A Clinical Guide to Cocaine Addiction Symptoms and Long-Term Effects
What Is Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine is mainly consumed in powder form, and it is made from the leaves of coca plants. The young adults primarily consume it. Consuming cocaine increases the dopamine level. When a person is addicted to cocaine consumption, the brain stops releasing this dopamine hormone on its own, and at that time, the body feels that it needs to take the drug to feel the same happiness. These habits eventually lead to cocaine addiction.
What Happens During a High Consumption
When someone consumes cocaine, it shows its effects quickly on the body and sometimes lasts for a longer time if overconsumed. Some of the physical signs are
One of the signs is that the pupil (the black part of our eye) gets enlarged, and the heart rate and blood pressure spike suddenly.
The person is filled with high energy. He speaks very fast and loudly, gets excited for no reason, and can do a task with great effort for a long time without being tired.
Sometimes the person can remain awake and without food for a long time.
Psychological and Behavioural Symptoms
Psychological symptoms
Always look for the situations that trigger cocaine consumption
Sometimes, extreme craving occurs and urges the brain to take cocaine immediately to pacify it
Mood swings and feels extreme irritation and anxiety
Lack of interest in anything and demotivated
A person often goes to the hallucination stage and develops misbeliefs and illusions.
Behavioural Symptoms
Spending a lot of time, effort, and money in buying and consuming cocaine
People are isolated from family and friend circles, and avoid people who don’t take cocaine, and join the groups where cocaine is distributed and consumed
Engage themselves in dangerous activities and even sometimes risk their own life unknowingly
Long-Term Damage: What Happens Over Time
If cocaine is consumed for a long time, it creates heart and lung problems. High consumption even leads to heart attacks. Suddenly, the pulse rate and blood pressure increase, leading to emergency conditions.
If cocaine is consumed by snorting through the nose, it can damage the nose, causing breathing issues. Sometimes even damages the tissues of the nose and causes bleeding.
Due to addiction, it squeezes the appetite and the patient consume vry less amount of food, and it results in weight loss by a large amount in a short interval of time.
The Symptoms after Withdrawal of Cocaine Effects
There are several cocaine withdrawal symptoms often seen in addicted persons. They are
Deep Exhaustion: After the effects of cocaine wear off, the body starts to crash. A person sleeps for more than one day continuously and still feels tired after waking up.
Depression: people feel more depressed after withdrawal of cocaine. They feel isolated from their family and relatives and remain sad most of the time.
Increased Hunger: During high effects, people don't eat food, and after withdrawal, they feel tired and hungry. As a result, they eat a lot of food at once, which causes stomach problems.
The Recovery path for cocaine addiction
People often search for how to get over cocaine addiction, but there is no such fixed treatment option for recovery. Doctor suggest specific therapy option according to the patient’s condition and needs. Several rehab centres offer customised programmes for cocaine addiction recovery. Along with the therapy, patients need to attend yoga and meditation and do mental and physical exercises to recover quickly. Recovery from cocaine addiction is possible with the right guidance, self-motivation, and strong support from family and friends.
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