Is Cocaine Addictive?
Cocaine is addictive, with dependence potentially occurring after just a few uses. Addiction can develop within just a couple of weeks of routine use. The substantial effects that cocaine has on the brain lead to altered neural networks, causing people to seek cocaine at the expense of normal daily activities. Other signs of cocaine addiction include:
Cocaine addiction also poses the risk of overdose. Cocaine overdose can lead to a plethora of health side effects including heart disease, stroke and brain damage. Some symptoms of cocaine overdose are elevated heart rate, tremors, chest pains and difficulty breathing.
Cocaine addiction is physical and psychological. Withdrawal symptoms can be profoundly debilitating and often include intense cravings, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, depression or dysphoria and hypersensitivity. Some individuals who suffer from cocaine use disorder may forego food, water and safe shelter to get more cocaine. Once addiction takes hold, many people find quitting to be extremely difficult and require reliable medical and social support to stay sober. There are many quality sources of help and support for people who suffer from cocaine use disorder, and recovery is well within the realm of possibility for all users.
Related Topic: Cocaine Overdose
If you struggle with cocaine addiction, contact The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health to speak with a representative about how addiction treatment can help you. By using a personalized treatment plan, The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health works with you to determine which treatment is most beneficial to you. Take the first step toward a healthier future by calling today.
- Sources
Drug Enforcement Administration. “Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature’s Addictive Plants”. Accessed July 10, 2019.
Drug Enforcement Administration. “Cocaine laced with fentanyl leads to multiple deaths, overdoses.” September 14, 2018. Accessed July 10, 2019.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. “What is cocaine?” July 2018. Accessed July 11, 2019.
Pope, JD; Drummer, OH; Schneider, HG. “The cocaine cutting agent levamisole is frequently detected in cocaine users.” Pathology, August, 2018. Accessed July 10, 2019.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. “What are the short-term effects of cocaine use?” May 2016. Accessed July 10, 2019.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. “What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?” May 2016. Accessed July 10, 2019.
Cressman, Alex; et al. “Maternal cocaine use during breastfeeding.” Can Fam Physician, November 2012. Accessed July 10, 2019.National Institute on Drug Abuse. “What are the effects of maternal cocaine use?” May 2016. Accessed July 10, 2019.
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