Daily cocaine craving in a 3-week inpatient treatment program

Fifteen male veteran cocaine addicts took simple tests of cocaine craving, mood, energy, and perceived health status for 23 consecutive days during an inpatient treatment center. Results show they experienced very little cocaine craving or other symptomatology. Multiple regression analyses show that health rating alone was the best predictor of cocaine craving. These results question solely internal sources of craving and the oft-touted craving-depression connection. The study delineates further implications of the findings.