What should I leave at home during my stay?

iPhones, iPads, iPods, radios, or any personal electronic devices Razors or anything that needs to plug into a wall Weapons, such as blades, knives, guns, or weapon-like items Scissors Drugs and Medications (excluding HIV medications) Alcohol.

What should I bring with me to the hospital for my stay?

Casual clothing, Comfortable shoes for exercise (e.g., sneakers, house slippers, etc.) Personal care items (e.g., toothbrush & toothpaste, shampoo & conditioner) Insurance card and photo I.D. or Driver's License List of current medications No more than one moderately-sized bag of personal effects Calling card

Where is Ridgeview Hospital located?

Ridgeview is located outside of Middle Point, OH, in a rural setting. We are 30 miles west of Lima, OH and 45 miles east of Fort Wayne, IN.

How Do You Identify Psychological Triggers?

Identifying psychological triggers involves several steps: Identify Your Responses: Pay attention to your emotional and physical reactions when you feel overwhelmed. Note feelings like anger, sadness, or physical symptoms like a pounding heart or rapid breathing. Retrace Your Steps: Reflect on what led to these emotions. Analyze your activities and surroundings prior to the onset of these feelings to identify potential triggers. Repeat the Cycle: Understanding triggers can be complex and may require multiple attempts. If the process is challenging, consider seeking professional mental health care to assist in identifying and managing these triggers.

What is an Emotional Trigger?

An emotional trigger is a type of psychological trigger that specifically evokes an intense emotional response. This reaction can be sudden and usually feels more severe than what the trigger logically warrants. Common emotional triggers include public speaking or certain social situations, leading to symptoms like dizziness, rapid heart rate, nausea, anger, or anxiety.

What Does it Mean to be Triggered?

Being triggered means having an intense emotional or psychological reaction due to an external factor, typically associated with recalling a traumatic event or experiencing a reminder of past distress. It can manifest as sudden anxiety, sadness, anger, or other emotional responses.

What Does Triggered Mean?

The term 'triggered' refers to experiencing a strong emotional or psychological response that is set off by a specific external stimulus. In the context of mental health, being triggered often relates to an emotional, symptomatic, or memory-based reaction tied to past trauma or intense experiences.

Triggers, also known as emotional or mental health triggers, are stimuli like memories, objects, or people that spark intense negative emotions. These triggers can lead to a sudden and often disproportionate emotional response compared to the stimulus.

How Strong Is Fentanyl Compared to Other Opioids?

Fentanyl vs Dilaudid: Dilaudid, containing hydromorphone, is about 10 times more potent than morphine but still about one-tenth as strong as fentanyl. Fentanyl vs Oxycodone: Oxycodone is about one-and-a-half times more potent than morphine, making it much weaker compared to fentanyl. Fentanyl's potency is such that even a small amount can lead to overdose, significantly stronger than oxycodone and other commonly prescribed opioids.

How Much Stronger Is Fentanyl vs Morphine?

Fentanyl is significantly stronger than morphine. For example, fentanyl is about 100 times stronger than morphine, with some fentanyl analogues being up to 10,000 times more potent.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, more potent than morphine, and is used in cases of extreme chronic pain, particularly in patients who have developed a tolerance to other pain medications. It is typically used in controlled hospital settings or for end-of-life care due to its high potency and addiction risk.

Is Morphine an Opiate?

Yes, morphine is an opiate, derived from the opium poppy. It functions by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, thereby blocking pain signals from the nervous system.

What is Morphine Used For?

Morphine is primarily used for alleviating severe pain. It is commonly applied in various medical settings, including acute postoperative pain and palliative care, to maintain comfort and quality of life.

Morphine is an opioid pain medication, originally isolated in 1827, and is extensively used for pain relief. It serves as a benchmark for comparing the potency of other opioids.

How Do I Help a Loved One Experiencing Suicidal Ideations?

Approach them with empathy and understanding, avoiding blame. Encourage them to express their feelings and seek professional help. Be supportive in their journey towards recovery, which may include therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Remember, having difficult conversations and offering a listening ear can be vital first steps in helping them.

What are Signs That Someone Is Suicidal?

Signs can include verbal expressions of wanting to die, researching suicide methods, engaging in risky behaviors, feelings of hopelessness or isolation, increased substance use, anxiety, mood swings, withdrawing from social activities, giving away possessions, and visible signs of self-harm.

What are Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation?

Risk factors include a family history of suicide or mental illness, mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, substance abuse, personal history of abuse or trauma, major personal losses, significant physical illness, lack of support networks, and limited access to mental and physical healthcare.

Are Suicidal Thoughts Normal?

While suicidal thoughts indicate extreme emotional distress and should be taken seriously, they are not uncommon, especially among young adults. However, they are not 'normal' in the sense of being healthy or acceptable.

