What Is Cocaine?
If you’re like most, you’ve probably wondered, “what exactly is Cocaine?”
Well in essence, cocaine and crack cocaine are among the most addictive and abundant illicit substances in the world. Powdered cocaine is frequently inhaled nasally or ingested sublingually (under the tongue), or injected. Crack cocaine is a rock based form and more concentrated than powdered cocaine and therefore more addictive. This powerful and addictive substance yields some pretty significant data that underlines its addictive potential.
According to a 2021 report by SAMHSA, approximately 1.4 million people in America ages 12 and older have Cocaine Use Disorder. In this same study, just under 25,000 people died that year from an overdose involving cocaine. Both of these statistical points are increased from SAMHSA’s 2020 illicit drug report.
One important point to note is that cocaine is often “cut” with alternative substances to dilute the substance or increase its potency. This includes substances such as amphetamines, heroin, procaine and more. Occasionally, consumers overdose or die when they intake cocaine that’s laced with unfamiliar substances such as heroin or fentanyl.
How Does Cocaine Affect The Brain?
Cocaine affects the brain by hijacking 3 primary regions in the brain. First, cocaine affects the dopamine systems. Dopamine receptors are located throughout the brain and are responsible for not only pleasure and reward but also movement and motivation. Dopamine stimulation releases endorphins, which cause pleasure. The amount of dopamine release depends on its cause. Cocaine releases an abnormally high level of endorphins resulting in intense pleasure, resulting in the desire to recreate that feeling of pleasure. The second is the central nervous system (CNS), which is responsible for involuntary and primitive functions in the brain. These include your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as basic involuntary movements. Lastly, the frontal lobe is drastically impacted by cocaine use. Your frontal lobe and prefrontal cortex are responsible for personality, emotions, executive functioning and more. It’s essentially the region of the brain that makes people who they are.
So how does cocaine affect the brain?
With prolonged use, cocaine will physically and chemically alter a person’s brain. The brain is incredibly efficient and recognizes the input of external chemicals. After continued use, it stops naturally producing dopamine because it’s repeatedly introduced through external sources. In cocaine addicts, it would be inefficient for your brain to naturally produce dopamine because it’s receiving dopamine externally. This causes low dopamine levels and tends to make people feel terrible. People report feeling no pleasure even when doing activities they would otherwise enjoy. To avoid feeling terrible, people will consume more cocaine or other substances to release dopamine. Ultimately, this will cause a cycle of dependency to receive pleasure and avoid feeling terrible.
Signs and Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction
It can sometimes be difficult to know if you or your loved one is struggling with cocaine addiction. Fortunately, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has stockpiled information on some of the most common signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction. We’ve included a majority of them below.
- Inability to stop using despite attempts to
- Deception about cocaine use
- Having to use more to achieve the desired effects
- Dilated pupils
- Increased heart rate
- Nosebleeds or frequently runny nose
- Paleness
- Loss in weight
- Increased excitability
Best Way To Treat Cocaine Addiction
As it currently stands, there’s no single best way to treat cocaine addiction. At the heart of the matter is time. People who are trying to achieve sobriety need enough time to let their brain heal and learn to work through cravings. For this reason, addiction professionals rely on various levels of care to provide people with the best chance of success.
After detox and residential treatment, clients will typically experience outpatient programs. These are the parts of treatment that usually last the longest. Outpatient programs consist of partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient (OP). Most clients will experience all three of these services and together, they last for roughly a year or so depending on the client’s needs. Additionally, most programs heavily rely on traditional clinical therapy such as: cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy. These evidenced based approaches teach people how to work with some of the most common problems they’ll experience in life. In conjunction with clinical therapy, medication management will also significantly help reduce relapse. Certain medications can help reduce cravings and stabilize people in most conditions they’ll experience. By and large, the best way to treat cocaine addiction is with a combination of clinical education and medication management.