of your treatment will be participation in a 12 step program, either Cocaine Anonymous (CA) or another drug recovery program like Narcotics Anonymous (NA). You can even go to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) if your crack addiction included alcohol. These programs allow you to hook up with others like yourself who understand what you're feeling. They will tell you how they kicked the habit and how you can, too. Involvement in a 12 step program will have to be a lifelong process for the crack addict who's serious about staying drug-free. If possible, arrange for long-term residential treatment to follow inpatient care. A residential facility or halfway house is a safe haven to lay the groundwork for your recovery, to practice a new lifestyle, and to bond with other recovering people. Many crackheads relapse after treatment because they return to the lives they were living before entering treatment. The allure of crack is too irresistible to withstand on your own. Even if the halfway house is modest, it will still help you stay clean. If you have the opportunity to go to one, don't make the mistake of thinking you don't need it. Recovery from a crack habit means a whole new life. You'll have to let go of your past. Hanging out with the people you did drugs with will pull you back into using before you know what happened. Recovery from crack also means giving up other drugs and alcohol for life, which can seem overwhelming. That's another reason to live with others who are staying clean too. Some halfway houses and residential facilities will allow you to stay for as long to two years. That may seem like a lifetime, but you're going to need it. The odds for recovery from a crack habit are not in your favor. But if you really want recovery, and you're willing to work for it, you can have it. The best way to learn how to recover from crack is to follow the example of those who've already done it.