

Addiction is generally considered to be the combination of genetic, environmental, biological, and psychological factors working together Drug abuse doesn’t always lead to addiction, but it’s important to note that drug abuse is less about the amount or frequency of abuse and more to do with the negative consequences, such as losing a job or your home.Īs is the case with many drugs, there is no single cause for addiction to cocaine. People experiment with drugs for a variety of reasons, such as curiosity or to relieve stress or anxiety. Cocaine abuse can cause major problems in all areas of a person’s life and without proper intervention and treatment, it can cause life-threatening consequences.Ĭauses and risk factors for cocaine addiction Long-term cocaine use can change the way the reward system in the brain functions.Ĭocaine is often involved in polydrug – or multiple drug – abuse, most especially combined with sedatives like alcohol or benzodiazepines which serve to intensify the high as well as ease the crash associated with cocaine abuse. This increases the dopamine’s effect and changes the way the brain communicates. Cocaine prevents dopamine from being recycled which leads to extreme levels of dopamine between the brain cells. Dopamine is generally released in response to a potential reward then recycled back into the cell that released it stopping the signal between brain cells. This process can lead to cocaine addiction which is a chronic relapsing disease caused by changes in the brain and intense drug-seeking behaviors.Ĭocaine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. This means that the drug is taken repeatedly within a short period of time at higher doses in order to sustain a high.
Crack addiction symptoms crack#
Smoking crack cocaine may produce a high that lasts 5 to 10 minutes.Īs the duration of the high is relatively short, people who abuse cocaine typically use the drug in a binge and crash fashion.
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The crystal is heated to create a smoke that is inhaled then absorbed into the bloodstream by the lungs. The high from snorting powdered cocaine can last between 15 and 30 minutes while the high from injecting cocaine can last a shorter time but provide a more intense high.Ĭrack cocaine, otherwise known as “freebase,” “rock,” or “crack” is produced by a chemical process that creates a crystallized rock which is often smoked. Powdered cocaine, otherwise known as “blow” or “coke” dissolves in water and can be snorted or injected. Through different chemical processes, there are two primary types of cocaine created each of which affects the intensity and duration of the high experienced.
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Cocaine abuse can lead to drug addiction which has many life-threatening effects on the heart and brain, as well as devastating consequences to emotional well-being.Ĭocaine is a purified extract of the Erythoxylum Coca bush which grows in the Andes region of South America. The reality of cocaine abuse, however, paints a much uglier picture. Often called the “caviar of street drugs,” cocaine addiction is frequently portrayed by the media as being a glamorous type of drug to abuse.
