Cocaine Addiction: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

If you use cocaine regularly or to excess, you may have long-lasting and serious problems with your physical and mental health. It can affect your heart, brain, lungs, gut, and kidneys as well as your emotional health and daily life — especially if you become addicted. To increase profits, cocaine is often mixed with cheaper substances such as corn starch, talcum powder or baking soda to bulk out the product. These additions can cause serious health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, and it’s not possible to tell by looking if the cocaine you purchase is pure. Cocaine addiction is one of the different stimulant use disorders. Stimulant use disorders are a subcategory of substance use disorder.

Marijuana, hashish and other cannabis-containing substances

Some commonly inhaled substances include glue, paint thinners, correction fluid, felt tip marker fluid, gasoline, cleaning fluids and household aerosol products. Due to the toxic nature of these substances, users may develop brain damage or sudden death. Despite the name, these are not bath products such as Epsom salts.

Who is at risk for cocaine addiction?

Interventions should be handled in a safe, encouraging environment. It’s important to make your loved one understand that you want to help. If someone you know is exhibiting the symptoms of cocaine addiction, it’s important that you bring it up before it’s too late. By recognizing the signs of cocaine abuse, you can get your loved one the help they need before an addiction takes hold. If you seek an inpatient program, you would be in a supervised setting where you are not able to obtain or use the drug. When you stop taking cocaine, you can experience severe withdrawal symptoms that need to be managed.

Signs and symptoms of cocaine abuse

Some chronic cocaine users may also go on to develop perforated septum and palate — holes in the nose and roof of the mouth caused by snorting cocaine. If a person is experiencing cocaine addiction or withdrawal, they can contact a healthcare professional for support and treatment. If a person develops cocaine dependence or addiction and suddenly stops using cocaine, they may experience withdrawal symptoms. Help from your health care provider, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment program can help you overcome your drug addiction and stay drug-free. Dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorders, refers to the presence of both a substance use disorder (such as cocaine addiction) and a mental illness.

How can I help someone who is addicted to cocaine?

Prolonged cocaine use causes your body to adjust to these elevated levels of brain chemicals. Since the change is so sudden, the reaction can be very intense. LifeRing’s website states that the organization is dedicated to providing a safe meeting space where people can experience a nonjudgmental recovery conversation with their peers. LifeRing is a secular recovery organization that aims to help people share practical experiences and access sobriety support. If a child with NAS is experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, they may receive intravenous fluids.

Due to its highly addictive nature, professional addiction treatment is highly recommended to solidify your win. Healthcare professionals in the US can assess any lingering physical symptoms and potential risk factors, such as high treatment and recovery national institute on drug abuse nida blood pressure, through a thorough physical exam. This valuable information will guide you towards the most appropriate treatment options to manage any residual effects and minimize the possibility of future complications.

Individuals may experience heightened feelings of nervousness, fear, and suspicion, even in non-threatening situations, contributing to chronic stress. Cocaine addiction is a medical disease where a person becomes dependent on the use of cocaine, a powerful stimulant drug. This addiction develops as repeated use alters the function of the brain, leading to cravings and a compulsive need for more cocaine to feel its effects. Anyone who is in recovery from a cocaine addiction should make plans for a follow-up routine that will keep them moving forward in the right direction after completing a treatment program.

There are a number of complications of cocaine addiction, and they can differ depending on your method of using the drug. Usually, this happens because cocaine and other drugs affect the chemicals that are made in the brain. Addiction is a chronic condition that develops when some people use substances that make changes to the brain. If you believe a loved one is using cocaine, it’s best to talk with them about it in a way that focuses on support and care, without accusations or pressure. It makes blood vessels in the nose constrict, cutting off oxygen flow to the nasal tissues.

Cocaine is often used with alcohol, sedatives such as diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), or heroin, as an upper/downer combination. The other drug is also used to moderate the side effects of the primary addiction. But it carries many risks, including overdose and dandruff symptoms and causes serious physical and mental side effects as well as addiction. If you or someone you know has problems with cocaine use, seek help from a doctor or mental health professional. Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug that can change lives and be life-threatening.