What are Examples of Passive Suicidal Ideations?

Examples include thoughts like 'I just don't want to live anymore,' 'I wish I was never born,' 'I hope this plane crashes,' 'My family would be better off if I wasn't around,' and 'I hope I die in my sleep.'

What is Passive Suicidal Ideation?

Passive suicidal ideation involves thoughts of dying or wishing for death without a plan to act on these thoughts. It's often linked to feelings of depression or anxiety and can be a recurring experience for those with chronic mood disorders.

What Does Passively Suicidal Mean?

Being passively suicidal refers to having thoughts about wanting to die or wishing for death, without actively planning or attempting suicide. It differs from active suicidal ideation, which involves specific plans or intentions to harm oneself.

Meth and crack (a form of cocaine) differ in composition and effects. Crack is a short-acting stimulant with effects that last a shorter duration compared to the longer-lasting effects of meth.

Yes, meth is a stimulant, increasing activity in the central nervous system and leading to heightened alertness, energy, and physical activity.

No, meth is not an opioid. Opioids are a different class of drugs that primarily affect the body's pain and reward system.

How Long Does a Meth High Last?

The high from meth can last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours, influenced by the method of ingestion and the dose. The intensity and duration of the high are key factors contributing to the drug's addictive potential.

Can You Overdose on Meth?

Yes, it's possible to overdose on meth, and such occurrences can be life-threatening. Symptoms of a meth overdose can include high fever, chest pain, seizures, and heart problems. Immediate medical attention is crucial in such situations.

How Long Does Meth Stay in Your Urine?

Meth generally remains detectable in urine for one to four days for occasional users, but this duration can extend up to a week or more for those with heavy or prolonged usage.

How Long Does Meth Stay in Your System?

Meth can be detected in urine for one to seven days, in blood for one to three days, in saliva for up to two days, and in hair follicles for up to 90 days.

What Does Meth Look Like?

Meth typically appears as a white, bitter-tasting powder or in crystalline form, which resembles glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks.

How Addictive is Meth?

Meth is extremely addictive due to its rapid and powerful impact on dopamine levels in the brain, leading to quick development of tolerance and dependence.

How Long Do Meth Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

Withdrawal symptoms from meth addiction can persist for several weeks, with the most intense symptoms typically subsiding within the first one to two weeks.

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, is a potent central nervous system stimulant known for its euphoric effects, often found in powder or crystallized form known as crystal meth.

What is a Behavioral Health Technician?

A behavioral health technician supports the treatment of individuals with behavioral disorders, mental health issues, or substance abuse problems, assisting in implementing care plans and providing direct patient support under professional supervision.

What is a Behavioral Health Specialist?

A behavioral health specialist is a professional trained in diagnosing and treating a variety of behavioral health issues, often providing counseling, therapy, and creating treatment plans for mental health and substance use disorders.

What are Behavioral Health Services?

Behavioral health services encompass a range of interventions and support for mental health issues, substance abuse, and behavioral challenges, including counseling, psychiatric care, and rehabilitation programs.

What is the Difference between Behavioral Health and Mental Health?

The key difference lies in scope: behavioral health covers a broader range, including mental health, substance use, and behaviors affecting health, while mental health focuses specifically on emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

What is Integrated Behavioral Health?

Integrated behavioral health is a holistic approach combining mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and primary healthcare, ensuring comprehensive patient care for both physical and mental well-being.

What is Behavioral Health Counseling?

Behavioral health counseling is a therapeutic approach focusing on modifying behaviors and lifestyle choices to improve mental and physical well-being, often addressing mental health issues alongside.

What is Behavioral Health?

Behavioral health refers to the interplay between behavior and the health of the mind, body, and spirit, encompassing mental health, substance use, and lifestyle choices impacting wellness.

What are the Risk Factors of Ignoring Dual Diagnosis?

Ignoring dual diagnosis poses severe risks such as worsened mental health symptoms, increased substance abuse, and higher relapse rates. Lack of targeted treatment can lead to a cycle of deterioration affecting relationships, employment, and overall well-being. Early identification is key.

What Mental Illnesses are Commonly Tied to Dual Diagnosis?

Common mental illnesses in dual diagnosis include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and ADHD. These conditions often interact with substance abuse, exacerbating each other and complicating treatment. Proper diagnosis is crucial for a targeted, effective treatment plan.

Why is it Important to Identify Dual Diagnosis?

Identifying dual diagnosis is critical for effective treatment. Treating only one condition often leads to high relapse rates for both. A targeted approach that addresses both mental health and substance abuse can significantly improve overall well-being and reduce the stigma associated with these conditions.

