Page last updated
Monday 29th Jun 2026
Page written by
Victoria McCann
Cocaine addiction treatment at Castle Health
Cocaine addiction is hard to stop for anyone living with the condition – it’s a drug that fundamentally alters your brain chemistry. The patterns underlying cocaine use are similar, whether it’s daily or occasional, so they respond to the same kinds of treatment.
At Castle Health, we’ve facilitated cocaine addiction treatment since 1988 – inpatient and outpatient care, across Europe, built around the person in front of us rather than a fixed programme.
You’ve already done the hard part by wanting to learn more about cocaine addiction treatment. We can help with the rest.
Beat addiction
Get the support you need for cocaine addiction
"I contacted Castle Health (formerly CATCH) with a view to getting online support after a period in rehab. They recommended recovery coaching and arranged for me to meet my coach in person as the first of 10 meetings. I continued the coaching on Zoom as I live in France. I was very happy with my 10 sessions and feel I am in a good place to continue my recovery."
Why cocaine addiction is difficult to stop without support
Cocaine addiction is a recognised medical condition, and stopping alone is genuinely hard. That’s because the drug works by blocking the brain’s normal recycling of dopamine – our ‘feel-good’ hormone – so it begins to build up. Over time, the brain compensates by becoming less responsive, which is why you need more cocaine to feel the same effect, and why it gets harder to feel pleasure from anything else.
This is also part of why stopping cocaine on your own is harder than it might be with some other substances. The pull is psychological, which means it lives in the same places your mind goes when life is hard. For opioid addiction, substitute medication like methadone can take the edge off the physical pull while the deeper work happens. For cocaine, no equivalent medication exists.Â
Cocaine use also gets tied up with how you cope with stress, low mood, or things you’d rather not think about. Many people keep working and meeting their day-to-day responsibilities while their use increases. This can delay them looking for help. By the time the effect on relationships, money, or mental health is apparent, the pattern is often established.
What to expect from cocaine addiction treatment
Treatment at Castle Health starts with a confidential assessment. We talk through your situation, your physical and mental health, and what support will be most useful. You do not need to have stopped using cocaine to have an assessment. We can plan from where you are.
Cocaine withdrawal is not usually medically dangerous in the way alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can be, but the first days can be physically and emotionally uncomfortable. We recommend going through them with medical support in place. From that, we then agree on a plan that brings together:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps you spot the thoughts and triggers that lead to cocaine use, and build practical alternatives
- Individual therapy with one therapist over time
- Group therapy with other people in recovery
- The 12 Step programme, used alongside clinical care
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) where these are clinically appropriate
Alongside the core therapies above, our inpatient programmes can include complementary approaches such as art therapy, animal-assisted therapy, acupuncture, and meditation. These do not replace clinical treatment. They support it, by giving you ways to settle the nervous system and process what comes up in therapy.
The evidence base supports this approach. The 2024 Cochrane review on stimulant use disorder looked at the evidence for talking therapies. It found that contingency management and CBT are the most studied and most promising treatments available. There is not yet strong evidence for any medication that treats cocaine addiction directly.
It’s worth noting that people in recovery from cocaine addiction can relapse, and return to use at some point. For many, this is part of the process. At Castle Health, we plan for it openly and If it happens, we treat it as a clinical event to learn from.
Treating co-occurring mental health conditions alongside cocaine addiction
Cocaine addiction often comes alongside other mental health conditions – most commonly depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, or cocaine-induced psychosis or paranoia. Co-occurrence rates of 50% to 75% are consistently reported .
If anxiety, depression, or unresolved trauma is part of what is driving cocaine addiction, treatment of the drug use alone is not enough. At Castle Health, we treat both at the same time rather than one after the other.
our locations
Locations designed to support your recovery
Castle Health operates residential and outpatient cocaine addiction treatment centres across Europe. Each location is designed to support recovery in a setting that feels calm and contained, with clinical teams who specialise in addiction.
Inpatient cocaine addiction treatment: is residential rehab right for you?
Inpatient,residential rehab for cocaine addiction treatment is the highest level of care we offer. You will stay at one of our private clinics for the length of your treatment, where medical and therapeutic support is available around the clock.
Residential treatment is most appropriate when:
- Your cocaine use is having a significant effect on your work, relationships, or daily life
- You have a co-occurring mental or physical health condition that needs structured, supervised care
- Outpatient care has not been enough on its own
- Your home environment makes recovery difficult
We offer inpatient cocaine addiction treatment at Castle Craig in Scotland and Smarmore Castle in Ireland. Care includes medical monitoring, one-to-one and group therapy, learning about addiction and how to prevent relapse, and planning for aftercare.
