Cocaine Addiction Symptoms

Cocaine is one of the most abused illicit drugs in the world, because it is so physically and psychologically addictive. In fact, an estimated 1 in 7 people who are drug dependent in the U.S. are dependent to cocaine. Someone may begin using cocaine recreationally and not be aware how the drug will affect them, and that they may soon find themselves caught up in a full blown addiction to the drug. It is so easy to become addicted to cocaine because of the intense high that it causes and the drive that it creates psychologically to use more as soon as possible. Sooner or later, friends and loved ones will be able to notice subtle or clearly evident cocaine addiction symptoms. When this is the case, they must do everything in their power to help the person by getting them into an effective drug rehab program which addresses cocaine addiction because they won't be able to kick this addiction on their own.

Cocaine's stimulant effects are short-acting, which means that a cocaine high is extremely intense but it only lasts as long as 30 minutes to a hour at the most. This is the primary reason cocaine is so addictive, because users want to re-experience this high as soon as it wears off. Cocaine users who are addicted to the drug will therefore do just about anything to obtain it, including becoming engaged in either criminal or risky behaviors. And because a cocaine high is often a very sexually charged experience, it isn't uncommon for cocaine addicted individuals to become involved in risky sexual activities to either obtain more of the drug or in the course of being high on the drug. In fact, cocaine users who are seriously addicted to the drug often organize day long binges for themselves and others where the drug is used constantly, and this is often accompanied by risky sexual activity. So tell-tale cocaine addiction symptoms are very often criminal behavior and risky sexual behavior.

Because the effects of cocaine are short-acting, it isn't uncommon for individuals addicted to cocaine to go on extensive cocaine binges where users will acquire enough of the drug to last two or three days. Because the individual will use the drug repeatedly during this time, this raises their tolerance to the drug and they will typically have to take higher and higher doses to achieve the desired effects. While this is their goal, any cocaine user will tell you that they are never able to re-experience their original cocaine high, but always find themselves chasing it. So in an attempt to remain high on cocaine during these binges, individuals put themselves at risk of serious acute and long-term consequences. Some users experience psychosis and paranoia, and some may even experience full blown hallucinations. These types of binges produce anxiety in users which results in these types of side effects, and it therefore often winds up being a completely intolerable and un-pleasurable experience in the end. So if you think your friend or loved one is abusing cocaine and they are nowhere to be found for two or three days at a time, it is definitely something that is a red flag in terms of cocaine addiction symptoms.

Tolerance develops very quickly even with typical every day use of cocaine, and individuals always have to adapt their dose to achieve the effects they desire. Through chronic use of cocaine, the body adapts to the levels of feel good chemicals that cocaine is creating in the reward centers of the brain and central nervous system. If not repeatedly administered and adjusted for tolerance, individuals begin experiencing the opposite effects of a cocaine high, including depression and other symptoms. If someone who is dependent to cocaine abruptly stops use altogether, this too prompts negative feelings and what is known as withdrawal. The only way to turn this around is to take more cocaine, which is why it can be so difficult to stop a cocaine habit even with the best of intentions. So cocaine addiction symptoms associated with this withdrawal process become very evident when the person abruptly stops taking the drug. Depression, fatigue, aggression, hostility, anxiety, etc. are all symptoms of this and something to identify and confront the person with so that they can get help instead of using more cocaine.

Any type of cocaine use, whether occasional or frequent, puts users at risk of serious health consequences. Because the drug affects the cardiovascular system and central nervous system directly individuals who abuse cocaine are at risk of heart attack, stroke, the possibility of seizures and other similar risks. All of these circumstances can be fatal, a circumstance which is a possibility every time someone uses cocaine. To compound these risks, combining cocaine with any other type of drug including other illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol makes the risks mentioned above even more likely. In fact, most individuals who experience a cocaine overdose have more than cocaine in their system at the time. Cocaine in combination with alcohol is the most common culprit. Someone who is evidently experiencing any of the health issues mentioned above, particularly in combination with the other cocaine addiction symptoms, should of course seek immediate medical attention for any pressing health problems and of course seek treatment before these symptoms results in a fatal overdose.

Even though it can be difficult to stop using cocaine once someone has become addicted to it, it isn't impossible. Through effective treatment at a drug rehab program, individuals can get help through cocaine withdrawal and receive treatment services which will help them relearn how to get through everyday life without being high on cocaine. This may entail major lifestyle changes and addressing important issues which may have prompted their addiction, but all of this can be effectively accomplished in a long-term drug rehab program which provides an inpatient or residential stay. This will ensure the individuals isn't distracted from their program and they can concentrate solely on their recovery process.