What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a highly addictive chemical substance that produces euphoria and increases energy. The widespread abuse of cocaine has forced many places to develop treatment programs specifically for cocaine addiction.
The majority of men and women who abuse cocaine or smoke crack and are likely to use more than one drug.
It produces its psychoactive and addictive effects by acting on the brain’s limbic system. This produces a high by creating a buildup of dopamine, which causes euphoria and an intense drug craving.
Habitual cocaine addiction is the body building up a tolerance to the drug as well as the increased dopamine. Over time, the addict must use larger amounts to achieve the same intensity and effect.
Treatment for Withdrawal
Addiction Treatments include multiple strategies assessing the neurobiological, social, and medical aspects of the patient.
Patients often have a variety of addictions and have other co-occurring mental disorders that require additional behavioral or pharmacological interventions.
Risks of Cocaine Addiction
Most addicts have heart attacks and strokes resulting in death.
Cocaine addicts often experience severe paranoia and in this state, many are likely to lose touch with reality and hear sounds that are not real.
This is all a result of artificially increasing dopamine release and preventing dopamine re-absorption. This causes long-term changes in the brain and its reward system resulting in erratic behavior.
Side Effects and Symptoms of Prolonged Use
It has also been known to cause common health problems such as heart attacks, respiratory failures, seizures, strokes, digestive problems, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, skin infections, allergic reactions, and deaths.
Many abusers get frustrated when their higher tolerance and not being able to get high without increasing the dose. This increases the risk of heart attack and overdose.