Understanding Cocaine Addiction

Learn About Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine, which is a powerful and illicit stimulant substance, is often abused for recreational purposes by those looking to obtain a high. Cocaine, which is also known as “coke,” is a drug that can produce feelings of power, extreme euphoria, and invincibility. The abuse of this substance can also enhance an individual’s perception, heighten senses, invoke grandiosity, and increase self-esteem. Cocaine can be smoked, injected, or snorted. However the high that comes from it is often short and rarely ever lasts more than a half hour. The sense of pleasure that this substance causes, as well as the short period of time that a high is sustained, often causes cocaine users to continually use more and more of it to achieve the desired high. As the dosage that is being consumed increases, or the frequency with which individuals are consuming the substance increases, changes begin to happen within users’ brains. These changes can lead to the development of tolerance, addiction, and dependence. Once this addiction has developed, it can be tremendously challenging for individuals to defeat. However, with effective cocaine addiction treatment, it is possible.

Statistics

Cocaine Addiction Statistics

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), roughly 0.3% of adults ages 18 and older suffer from cocaine use disorder. The office of the National Drug Control Policy also states that approximately 3.6 million individuals use cocaine regularly within the United States.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and Risk Factors for Cocaine Addiction

A variety of causes and risk factors have been linked as possibly affecting an individual’s likelihood of developing cocaine use disorder. Some of these risk factors can include:

Environmental: According to the APA, there are a number of ways that an individual’s environment can impact his or her likelihood of developing cocaine use disorder. Some environmental factors can include being exposed to cocaine prenatally, growing up in an unstable home, having parents who abuse/abused cocaine, and being exposed to violence within the community.

Risk Factors: There are some additional risk factors outside of environmental factors. Below are some other ways that an individual can become more likely to abuse cocaine:

Ease of access with which one can obtain cocaine
Possessing an impulsive personality or other such personality traits
Having a history of childhood conduct disorder
Suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or antisocial personality disorder
Being surrounded by individuals who abuse cocaine or other drugs

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction

The signs and symptoms of cocaine abuse will vary from individual to individual, but some of the most common can include the following:

Behavioral symptoms:

Continuing to abuse cocaine despite having the desire to quit
Abusing cocaine in increasingly larger amounts over longer periods of time than originally intended
Participating in dangerous or high-risk activities in order to obtain cocaine
Rapid speech
Hypervigilance
Failing to take care of responsibilities at home
Failing to fulfill obligations at work
Acting differently in social settings than is normal for the individual
Engaging in repetitive movements
Jumping from topic to topic in conversation

Physical symptoms:

Nausea
Vomiting
Rapid heartbeat
Increased bodily temperature
Elevated or lowered blood pressure
Chest pain
Seizures
Dilated pupils
Muscular weakness
Weight loss
Decreased appetite

Cognitive symptoms

Paranoia
Experiencing intense cravings for cocaine
Confusion
Impaired judgment

Psychosocial symptoms:

Euphoria
Lacking emotional reactivity
Anxiety
Experiencing episode of unwarranted anger
Heightened states of irritability and agitation

Effects

Effects of Cocaine Addiction

When individuals are continually abusing cocaine, they are putting themselves at risk for developing serious health issues. All areas of their lives will be impacted in one way or another as the abuse of cocaine continues. Some of the many ways in which cocaine use can significantly impact an individual can include:

Financial turmoil
Loss of one’s sense of smell
Failing to attend to one’s occupational responsibilities, possibly resulting in unemployment
Malnutrition
Interaction with the law
Liver, kidney, or lung damage
Loss of child custody
Damage to the cardiovascular system
Familial conflict
Cognitive impairment
Marital strife or divorce
Cardiac arrest

Co-Occurring Disorders

Cocaine Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders

Unfortunately, it is common for those who abuse cocaine to struggle with symptoms of other mental health illnesses at the same time. Some of the most common co-occurring conditions can include:

Other substance use disorders
Gambling disorder
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Conduct disorder
Antisocial personality disorder
schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder

Withdrawal & Overdose

Know the Effects of Cocaine Withdrawal & Overdose

Effects of cocaine withdrawal: When an individual has been abusing cocaine regularly and attempts to curb his or her use or stop entirely, he or she is likely to experience withdrawal. The symptoms related to cocaine withdrawal can be upsetting and may begin within a few hours after one’s last use. Some of the symptoms and effects that might develop within this period of withdrawal can include:

Disturbed occupational function
Extremely strong cravings for cocaine
Fatigue
Increased appetite
Weight gain
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Disturbed social functioning
Psychomotor agitation
Psychomotor retardation
Dysphoric mood
Vivid, unpleasant dreams

Effects of cocaine overdose: When individuals abuse a substance like cocaine, they are putting themselves in danger of an overdose. An overdose happens when an individual consumes more of a substance that his or her body can handle. Since cocaine is highly potent and it crosses the blood-brain barrier quickly, individuals can easily consume more than they are capable of handling without noticing it. Therefore, if an individual overdoses on cocaine, it should be treated as a medical emergency and treatment should be obtained immediately. Some signs that could indicate that an individual is experiencing a cocaine overdose can include: