What Is Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine is physically and psychologically addictive. When you become dependent on it, it changes the way that neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, are released by your brain. It changes your brain’s reward system and the way that it works, so you crave the way the drug makes you feel and think. Because its highs are relatively short-lived, addiction to cocaine can leave you craving these feelings, to the point where you cannot think of anything else or function without it in your system.
Cocaine Addiction Symptoms
Cocaine is widely available and commonly abused. Abusing it causes alertness, dilated pupils, appetite loss, overconfidence and overexcitement, and paranoia. When you abuse cocaine regularly, it is easy to progress towards an addiction, which causes marked behavioral symptoms that interfere with your lifestyle. These are just a few of the reasons why people look for cocaine addiction treatment services such as ours.
If you or someone you care about is addicted to cocaine you may notice behavioral changes taking place. The longer you have been abusing cocaine, the more pronounced the changes are likely to be. These can include:
- changes to your sleep patterns including insomnia
- secrecy or lying about your habit
- feeling guilty about using it
- engaging in high-risk behaviors
- uncontrollable mood swings
- loss of enjoyment in activities you used to find pleasurable
- legal, medical, and financial problems
Defining Cocaine
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that has been extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. Its chemical derivative, cocaine hydrochloride, was used for pain management before the advent of synthetic local anesthetic. It has a high potential for addiction as it can alter the functions and structure of your brain with repeated use. It is available in two chemical forms: hydrochloride salt, a water-soluble powder that is snorted or injected, and freebase, which is water-insoluble, and smoked.
Extremely addictive
Because of the flood of dopamine that cocaine releases, it makes changes to the brain’s reward center. Research indicates that it causes genetic changes that can be passed on to your children.
Different routes of administration
Most often, cocaine is snorted through the nose, but it can be added to liquid and injected. Some people rub it onto their gums to intensify the high. When it is processed into crystalline form, it is made into crack cocaine rocks and smoked.
Cocaine is cut with other substances
Dealers cut cocaine with other white powders, which means that its purity can range from 5% to 70%. The substances it is cut with can range from household substances to other drugs, which make it even more dangerous to you.
The Dangers of Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction puts you at risk of dangerous health problems and side effects. These can be amplified when it is combined with alcohol and other drugs.
Cocaine abuse is associated with a wide range of cardiovascular problems like irregular heart rhythm, heart disease, blood vessel damage, high blood pressure, and heart attack. Ingesting it can cause bowel decay. Cocaine users are more likely to experience nose bleeds, runny noses, and nose collapse. Weight loss, memory loss, and sexual dysfunction are common. It can also cause a shrinking brain as well as problems with mental health. Using cocaine regularly leads to increased tolerance and dependence, which puts you at risk of overdose
What Is the Difference between Cocaine Addiction and Abuse?
When you first start misusing it, you may use it recreationally or habitually. The key here is that you were able to control when and how much you used. Because of its addictive qualities, cocaine abuse progresses to addiction. This is because of tolerance, and you need to use increasing amounts to achieve the same euphoric feeling as when you started.
When you are addicted to it, you can no longer control your use. You experience strong cravings when you don’t have cocaine. When you reduce the amount you take or try to stop you experience physical and psychological cocaine withdrawal symptoms.
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How Cocaine Affects Us
Cocaine has a stimulating effect on the body and brain. Its effects on the central nervous system are broad, and affect people in different ways. Most people experience hyperarousal after one dose, followed by a physical, emotional, and mental crash when its effects subside.
Physiological effects
When taken in small doses, some people find that cocaine makes them feel energetic, euphoric, alert, and talkative. It also makes you hypersensitive to touch, sight and sounds. It can cause muscle spasms, vertigo, and tremors. Physiologically cocaine causes your pupils to dilate and constricts your blood vessels. Its stimulating effect results in a higher body temperature, high blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. It causes loss of appetite and weight loss in some people.
Psychological effects
Cocaine causes a euphoric and short-lived high followed by an emotional crash. The emotional crash causes agitation and paranoia in some people. Others may go on to experience hallucinations and psychotic symptoms. Anxiety, panic disorders, and depression are common. Cocaine users tend to have difficulty trusting other people, including doctors and those who try to help them. study in university students found that cocaine use was associated with polysubstance abuse, PTSD, ADHD, and impulsivity problems.
Crime-related statistics
Research by the Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed that cocaine was the third most prevalent drug in arrests of people who were Driving While Intoxicated, with 28.1% of those arrested under the influence. Surveys of jail inmates showed 48.1% had used it before, with 30.9% admitting regular use. 20.7% had used it in the month before committing their offense and 10.6% had been under its influence at the time of the offense. In research carried out on jail inmates who had mental health problems in the month before their arrest, 24% had used cocaine or crack cocaine.
How Does Cocaine Addiction Affect My Family?
Your family members are deeply affected by your cognitive and behavioral changes because of cocaine. Even though it has a devastating effect on your body and brain, cocaine addiction is a family disease that affects each member. Cocaine misuse is associated with abusive and neglectful homes that are marred by financial, legal, and medical problems. Its effects are particularly devastating in single-family homes. Other family members develop fears and trust issues when someone they care about struggles with cocaine addiction.
Children are impacted particularly negatively when a parent or guardian develops a cocaine addiction because their basic and socio-economic needs cannot be taken care of. they are at a greater risk of child abuse and domestic violence in the home and develop complex feelings about the addiction. Some children may blame themselves, try to cover up abuse, or go on to develop substance abuse disorders themselves.
Cocaine Overdose
A cocaine overdose is potentially lethal and requires immediate medical attention. If you think someone is overdosing from cocaine please call 911 immediately. 19 447 people died in the United States in 2020 as a result of a cocaine overdose. Overdose can happen to anyone: from first-time and binge users and even to people who have been using it habitually.
There is no universally safe dose of cocaine. Your risk of overdose is increased when cocaine is mixed with alcohol and other drugs. If you have tried to quit and you relapse, you are at increased risk of overdose because your tolerance has dropped.
About Our Cocaine Addiction Treatment Center
Our rehab center offers you luxury facilities so you can regain control of your life after cocaine addiction. Our harm-reduction treatment plans and tailored approach to your recovery ensure high success rates for our clients. Our environment is welcoming and offers you the space to take time out of your busy and demanding life so that you can address behaviors that contribute to your cocaine addiction. Our focus is to help you get better through healing the underlying issues, helping you to understand triggers, and teaching you valuable coping skills that will equip you to avoid relapse and set new life goals for the life you want.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Cocaine Addiction and Abuse Treatment?
We have helped hundreds get better after coming into our rehab center for an addiction to cocaine. Our holistic approach is designed to help you discover stronger, personalised coping mechanisms and forget about the crutch that cocaine has become for you. We will not judge you, we will be your support while you build up your confidence, strengthen your body and heal your mind.
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