Cocaine Abuse and Addiction
What does it take for a person to become dependent on cocaine? The answer isn’t as simple as most people would think.
For many users, cocaine use disorder begins to develop with the first interaction with the drug. Other people may dabble recreationally, taking a significant amount of time before misuse turns into a full-blown addiction.
Developing a dependence on any substance is never a good idea. However, cocaine can be more detrimental to your health over the long term than any other drug on the market.
In this article, we discuss the short and long-term effects of cocaine abuse, as well as the signs to look for when someone you love might possibly be suffering from a cocaine use disorder.
First, let’s examine in detail exactly what cocaine is.
What Is Cocaine?
In its pure form, cocaine is a white powdery or crystalline substance in chunks made of bright, flaky layers. Before it finds its way onto the black market of the United States, it takes a journey from South America, passing through many hands along the way.
Before being transformed into the white powdery substance most people are used to, cocaine begins as the coca plant. In a crude process involving water, gasoline, and lots of crushing and stirring, these leaves secrete what eventually becomes a paste.
Chemists extract cocaine from these various plant materials by using solvents, acids, enzymes, heat, carbon dioxide, vacuum distillation methods, and/or chromatographic techniques.
The purity level of cocaine varies greatly depending on where it was produced and sold. Most street dealers sell products containing anywhere from 10 percent to 90 percent pure cocaine. On average, street cocaine contains 20 percent purity.
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Common Ways of Taking Cocaine
In its final state, cocaine can be ingested in one of several ways. Individuals can insufflate (sniff), inject, and smoke this substance, leading to a fast-acting, very addictive high.
Once inside the body, it travels quickly throughout your bloodstream. Depending on the dosage, users report an intense rush of euphoria, alertness, energy, and a significant increase in heart rate.
Cocaine interacts with certain receptors in the body, causing chemicals like serotonin to be released in extremely high amounts. This release is what causes the high that users experience after ingesting cocaine. It’s also what causes “the jones” for cocaine after extended use, and the cocaine comedown that often arrives with an overwhelming urge to consume additional amounts of the drug.
After an extended period of regularly using the drug, a dependence is formed, ultimately leading to cocaine abuse disorder. This brings us to one of the most commonly asked questions regarding cocaine – what’s the difference between drug abuse and addiction?