How common is dual diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis is increasingly recognized as a common occurrence, affecting millions in the U.S. alone. Estimates suggest that about 50% of individuals with a mental disorder will also have a substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives, making integrated treatment crucial.

What is the most common dual diagnosis?

The most common dual diagnosis often involves depression or anxiety disorders paired with alcohol or drug abuse. These conditions interact, as individuals may use substances to cope with mental health symptoms, which in turn exacerbates their condition. Proper treatment targets both issues.

What is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis refers to the co-occurrence of a mental health disorder and a substance abuse disorder in an individual. These conditions often interact, making treatment more complex. Addressing both issues is essential for effective, long-term recovery.

What is an example of dual diagnosis?

An example of dual diagnosis is an individual suffering from both depression and alcoholism. The conditions often feed into each other, creating a cycle that worsens both issues. Treatment requires a coordinated approach to address both the mental health and substance abuse aspects.

When should you walk away from someone with mental illness?

Deciding to distance yourself from someone with a mental illness is a complex and sensitive issue that should be handled with care. If the relationship becomes too emotionally draining, affects your own mental health negatively, or if there's a pattern of toxic behavior that doesn't improve despite attempts to help, it may be time to consider walking away. Prioritize your own well-being, and consult with mental health professionals for guidance on how to approach the situation.

What can you do for the severely mentally ill?

For individuals with severe mental illness, immediate professional intervention is crucial, which may include inpatient or residential treatment for acute symptoms. Support from loved ones in helping them access and navigate mental health services is vital. It's important to maintain an open dialogue, while also guiding them toward professional evaluation and treatment options tailored to their needs.

How do people with mental illness get help?

Individuals with mental illness can begin their journey to recovery by recognizing the signs and symptoms of their condition. Open and empathetic conversations with loved ones can provide initial support and encouragement to seek professional help. Professional assistance may include consulting a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment, which can encompass various approaches like therapy, medication, and sometimes inpatient care.

What to do with a mentally ill person who won't get help?

When dealing with someone who is mentally ill and refuses to seek help, it's essential to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. Providing non-judgmental support while offering information on available mental health resources can be beneficial. However, if the person poses an immediate risk to themselves or others, emergency intervention may be necessary.

A Xanax bar is usually the 2 mg version of the alprazolam. It comes in four squares attached lengthwise and is referred to as a Xanax bar (or xanny bar).

Symptoms of Cocaine Use: How to Identify Substance Abuse

Cocaine is a highly addictive substance. What starts off as a seemingly harmless experiment can quickly spiral into life-threatening addiction that can have serious personal, professional, and financial consequences. That said, many people are unaware of the signs and symptoms of cocaine use. Questions like, “what does cocaine look like?” or “what does cocaine smell like?” are completely normal questions to ask yourself if you believe someone you know may be using cocaine. By understanding the symptoms of cocaine use, you can get your loved one the help they need before addiction takes hold.

To better understand the symptoms of cocaine use, it’s important to know what cocaine is, how to identify it, and how it affects the body.

Table of Contents

What’s in Cocaine?

If you are not familiar with illicit drugs like cocaine, you may be wondering, how is cocaine made? Due to the illegal and secretive ways in which many illicit drugs are made, it’s impossible to know every ingredient or process used to make cocaine. So you should know that the following description may not include all cocaine ingredients.

Cocaine is a drug that is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, which is native to South America.

Cocaine is often cut, or mixed, with other chemicals to make the drug more potent or to help dealers increase their profits. Not only do these toxic chemicals make cocaine more addictive, but they pose a serious threat for overdose and death. Thankfully, spotting the symptoms of cocaine use can help stop addiction from becoming fatal.

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Symptoms of Cocaine Use

Cocaine is a fast-acting, highly addictive stimulant drug. There are several observable symptoms of cocaine use to look out for. These include some of the tell-tale behaviors of cocaine use such as hyperactivity or dilated pupils. The symptoms of cocaine use can become more recognizable as the amount of cocaine being used increases.

Common symptoms of cocaine use include:

Dilated pupils
Long periods of wakefulness
Loss of appetite
Over-excitement
Paranoia
Runny nose or frequent sniffles (sometimes referred to as coke nose)
White powder around the nostrils
Irritability
Depression
Mood swings

Now that we’ve covered symptoms of cocaine use, it’s time to ask, what does cocaine do to your body?

How to Identify Cocaine and Cocaine Paraphernalia

Identifying the symptoms of cocaine use is important, but it’s also important to be able to identify cocaine and cocaine paraphernalia.

Oftentimes, people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol hide their addiction from loved ones. While some addictions may be obvious, others may be more difficult to spot, especially if your loved one may be actively hiding it from you. If you suspect that someone you know is struggling with cocaine use, it is important to know how to identify cocaine so that you are more able to help

What Does Cocaine Look Like?

