A more widespread problem than it seems
According to the latest report from the Spanish Observatory on Drugs and Addictions (OEDA, EDADES 2024), more than 104,000 people in Spain meet the criteria for problematic cocaine use. Behind that number are people with jobs, families, mortgages and normal schedules: not the stereotype many people have in mind. Cocaine has stopped being a "party scene" substance and has settled into the weekly routine of thousands of people, almost always in silence.
When someone finally decides they want to stop, they've usually spent years testing themselves: "I've got it under control", "I can quit whenever I want", "only on weekends". Until one day the body, the partner, the bank account or the morning anxiety says otherwise.
At Charlas Adictivas we accompany people who want to quit cocaine with a professional, human and sustained approach. We work on an outpatient basis (no admission), in person in Madrid and online across Spain. The first conversation is free and comes with no obligation.
Signs that cocaine is no longer under control
Cocaine addiction rarely appears overnight. It settles in gradually, with periods of apparent control that reinforce the dangerous idea of "I can quit whenever I want". These are relevant signs that use has stopped being recreational:
Physical signs
- Persistent insomnia or severely disrupted sleep cycles
- Sustained loss of appetite and weight
- Racing heart, sweating, anxiety on waking
- Frequent nasal congestion or irritation
- Night-time bruxism (teeth clenching)
- Extreme physical exhaustion in the days after using
Psychological signs
- Craving (an intense, physical, uncontrollable urge to use)
- Irritability and sudden mood swings
- Feelings of emptiness, apathy or depression when you're not using
- Episodes of paranoia, intense anxiety or obsessive thinking
- Loss of interest in things that used to matter to you
- Growing difficulties with concentration and memory
Behavioural and social signs
- Lying about your use or hiding it from your partner and family
- Recurring cash withdrawals you can't explain
- Gradually isolating yourself from people who don't use
- Declining performance at work, recurring absences on Mondays
- Having tried to quit more than once without managing it
- Losing track of how much you actually spend on the substance
If you recognise yourself in several of these signs, you're not exaggerating. Asking for professional help is the difference between going round in circles alone or starting a real recovery process.
The data: cocaine use in Spain
To understand the context, the official figures from the OEDA/EDADES 2024 report, published by Spain's Ministry of Health, are striking:
- Around 10.7% of Spain's population aged 15 to 64 has tried cocaine at least once in their life
- 2.3% used it in the last year
- 104,851 people meet the criteria for problematic use (30+ days in the last year)
- That is roughly 14.6% of recent users: of every seven people who use in a given year, one already has a problematic pattern
Spain ranks among the European countries with the highest prevalence of cocaine use. It is not a marginal problem: it is a public health reality that affects very diverse socioeconomic profiles.
Source: Spanish Observatory on Drugs and Addictions (OEDA), EDADES 2024 report, Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs, Ministry of Health.
Why cocaine is so hard to quit without help
Cocaine acts on the brain's reward system by releasing dopamine massively and artificially. Over time, that system adapts: it no longer produces pleasure from the things that used to — food, sex, relationships, work, leisure, music — and it needs the substance just to feel "normal". This is not a lack of willpower: it is extensively documented neurobiology.
On top of that come conditioned triggers: places, people, times of day, emotional states and specific situations that your brain has firmly associated with using. Friday afternoon, after-work drinks, an argument with your partner, the anxiety of a difficult Monday. Without recovery work that addresses those triggers, the risk of relapse remains very high even if the person has gone weeks or months without using.
In addition, cocaine frequently comes with psychological comorbidity: anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and often combined use with alcohol (which worsens the prognosis and multiplies cardiovascular risks). A serious programme has to look there too.
The goal of a professional programme is not just to stop the use: it is to rebuild the life that using has been narrowing, and to provide real tools to sustain that life over time.
Who will be with you: our community team
Recovery from an addiction depends to a great extent on the professional who accompanies you. This is the Charlas Adictivas team:
Ruy Arroyo Ozores
Community director · Trained in addiction support
An addiction support specialist with more than 20 years of living with active addiction and more than 13 years in sustained recovery. Creator and host of the Charlas Adictivas podcast, one of the most listened-to addiction podcasts in the Spanish-speaking world. Interviewed by the Community of Madrid and the Why Not Foundation.
