Serious Consequences of Chronic Cocaine Abuse
Serious Consequences of Chronic Cocaine Abuse
Chronic cocaine abuse results in psychological and physiological effects that are devastating to the user. Addiction to this drug stems from the euphoric feelings it produces. It is this feeling that drives most addicts to use the drug on a regular basis. Although cocaine does not permanently alter the human brain, chronic cocaine abuse eventually destroys the cardiovascular system in an irreversible manner and causes a host of other negative symptoms.
Approximately 35 million Americans admit to trying cocaine at least once. One out of four individuals living in the United States between 26 and 35 years of age regularly use cocaine. Chronic cocaine abuse causes over 15,000 deaths per year. Furthermore, in 2010, approximately 300,000 infants were born with a cocaine addiction. Throughout 2006, there were 12,000 federal arrests involving the drug. In fact, as of 2013, approximately two million people in the United States were living with a cocaine addiction.
Side Effects of Cocaine Use
Dopamine is vital to the proper operation of the central nervous system and is responsible for pleasurable sensations. Cocaine blocks dopamine from being reabsorbed by the user’s system, which creates a buildup of the chemical in the brain. This ultimately leads to a euphoric state that typically lasts from 30 minutes to several hours.
Negative Side Effects of Chronic Cocaine Abuse
- Hyperstimulation – Users refer to this stimulation as the “Superman effect,” as it causes the person to feel invincible. This often leads to irrational actions and lack of self-control.
- Lessening of fatigue – Those using cocaine do not experience normal fatigue that is typical at the end of a long workday. Neither do they feel the exhaustion that eventually comes when they deplete their natural energy. This false sense of energy often leads to sleep deprivation in cocaine addicts.
- Increased mental alertness – Cocaine makes people feel as if their brains are functioning at an incredible speed. They feel as if mental processes come one after another at breakneck speed during the euphoric phase. However, to those around them, such individuals often appear erratic and uncensored, as if they have a disorder such as attention deficit.
- Increased restlessness – Fidgeting, twitching, and rapid eyeball movements are common side effects of cocaine use. Cocaine addiction also causes individuals to be unable to sit still for more than a few minutes. They may experience restless leg syndrome at night.
- Anger and irritation – Cocaine users often have irrational anger and seem continuously irritated, similar to those who take stimulants or ingest excessive amounts of caffeine. This is because cocaine decreases the brain’s tolerance for small irritations, leading to what others usually view as overreactions.
- Paranoia – Paranoia, psychosis, and the feeling that others are “out to get you” are common side effects of chronic cocaine abuse. Users often misjudge circumstances around them and experience irrational thoughts. They believe that others are constantly targeting them for sabotage or plotting against them in some way.
Cardiovascular Disease and Pulmonary Embolism
Those who abuse cocaine are also at a very high risk for heart and circulatory problems. For example, because cocaine constricts blood vessels, heart damage is almost always seen with chronic cocaine abuse. Lack of oxygen and blood to the heart can result in a heart attack. It can also cause irregular heartbeat which can lead to stroke or death, and irreversible cardiomyopathy–heart muscle disease. In addition, it can result in blood clotting disorders, aneurysms, and even pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism is a large blood clot that lodges in the lung and almost always results in death. This is because there is an extremely narrow window of time for medical intervention. Most individuals who develop a pulmonary embolism die immediately.
Unfortunately, cocaine is associated with a certain mystique and the drug is perpetuated in films and even by certain Hollywood celebrities as being the “nectar of the gods,” rather than the addictive and destructive substance it is in reality. This encourages some individuals to try it, and they subsequently develop an addiction.
Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Michigian
Anyone who struggles with chronic cocaine abuse should seek inpatient treatment as soon as possible. Arguably, some of the most beneficial aspects of inpatient treatment are the emotional safety and peace of mind participants receive when they receive treatment at a facility. Residential treatment eliminates arguments with significant others, the care of children, stress from work, and tension over everyday chores and responsibilities so the patient can focus on his or her recovery.
Additionally, professionals are on the scene to continuously assess the person’s progress, rather than having to make an evaluation based on a few hours a week of outpatient sessions. Such facilities are also equipped to make the person’s recovery as comfortable as possible, something that is almost impossible for a person to do on his or her own. Anyone struggling with cocaine addiction or chronic cocaine abuse should seek expert assistance at a professional inpatient facility without delay.