Cocaine can come in either powder or rock form. Regardless of its form, cocaine tends to be an off-white or beige color. Many drug dealers add cutting agents to cocaine to increase profit or make their cocaine more addictive. These added substances can change the color of cocaine.

What Does Cocaine Smell Like?

Typically, cocaine has a sweet floral scent. However, depending on the cutting agents used, cocaine can have a metallic or chemical-like smell. Cocaine is very difficult to smell unless it is held close to the nose, which should always be done carefully to avoid accidental inhalation.

What Does Cocaine Taste Like?

The way cocaine tastes varies depending on how it is made and what it’s been mixed with. Typically, the taste of cocaine is described as very bitter. Since cocaine is often cut with substances like lidocaine, which has a numbing effect, people who use cocaine will often rub it on their gums to check its purity. The more bitter the cocaine, the more potent it is.

What Does Cocaine Paraphernalia Look Like?

Because cocaine can come in several different forms, identifying cocaine paraphernalia can be difficult. Cocaine is typically sold in small, resealable plastic bags, sometimes with small designs on them. A person who uses powdered cocaine will often carry cut-off straws, razor blades, or a small mirror, or another flat surface. Someone who is using rock cocaine, known as crack, will often carry a metal cylinder that has metal wool inside for smoking crack rocks with. Cocaine can also be injected, which means that things like syringes, bent spoons, and lighters can all be signs of possible cocaine use.

What Does Cocaine Do to Your Body?

Each time someone uses cocaine, their body experiences a rapid spike in energy levels, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, body temperature, and anxiety. People who use cocaine may experience a host of other symptoms such as tremors, nausea, or paranoia. Cocaine use can also seriously affect the health and function of several organs and body systems.

Frequent cocaine use can lead to several serious health conditions. Those include:

Chronic headaches or migraines
Seizures
Heart disease
Stroke
Lung damage
HIV or hepatitis (if injected with a non-sterilized or reused needle)
Bowel decay
Overdose
Death

The symptoms of cocaine use and the health risks it poses are serious. If you believe that someone you know is using cocaine, getting help before addiction sets in is extremely important. For those looking to get help, a treatment center that specializes in addiction can offer the care and expertise to help overcome substance use problems.

FAQ

What are the common symptoms of cocaine use?

Common symptoms of cocaine use include dilated pupils, increased energy and talkativeness, heightened alertness, and decreased appetite. Other signs may include paranoia, irritability, and changes in social behavior.

How can I tell if someone is abusing cocaine?

Signs of cocaine abuse include frequent nasal problems like runny nose or nosebleeds, significant mood swings, financial problems, neglecting responsibilities, and withdrawal from family and friends. Physical signs may also include rapid weight loss and noticeable changes in appearance.

What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?

Long-term effects of cocaine use can include heart problems, respiratory issues, neurological damage, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, and an increased risk of infectious diseases if injected. Chronic use can also lead to severe addiction and various social and legal issues.

Can cocaine use be treated, and what are the options?

Yes, cocaine use can be treated. Treatment options include behavioral therapy, counseling, support groups, and in some cases, medication-assisted treatment. Rehabilitation programs can provide a structured environment to support recovery.

What should I do if I suspect someone is using cocaine?

If you suspect someone is using cocaine, it’s important to approach the situation with care and concern. Encourage them to seek professional help and provide support by helping them find resources such as counseling or a treatment center. Avoid confrontation and ensure they know you’re there to support their recovery.

Where to Get Help for Cocaine Addiction in Ohio

group meeting about cocaine addiction in ohio — group meeting about cocaine addiction in Ohio

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug and can require specialized addiction treatment to safely and effectively quit. At Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital in Middle Point, Ohio, our treatment center offers many different programs to help you overcome cocaine addiction.

Addiction can be extremely difficult to overcome, especially when cocaine or other highly addictive substances are involved. For individuals who may be suffering from an addiction to cocaine that has been cut with opioids such as heroin, an effective first step towards recovery is a supervised detox. After detox, we offer several different treatment methods to best suit your individual needs. Some of these additional treatments include:

Dual Diagnosis
Inpatient Rehab
Partial Hospitalization
Intensive Outpatient Addiction Treatment
Offsite Partial Hospitalization

Whichever treatment method you choose, you can rest assured that the expert staff here at Ridgeview Hospital will support you every step of the way.

To learn more about our treatment methods, or if you have more questions about the symptoms of cocaine use, give us a call today at 419-949-8590 to speak with one of our admissions specialists. You can also contact us online using our Contact Us Form. However you choose to get in touch, we’ll be ready to get you started on your journey towards recovery.