As the cocaine wears off, euphoria may give way to anxiety, agitation and depression. Restlessness, insomnia and fatigue are also typical of a cocaine crash, or comedown. People using drugs such as cocaine, MDMA or ketamine can get them checked at a drug checking service. However, drug checking services are currently only available in the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland.

1. Despite the lack of restrictions and rules in place, the addictive properties of ultra-processed foods can result in detrimental health impacts long term—just like smoking tobacco can.
2. Asking for help is a huge and important step toward recovering from cocaine use disorder.
3. They’ll often neglect people and activities that were once important to them.
4. Cocaine’s impact on the different brain areas often results in heightened irritability and agitation.

This may lead to using greater amounts of it, which can impact your mental and physical health. The only way to prevent cocaine intoxication and overdose is to avoid using cocaine altogether. If you or someone you know is struggling with a cocaine addiction, there are treatment options that can help. Cocaine is an addictive substance that triggers the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which produces a euphoric high. This high can be addictive, causing people to consume more and more of the substance.

Signs and symptoms of cocaine use include excitability, weight loss, insomnia, irritability and paranoia. Burns on the lips and fingers and a nagging cough indicate a person has been smoking crack. Cocaine withdrawal can cause intense physical and mental symptoms — some of which can be life threatening.

Police may be needed to subdue the violent, paranoid, suicidal, or homicidal person. Call 911 for an ambulance as opposed to bringing someone by car to a hospital emergency department. Maintaining optimal oral health is vital for overall well-being, ensuring a confident smile and contributing to systemic health. However, numerous factors, including drug use and abuse, can significantly affect oral health outcomes.

Since many people abuse cocaine at parties or social events, they may not know they are addicted. However, an individual tolerating the drug will experience withdrawal symptoms after stopping use. The extent to which long-term side effects become more severe depends on the frequency and amount of cocaine used for an extended period of time. Over time, cocaine abuse can affect the brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, and gastrointestinal system. Continued abuse of cocaine can also lead to harmful behavioral and physiological side effects, such as depression and damage to the nasal cavity.

A powerful central nervous system stimulant that is usually sniffed up the nose, it increases levels of the neurotransmitter to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Once a cocaine addiction has been realized, the next step is to make sure the person affected seeks help. Many times those suffering from an addiction may deny they have a problem or refuse to seek treatment. Some of the most apparent changes seen in those using cocaine are behavioral and mood changes. These include symptoms such as increased energy or activity, being overly talkative, sexualized, becoming excitable, erratic, reckless, irrational, including becoming violent.

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Although there is no one single cause of cocaine addiction, addictive psilocybin magic mushrooms uses effects & hazards disease is generally believed to be the result of a combination of genetic background and environmental risk factors. Those from high-risk family environments are particularly susceptible to the development of addictive disease, and they need to be aware of this information during their preadolescent period. However, the presence of an addict in the family does not mean that a person can be certain to become an addict.

This class of drugs includes, among others, heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, fentanyl and oxycodone. Substituted cathinones, also called „bath salts,“ are mind-altering (psychoactive) substances similar to amphetamines such as ecstasy (MDMA) and cocaine. Packages are often labeled as other products to avoid detection. Adults years of age have by far the highest rate of cocaine use. We understand that every individual’s path to recovery is unique. That’s why our addiction experts offer tailored programs designed to fit your needs, whether through residential care or outpatient treatments.

Side effects that can develop as a result of smoking crack include coughing up blood, hoarseness, persistent sore throat, and shortness of breath. When snorted, smoked, or injected, cocaine induces intense feelings of euphoria. Over time, however, the body alters its own natural patterns in terms of production and reuptake of the neurotransmitters. Tolerance to the drug develops and more and more cocaine is needed to achieve the desired effect. Not everyone who uses substances with the potential to be addictive develops an addiction.