Cocaine is a dangerous, potent stimulant drug. Those who use this drug will experience a variety of side effects in addition to a strong ‘high’, which is what leads most people to keep abusing cocaine even after only using it once.
Here today, our Better Tomorrow team wants to talk to you about why cocaine is so addictive. If you are ready to seek out help for your cocaine addiction or you want to talk to us about getting help for someone you know, our Better Tomorrow team is ready to assist you in this process today.
Reasons Cocaine is So Addictive
There are various reasons why this drug is so addictive to most people who use it. Mainly, it is from the high the user gets, especially for the people who use it often. In addition, cocaine builds up dopamine in the user’s brain. When the person repeatedly uses it, they will experience pleasurable feelings, which generally would make them want to keep using it. Users also might feel increased self-confidence while under the influence of the drug.
Causing Positive Reinforcement
Just like with all other addictions, an addiction to cocaine usually develops due to a psychological reason called positive reinforcement. When this happens, the person displays patterns of behavior that cause a reward for those behaviors. When discussing cocaine use, people who take it often may have many positive effects that cause them to want to continue using the drug, such as:
- Being wide awake
- Excitement
- Alertness
- Energy increase
- Becoming more chatty
- Increase in self-confidence
- Happiness
- Euphoria
- Intense high
Due to these positive reinforcements or pleasurable effects that many people get when using , they often become addicted.
If you or someone you know is using or abusing cocaine, there are treatment programs to help you quit. There are also treatments that can help you to recover from this type of addiction. If you reach out to our Better Tomorrow team, we can help you navigate these treatment options.
Brief, Intense High
Using cocaine regularly can cause a brief, but intense high every time. Normally, people will experience the first effects of cocaine about 5 to 30 minutes after they use it. Those effects might last around 20 to 30 minutes.
Due to the intense high and positive reinforcement noted above, after the high subsides the person will likely want to use more of the drug to increase those effects once again. This is where the cycle of cocaine addiction begins and continues.
In addition, due to the intense high, tolerance to this drug often builds quickly. Also, since this powerful high doesn’t last long, the comedown or cocaine withdrawal symptoms are often stronger than with other addictions. This is just one of the many reasons why users generally feel they need more of the drug, more often to get the positive effects back.
Mixing Cocaine with Other Drugs
There are many people who will use cocaine along with other harmful drugs such as amphetamines, alcohol or heroin. Each of these drugs are also addictive. However, when taking them together, the use may experience more positive reinforcement effects from the cocaine, which could even further increase their ‘need’ to keep using this drug. Over time, sometimes in a short amount of time when doing this, the person feels they can’t function without using cocaine.
Avoiding the Withdrawal Symptoms
Just like with other types of addiction, if you quit using cocaine or you can’t find it for a certain length of time, you may have a wide variety of withdrawal symptoms. Some of these symptoms might include:
- Vivid nightmares
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Intensve drug cravings
Sometimes, these withdrawal symptoms are known as the crash. They can cause a lot of distress and be really unpleasant. For the reason of avoiding these symptoms, many drug users will make sure they always have access to cocaine, so they can avoid crashing. At this point, the user is likely addicted to the drug.
If you or someone you know is ready to overcome your addiction to drugs or alcohol, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today.
Symptoms/Effects of Cocaine Addiction
Do you suspect that someone you know is using or addicted to cocaine? Do you possibly have an addiction to the drug? There are some symptoms and effects of cocaine use and/or addiction that you may want to look for including, but not limited to, the following:
- Psychosis
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Insomnia
- Panic attacks
- Mood swings
- Agitation
- Restlessness
- Risky behaviors
- Feeling like cocaine is the center of your life
- Stealing from loved ones or stores to pay for the drug
- Lying to or being secretive with loved ones about your activities, whereabouts, or finances
- Increased heart rate
- Erectile dysfunction for men leading them to often abuse Viagra or a similar drug
- High body temperature
- High blood pressure
- Nausea
- Cognitive impairments
- Excessive sweating
- Getting nosebleeds often due to snorting the drug
- Kidney and/or liver damage
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Breathing issues
If you or someone you know is using this drug, don’t wait any longer for it to destroy your life. There are treatment programs here at Better Tomorrow that can help you to get your life back on track starting today.
Get Into a Cocaine Addiction Rehab Program Today
It is important to understand that cocaine addictions are usually quite severe. Even in the more mild cases, it can seem impossible to overcome the addiction all on your own. Luckily, you don’t have to and shouldn’t go at this journey by yourself. Here at Better Tomorrow, we have a range of treatment programs that can help you to get clean and start your road to recovery.
Our team can meet with you to discuss your concerns and help create you an individualized treatment plan that may include medically-assisted detox, many types of therapy, outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, mindfulness techniques, 12-step supports, aftercare assistance following your treatment program, family support and much more.
If you or a loved one need to overcome this type of addiction, don’t wait another day to get the help you need. Contact us here at Better Tomorrow to get into a cocaine addiction treatment program.