Crack cocaine addiction treatment
Treatment for crack cocaine addiction is available through our inpatient services. Patterns of use are often more frequent and the impact on the body more severe, so care plans are adjusted to reflect that. The core therapy is the same as for powder cocaine, with extra care for physical health in the early days. You can read more about our cocaine detox services.
Outpatient cocaine addiction treatment: flexible support that fits your life
Outpatient cocaine addiction treatment is structured therapy without staying overnight. You attend sessions on agreed days and return home in between. It suits:Â
- People whose use is less severe
- Those that have steady support at home, orÂ
- Those who are stepping down from residential care.
Outpatient addiction treatment can include one-to-one therapy, group therapy, CBT, and recovery coaching. For many people, it is a realistic first step, especially if you are still working or have caring responsibilities. The World Health Organization International Standards recommend that psychosocial interventions form the core of outpatient treatment programmes for stimulant use disorder. This is the model we follow.Â
The right choice between inpatient and outpatient depends on your individual circumstance. If you’re not sure which is appropriate, our team can talk it through with you in a free assessment.
What to expect from treatment with Castle Health
The first contact is a phone call or a form on our website. There is no pressure to commit to anything at that stage.
We ask a few questions about your situation. We answer yours. And we explain what assessment involves.
If you decide to go ahead, that is when we agree the right level of care and the practical details. Our wider drug addiction treatment services can also be discussed at this stage. We accept private payments and most major health insurance plans. If you are not sure what your insurance covers, we can check on your behalf.
Leaving treatment is its own transition. Returning to everyday routines, relationships, and pressures takes adjustment, and after treatment our work with you continues. Recovery coaching, alumni support, and family therapy are all part of how we support people in the months and years after leaving residential care.
If someone you know needs help with cocaine addiction
Watching someone you know use cocaine is hard. You may feel worried, helpless, or unsure what the right thing to do is – sometimes all at once. None of those reactions are uncommon, and they are what most people feel.
Cocaine addiction can affect the whole family – the people around someone using cocaine often carry a lot of the strain too. We offer family therapy and couples therapy as part of our wider treatment offering.
If the person in your life is not yet ready to seek help, we can guide you on how to approach the conversation. We also offer intervention support. This is a structured way to ask someone to consider treatment. The aim is to make it easier for them to say yes when they are ready.
Take the next step
At Castle Health we will listen to what you are going through, help you understand your options, and walk you through what treatment could look like for you. There is no pressure and no judgement.
Talk to us today about cocaine addiction treatment for honest guidance – never any pressure or judgement.
Paying for your treatment
At Castle Health, we work with a wide range of health insurance companies. We also accept NHS/HSE referrals and private paying patients directly. If you are not sure what your cover includes, our team can check on your behalf before you commit to anything.
How to access cocaine addiction treatment at Castle Health
We offer treatment for cocaine addiction across the UK and Ireland, with services also available in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, and Malta. Inpatient care happens at Castle Craig and Smarmore Castle. Outpatient and online therapy reach further.
The first step is a free, confidential assessment. You can book one by phone or through our website. If you would prefer to ask a question first, our team is available to talk through what is appropriate for your situation.
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From the UK: 020 3098 2503
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Frequently asked questions on cocaine addiction treatment
Is cocaine addiction treatment available on the NHS?
The NHS does provide some support for cocaine addiction, mostly through community drug services. Provision varies by area, and waiting times can be long. Castle Health is a private provider, which means treatment is available without the same waits, often within 48 hours of your assessment, and with a wider range of therapeutic options.
Can I continue working during cocaine addiction treatment?
For many people, outpatient cocaine addiction treatment works exceptionally well. It is designed so you can keep working while you receive support, particularly if your role is flexible. Inpatient treatment usually requires time away, but we can talk through how to plan that with your employer.
How long does cocaine addiction treatment take?
It depends. Length of treatment varies based on three things. How severe your cocaine use is, whether you have a co-occurring mental health condition, and the type of care you choose. Inpatient stays typically run for several weeks. Aftercare continues for as long as it is useful.
Is there a free Cocaine Anonymous meeting available for help with cocaine addiction?
Yes. Cocaine Anonymous runs free support meetings across the UK and Europe, and online. They can be a useful source of peer support, particularly alongside professional treatment.
Do you also provide treatment for crack cocaine addiction?
Yes. Treatment for crack cocaine addiction is part of our inpatient services. Care plans are adjusted to reflect each person’s patterns of use, physical health, and individual needs.