Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that can create a physiological and physical demand in your brain and body to keep using the drug. Almost as quickly as cocaine takes effect in your body, you can become addicted. As with most substances, soon, your body needs more of the drug more frequently to obtain the same high. At some point, this vicious cycle is not for pleasure but rather becomes a habitual need to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The cycle can feel impossible to break.
Why Cocaine is So Addictive
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), cocaine is a stimulant that causes euphoric feelings. Cocaine can produce a high that increases energy, feelings of happiness, and for some people, alertness or productivity. You may also become hypersensitive to touch, light, and sound, which can be a desirable experience for some people. This high can feel good enough that you want to recreate the experience. Outwardly, this desire can compel you to use the drug again, despite any negative side effects.
Inside the brain, cocaine increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that creates pleasurable sensations in the reward center of your brain. When cocaine is used, the dopamine is not recycled like it normally would be, which results in a buildup of dopamine in the brain’s reward center. This buildup creates more demand for the substance from the reward center, which also becomes less sensitive to the higher levels of dopamine. The decrease in sensitivity means that more cocaine is required to produce a similar effect. Your brain also needs more cocaine to get relief from the withdrawal symptoms of the drug.
While outwardly, it may seem like you are the one that is controlling the demand for cocaine, in reality, the drug itself creates a physiological demand that is incredibly difficult to ignore. This physiological demand is also known as addiction.
Is Addiction to Cocaine Genetic?
Some people seem to be more susceptible to addiction than others. In fact, in one neurobiological study on cocaine addiction by Eric J. Nestler M.D. Ph.D., the research indicated that a genetic predisposition for addiction was responsible for about half of your risk of becoming addicted. That is a relatively high genetic probability for any type of health condition that is hereditary. This means that if addiction to substances runs in your family, you run a high risk of developing an addiction yourself.
Why Cocaine is So Dangerous
The side effects of cocaine include both short-term and long-term risks. For example, short-term health issues include restlessness, tremors or muscle twitches, developing Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders, dilated pupils, constricted blood vessels, rapid or irregular heartbeat, increase in body temperature, or nausea. Long-term effects include increased risk for HIV or hepatitis, collapsed or scarred veins, asthma, coughing, respiratory infections, frequent runny nose, loss of smell, problems with swallowing, malnutrition, auditory hallucinations, or severe paranoia.
The biggest danger, however, is the risk of overdose. Large amounts of cocaine impact brain and heart function, which can cause heart attacks, seizures, and more. The risk of overdose is increased significantly when cocaine is used with other substances, such as alcohol or opioids like heroin or fentanyl. According to Kampman from Science Advances, cocaine overdose deaths have been increasing considerably over the past decade. Cocaine overdoses are difficult to treat, and there are no medications to reverse an overdose.
How Cocaine Abuse is Treated
Treatment for cocaine abuse includes individual and group therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Within treatment, you can learn to reduce cravings by using specific techniques and skills. You can learn to cope with withdrawal symptoms, as well as many other tools and skills to help you communicate and function without using cocaine. Skills are also taught to help you avoid relapse. You may also benefit from using a 12-step program or program designed to help in addiction recovery, including group meetings that offer extended support beyond treatment. Exercise can help by increasing your body’s overall health and also providing endorphins, which create a natural high. Finding treatment for your cocaine addiction will open the door to a myriad of treatment options.
Overcoming Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction may feel impossible to overcome, but you can conquer your addiction with the appropriate treatment. You can also seek support from friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, clinicians, clergy members, and more during and after treatment. Even when it seems like your brain’s demand for a substance is too strong, you can learn to take back the control of your mind and body. You have the power to overcome cocaine addiction.
Can you recover from cocaine addiction? Although cocaine is a highly addictive substance, treatment is possible. You can avoid the short and long-term effects of cocaine abuse, including the risk of overdose. Treatment and long-term support for recovery from cocaine addiction are available and accessible. At Rancho Milagro Recovery, we understand cocaine addiction and the best practices for treatment. Our facility is a ranch setting in Temecula, California, easily accessible and yet in a remote setting that will help you enjoy the natural environment. Our rescue animals help to provide a special type of support during your treatment process. Our caring staff is waiting for you to call at (951) 526-4582 to find out more about how you can overcome your cocaine addiction. Just because life seems hopeless now does not mean that there is no hope for you. At Rancho Milagro Recovery, we believe in the spirit of healing and the power of possibility.