Salva Rivero
Facilitator with lived recovery experience
A companion in recovery, with extensive experience professionally accompanying participants with substance addiction. His story is told in episode #22 of the Charlas Adictivas podcast.
Rocío León
Community team member
A professional member of the Charlas Adictivas community team, specialising in the psychological accompaniment of participants recovering from addiction.
The makeup of this team — professionals with community training and first-hand knowledge of the recovery process — is one of the things that sets Charlas Adictivas apart. We don't work from the manual: we work from knowing exactly what you mean when you describe a craving at 3 in the morning.
Our approach
We work with an integrative, evidence-based model, adapted to each participant according to their history of use, their profile and their support network. Our approach rests on four pillars:
- One-to-one support with professionals specialised exclusively in addiction, not in general support. The difference is enormous: a specialist recognises patterns, knows how to handle ambivalence and won't be manipulated by the denial that is so characteristic of someone in active addiction.
- Support groups in a safe environment with other people in recovery. The power of feeling understood by someone who has been through the same thing makes the difference between giving up and carrying on.
- Support community with access to the complete Charlas Adictivas podcast, live sessions with Ruy Arroyo and practical tools for the hard moments between conversations.
- Work with the family environment when the person needs it, because addiction affects — and is often sustained by — the closest circle.
Stages of the recovery process
1. Initial assessment (free)
A first session to get to know you, understand your history of use, your life situation, your previous attempts and your goals. No pressure, no obligation, no moral judgement. At the end you'll have a clear proposal, and you decide whether you want to continue.
2. Stabilisation
The first days and weeks without cocaine are demanding, above all emotionally. Unlike alcohol or benzodiazepines, cocaine does not produce a severe physical withdrawal syndrome, but the psychological crash (fatigue, anhedonia, anxiety, insomnia) can be very intense and it's best not to go through it alone.
3. Deep recovery work
This is where most of the real change happens: identifying triggers, working through the emotions that using was numbing, rebuilding habits, repairing damaged relationships, addressing comorbidity and finding a sense of purpose that doesn't depend on the substance.
4. Relapse prevention
A relapse is not the end of the process: it is valuable information. We prepare you to spot the early warning signs and respond when they appear, with concrete, personalised strategies.
5. Maintenance and community
Recovery doesn't end with the last use. In fact, that's where the truly important part begins: rebuilding a life. We offer sustained accompaniment through the Charlas Adictivas community for the months and years that follow.
How long does the cocaine addiction process take?
The honest answer is: it depends. There are no express processes. As a general guide from our professional practice:
- Intensive phase: between 3 and 6 months, with weekly sessions
- Consolidation phase: an additional 6 to 12 months
- Maintenance and community: open-ended, for as long as the person needs it
Be wary of any centre that promises you'll "quit in a week". Sustainable recovery is a process, not an event.
The Charlas Adictivas podcast as a complementary resource
Beyond the accompaniment sessions, our participants have access to the complete catalogue of the Charlas Adictivas podcast. Episodes especially relevant to people working on their relationship with cocaine:
- Episode with Dr. Miquel Casas — One of the leading figures in Spanish psychiatry reviews cocaine from a professional standpoint.
- Episode #35 with Ruy Arroyo Ozores — Our director tells the story of his own recovery process first-hand.
- Episode #22 with Salva Rivero — A member of our community team shares his personal and professional story.
The podcast is available for free on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It's an open resource: you can start listening today, even before requesting your first conversation.
Support for family members
If the person using is your partner, your child, your sibling or a close friend, the emotional impact on you is real. The wear and tear of living with someone in addiction — the lies, the money that disappears, the mood swings, the constant fear — has psychological consequences for those around them that deserve attention in their own right.
We offer specific guidance for family members: how to communicate without emotional blackmail, how to support without rescuing, how to look after yourself so you can keep accompanying. In many cases, the first contact with us comes from a family member, not the person using. That's okay.
How to get started
Asking for that first conversation is the hardest step. After that, everything becomes more concrete and manageable. The first conversation is free and comes with no obligation. A professional from the team will take your call, listen to your situation and explain clearly what we can offer you.