Understanding Cocaine and Cocaine Abuse

Defining Cocaine

Cocaine is a drug which is used recreationally by many people. It is a stimulant that is extracted from the coca drug. Most cocaine comes from South America. Cocaine is a schedule 2 drug which means that it is illegal to consume the drug for recreational purposes but can be administered by doctors if necessary for anesthesia in particular areas of the body.

What Are The Effects of Cocaine?

Cocaine is a stimulant that causes the user to feel euphoric after he or she has taken it. It makes the user fel very energetic and makes the user more talkative, too. It increases athletic performance and thinking clarity. Other effects of cocaine include aggressiveness, restlessness, breathing speed and decreased appetite. It may also interfere with sleeping patterns.

Cocaine is not a physically addictive drug but taking it, particularly often, can cause damage in the system. Some of the most unpleasant side effects of cocaine use are an increased heart rate and blood pressure, chest pain and tightness in the chest also known as angina, difficulty breathing, damage to the septum, difficulty sleeping, eating and concentrating, seizures, tremors, paranoia, irritability and in some extreme cases hallucinations.

Is Cocaine Addictive?

Cocaine does not create a physical addiction in users. However, cocaine is one of the most psychologically addictive illegal drugs out there. Heavy cocaine users experience very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when trying to get off the drug like intense craving for more cocaine, increased appetite, irritability, anxiety, paranoia, suicidal thoughts and loss of the user's sex drive. It may also cause hugely disrupted sleeping patterns, dizziness, shaking and may make the user feel extremely cold. Basically, the brain has stopped being able to produce the same amount of dopamine neurotransmitter as it did while on the drug too, so the intense feelings of happiness are gone and the user is likely to feel depressed. Due to how unpleasant withdrawal is for cocaine users, many use more cocaine to stop these, which can lead to a cycle of dependency, addiction and abuse.

Are Cocaine Users At Higher Risk Than Others?

Cocaine is not a regulated substance. This means that it is produced outside the country and brought over here illegally. Pure cocaine is very difficult to acquire and very expensive and even then it is a very psychologically addictive substance. Cocaine may have tar in it and since 2009 cocaine in the United States may be tainted with a substance called levamisole, which is a pet dewormer. This has caused several deaths in cocaine users over the last few years and the government says that about a third of all cocaine currently on the market has traces of this substance.

Cocaine users may also be at risk of impaired judgment which can result in risky sexual encounters that may become long-term venereal diseases like genital herpes and HIV. Cocaine abuse is also a very expensive habit to maintain so it is likely to ruin people's lifestyles if the users let it get out of control. Since the substance is so psychologically addictive, this is likely to happen.