The Severe Dangers of Crystal Meth and Cocaine
The Severe Dangers of Crystal Meth and Cocaine
A Guide to Treatment and Recovery for People Addicted to Ice and Cocaine
Drug use — particularly among children and young people in Thailand — remains a severe and deeply concerning problem across every sector of society, as the number of users continues to trend upward each year, while the age of young people using drugs continues to trend downward. A 2019 survey found that among children and youth aged 12–19, as many as 3.72 percent had used drugs.
As we all know, drug use doesn’t just harm a user’s physical health — causing rapid physical decline or accelerated cognitive decline — it also directly affects mental health, causing hallucinations, mania, and loss of self-control. Today we’re sharing information about the severe dangers of crystal meth and cocaine, along with treatment approaches, so everyone can stay alert and watchful — and so that if you discover a family member using drugs, you can bring them to a drug treatment center for care as quickly as possible, preventing harm to both the person using and the people close to them.
The Severe Dangers of Crystal Meth (Ice)
Ice is a stimulant and a crystalline form of methamphetamine — the chemical name for amphetamine, or yaba — appearing as clear crystals resembling ice. Ice is roughly 4 to 5 times purer than yaba, which is why users often call it “the head of yaba,” sometimes using the Thai slang “nam khaeng” (ice). Because its mechanism of action is more intense, ice is easier to become addicted to, and its physical and psychological effects are more severe than yaba.
Ice generally works by stimulating the central nervous system and the brain functions that control thought and the operation of various organs in the body. This produces alertness, cheerfulness, and reduced fatigue or drowsiness in users, along with restlessness, and in some cases heightened sexual desire — which is why some users take it specifically to enhance sexual performance, such as extending duration or achieving multiple climaxes. But with continued use over time, it can cause mood instability or severe depression, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and rapid weight loss, as well as paranoia and obsessive-compulsive behavior. If ice is injected intravenously, users also face a risk of bloodborne infections — such as hepatitis B and C — from sharing needles with others.
Additionally, taking ice in excessive amounts can cause insomnia, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, hallucinations, memory loss, and muscle spasms, and in severe cases can lead to seizures or loss of consciousness, which can progress to respiratory failure, shock, and death.
Treatment for People Addicted to Ice
Today, people addicted to ice need to enter proper treatment at a residential drug treatment center, where their condition and behavior can be thoroughly assessed before moving into the appropriate treatment process, with treatment plans adjusted as needed for the best possible outcome. Treatment for ice addiction at a drug treatment center is generally divided into 2 phases:
1. Detoxification — This is the treatment phase after a person has used drugs continuously for a long period, causing physical dependence. The person needs to detox to fully clear the drug from their system. This step must take place under the supervision of qualified, licensed medical staff at a drug treatment center, who can monitor the person and administer medication to ease withdrawal symptoms that may occur during treatment.
2. Rehabilitation — This is psychotherapy-based treatment that begins once the person’s withdrawal symptoms have improved. It can be done in several ways, but the most effective and widely used methods worldwide are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (MCBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Satir Family Therapy. These can be delivered individually or in groups, allowing people in treatment to discuss and exchange ideas, and helping them better understand their own thoughts and behavior after treatment.
The Severe Dangers of Cocaine (Detoxification)
Cocaine — often called Coke, Snow, Speed Ball, or Crack among users — is a natural drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylum coca), widely cultivated in South and Central America. The leaves are extracted into powder, which is then used by snorting into the nasal cavity, burning and smoking the vapor, or dissolving and injecting it intravenously.
Cocaine is classified as a Schedule 2 controlled narcotic, and stimulates the central nervous system in the same way as ice and yaba, but it produces addiction more easily. The intensity of a person’s symptoms depends on the amount and speed at which cocaine enters the body. Generally, in its early effects, cocaine stimulates the nervous system, making users feel tireless, energetic, and more alert, with a short-lived sense of euphoria. But once cocaine’s effects wear off, the body returns to fatigue, exhaustion, and sudden lethargy.
People with severe cocaine addiction often experience restlessness, mood instability, aggression, depression, and intense anxiety when they stop using — which is why most people addicted to cocaine tend to keep using continuously, to avoid these symptoms. This can lead to cocaine overdose and acute toxicity, since cocaine suppresses heart function, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, which can cause seizures, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure, heart attack, stroke, and death.
Treatment for People Addicted to Cocaine
The best treatment approach for someone with severe cocaine addiction is residential treatment at a drug treatment center, to receive proper care and treatment while also helping prevent the person from returning to contact with other users. Treatment for cocaine addiction at a drug treatment center is generally divided into 3 phases:
1. Cocaine detoxification — For people who have used cocaine continuously over a long period, or in large amounts at once, symptoms often include restlessness, mood instability, physical exhaustion, and intense cravings, which can progress to what’s known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) — a condition of acute withdrawal that can resemble psychiatric illness for months or even years afterward. This is why cocaine detoxification must be conducted properly, under the supervision of doctors and specialists at a residential drug treatment center.
2. Counseling and treatment for cocaine addiction — This phase focuses on treating addiction through psychotherapy, using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Satir Family Therapy, helping people in treatment draw encouragement from others going through treatment together at the center, and helping them become more aware of their own thoughts and behavior so they no longer feel drawn back to drug use.
3. Physical and mental rehabilitation — Beyond psychotherapy, rehabilitating both body and mind through various activities — meditation practice, traditional Thai massage, music therapy, exercise, or cooking — is another effective way to help people in treatment feel refreshed, calm their minds, relieve stress, build positive energy, and gain greater strength for daily life.
Drug use is a serious problem that no one should overlook. DAY ONE REHABILITATION CENTER is a residential drug treatment center offering a wide range of programs for families and individuals seeking treatment, including both individual and group therapy programs, designed to be as effective and well-suited as possible to each person’s needs — helping people in treatment avoid returning to drug use.
Contact Us — Day One Rehabilitation Center 99/1 Moo 6, Si Chula, Mueang Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Nayok 26000, Thailand Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (ICT) Phone: +66 64-645-5091 E-mail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayonerehabcenter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dayonerehabcenter