Friends Shocked by Buddy Bell Addiction Crisis
One of the biggest challenges with addiction is that often times, even close friends and family are not aware when someone is in a desperate state of addiction. Part of the insidious nature of the disease is how it protects itself from exposure at all costs.
This was the case this week as Whitney Way Thore broke the news about Buddy Bell to their friend group on My Big Fat Wonderful Life. As reported by People, Thore gathered them together in Tuesday’s episode to tell them that he was doing cocaine recreationally for a few years at first, but recently started using it regularly.
“I can just hardly wrap my mind around it,” Thore’s friend Todd Beasley said. “Buddy just seems so even-keeled to me, even though he had his anger outbursts. That’s just part of his personality. I did not see that coming.”
Thore explained to the group that Bell thought he could handle his problem on his own at first.
“I’m a person in long-term recovery myself, and I also work in the substance use field,” Tal Fish explained. “In order to achieve and sustain recovery, you have to get help from other people. It’s not a battle that you can fight by yourself.”
Cocaine addiction is often marked by tell-tale signs of behavior such as fast-talking, rapid ideation, and movement, the symptoms do not always appear as universally though. The long-term effects of cocaine abuse begin affecting the body of the patient drastically including kidney disease, irregular heartbeat, nasal damage, headaches, stomach pain and more.
What is Cocaine Treatment Like?
Cocaine is addictive and when use is ceased there is a withdrawal period. Cocaine withdrawal is not as intense as the symptoms experienced by alcohol or opiate users, however, they are extremely uncomfortable. Symptoms begin as early as 1-3 hours after last use and include irritability, anxiety, and nausea. The withdrawal symptoms can last from 4 to seven days then will begin to dissipate. The cravings, however, will continue for a month or more. A quality medical detox will include vital monitoring during the detox period and generally some level of medication support to ease the withdrawal symptoms.
The goal of treatment is more than the simple cessation of drug use. After the detox period, inpatient rehabilitation begins. This includes individual therapy sessions as well as group therapy. In these differently themed sessions, the patient will explore the root causes of their use and equip them with tools to prevent relapse in the future. The first stages of treatment are generally ‘inpatient treatment’ or ‘residential’. This stage involves the patient residing at a facility where their meals are provided and the patient can focus exclusively on their addiction. The next stage should be outpatient care. In an outpatient setting, the patient begins taking on more responsibility such as providing their own meals and doing their own shopping while attending daily groups.
Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction, lying to yourself and others? Don’t wait any longer to ask for help. In today’s environment, you never know when your next dose will be your last!
Our Neuro Rehabilitation approach helps address the root causes of addiction once and for all.
To watch how friends on My Big Fat Wonderful Life are handling the news about Buddy Bell’s cocaine addiction, please visit People.com.
