Author: Alex Thompson

Cocaine Addiction: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Crack is a stimulant, and therefore a person who is using crack, and is high on crack, will increase their talking. When a person is high on crack they will talk more as well as increase their speed of talking. In addition, a person high on crack may jump from one subject to the next quickly, or may not make sense when they are speaking. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

These include people who also abuse alcohol and cannabis, as well as individuals who have depression. Tachycardia (rapid heart rate), arrhythmia (irregular heart rate or rhythm), and malignant hypertension (severely high blood pressure) can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or death. Acute kidney failure (rather than slowly deteriorating kidney function) is a life-threatening emergency that’s also common with cocaine overdose. The main complication of cocaine addiction is overdose, which results in cocaine toxicity. While cocaine can adversely affect every organ in the body, its most dangerous and life-threatening effects are on thecardiovascular system. The signs of cocaine addiction extend beyond the physical symptoms and also involve emotional and behavioral changes.

If you sense a person is using crack at all, even if they’re acting as if it’s recreational, it should be a huge cause for concern. If you seek an inpatient program, you would be in a supervised setting where you are not able to obtain or use the drug. When you stop taking cocaine, you can experience severe withdrawal symptoms that need to be managed. Unlike heroin and opioid drugs, there are no medications used to treat cocaine addiction. The treatment is focused on detoxification (also referred to as detox) and behavioral therapies. You might receive treatment with a pharmaceutical drug if you have a co-addiction that can be treated pharmacologically, such as an addiction to alcohol or opioids.

Long-Term Effects

Another dangerous consequence of mixing alcohol and crack is the production of cocaethylene in the liver when these drugs are metabolized simultaneously. A build-up of cocaethylene can lead to major stress on the organs, particularly the cardiovascular system and the liver. Cocaethylene also temporarily enhances the high produced from alcohol and crack; however, that euphoric effect can lead to increased blood pressure, aggression, and poor judgment. A build-up of dopamine means that crack produces strong feelings of alertness and euphoria. The high is immediate and intense but the effects only last for about 15 minutes.

If you notice a friend, family member, or other loved one demonstrating these signs, it could be because of addiction. Crack is a freebase form of cocaine that is processed using water and either ammonia or baking soda, until it forms a rock crystal that can be smoked. Crack cocaine is also known as “rock,” because it looks like small, hard shards of rock. People typically smoke crack by heating it in a glass pipe; however, they may also add it to tobacco cigarettes or marijuana joints. The term ‘crack’ refers to the crackling sound the crystal makes when it is being heated to smoke.

Since glass and metal pipes conduct heat, many users will experience blisters and sores on their lips and mouth area. Some users may attach a mouthpiece made of vinyl or other material to avoid this issue. For a person to be diagnosed with stimulant use disorder, they must be more than just a user. For this diagnosis, a person must meet at least two of 11 criteria outlined in the DSM-5 within the previous 12 months.

What is cocaine (crack)?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over 9 million people have reported using crack in their lifetime. In the U.S., it’s estimated that about 1.9 million people aged 12 and older currently use cocaine — 300,000 of which use crack. Injecting cocaine with unclean needles increases one’s risk of contracting hepatitis, AIDS, and other infections. If someone in your life has a crack addiction, it’s important to support them and help them find evidence-based treatment that works for them, Dr. Tetrault says. This is because repeated use of the drug causes the reward circuit of the brain to adapt and become less sensitive to its effects.

1. Cocaine is an addictive substance that triggers the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which produces a euphoric high.
2. This withdrawal effect is what makes crack addictive for physical and psychological reasons.
3. Cocaine can also cause other adverse effects, such as anxiety, crawling sensations on the skin, hallucinations, and paranoia.
4. Someone seeking treatment for a Crack Cocaine addiction will experience symptoms of withdrawal within the first few hours after their last dose.

Following initial treatment, some people are transferred to a drug-free therapeutic community (TC) for six to 18 months to reinforce coping skills in a community atmosphere. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that there are around 1.5 million current users of cocaine in the United States. The 2021 (U.S.) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) concludes 4.8 million people age 12 and older used cocaine in 2020. In comparison, the same survey results show 52.8 million people age 12 and older used marijuana and 1.1 million people used heroin.

If you think someone you love is using cocaine, encourage them to seek help. Ask a healthcare provider about programs and services for people affected by another person’s cocaine use. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that’s extracted and processed from coca plant leaves in South America. More commonly, people use cocaine to boost feelings like being energized, happy and alert. Cocaine is very addictive, meaning people seek out the drug and use it even though they know the choice comes with negative consequences. There are treatments for cocaine use disorder (cocaine addiction), but people often relapse and use it again.

This dangerous combination produces a more intense high than can be achieved via each drug individually. It can be difficult to know how to help someone who is using cocaine. Many people worry that intervening will drive their loved one away or will not make a difference.

It is highly addictive, and people can experience a strong craving for cocaine almost as soon as the drug leaves their leaves the bloodstream. Research suggests that the progression from use to addiction is strongly influenced by genetics. Studies suggest that the heritability risk for cocaine use disorder is 65% in women and 79% in men. Having a co-occurring mental health condition and exposure to environmental factors can also increase the risk of developing a crack addiction. By recognizing the signs of addiction, those who are addicted can identify the problem, seek professional treatment, and experience lasting recovery. Crack addiction is a substance use disorder that involves the use of crack cocaine.

What are the side effects of cocaine use?

People smoke crack with a crack pipe, which creates a crackling sound, hence its name. Since crack is a stimulant, a person on the drug will be more hyper and will have surplus of energy. This can cause a person to become extremely fidgety, and it will cause a person to have a difficult time sitting still. A person on crack can engage in various activities while on the drug. People who are addicted to crack have a chronic medical condition that requires treatment. It’s often not as simple as expecting a person to stop using it on their own, or thinking they’ll be better if they stop using it for a few days.

When someone addicted to Crack is surrounded by people who care, he or she is more likely to accept treatment. Considering how destructive the consequences of the drug are, the availability and widespread use of Crack can be surprising. The severity of the disorder can be classified as “mild” if two to three criteria are met, “moderate” if four to five are met, and “severe” if six or more are met.

What is Crack?

The reason, as mentioned, is the short amount of time the high lasts. This can lead someone who is addicted to the drug to take it repeatedly in a short time frame at escalating doses. The slang names for such high-frequency users include addict, junkie, crackhead and fiend. Signs that someone has potentially binged on crack can include extreme irritability, paranoia and anger. In some instances, a large amount of crack may lead to a complete psychosis, including a loss of reality and hallucinations.