COCAINE

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant. It is most often used as a white powder or in crystal rock form known as crack. Cocaine use is dangerous and highly addictive, but in the last few years a new danger has risen with cocaine use. Street dealers often mix powder cocaine with other substances to increase the amount of cocaine they can sell. In recent years there has been a rise in mixing cocaine with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which has helped contribute to the rise in opioid overdoses in recent years.

 

Dependence on cocaine can contribute to issues with physical and mental health, as well as relational, vocational, and financial issues. Cocaine use can cause irritability, paranoia, and sometimes even manic behavior. The positive effects of cocaine are so short, typically lasting only 20 minutes, that users often “binge” on the drug, using it several times over the course of a day. The short-acting effects also cause individuals to buy more and more as they seek to maintain their high.

 

Cocaine can be a powerfully addictive substance because it floods the brain with dopamine, reinforcing the drug use that caused the surge in dopamine to begin with. After prolonged cocaine use, the brain’s reward circuit can adapt and become less sensitive to the effects of the drug. This can lead people to use larger and larger amounts of cocaine to try to achieve the same high, which has many downstream effects on the individual’s life.

If you or a loved one needs help. Call our Berkshire Drug Rehab today to speak with an admissions coordinator.

 

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