alcohol and drug abuse treatment

What effect does cocaine have on the brain?
When a drug user trips out on the drug, they experience an indescribable euphoria that may be accompanied by delusions of great strength and endurance, increased mental capacity and an indifference to pain and hunger.

Is there a difference between recreational and chronic use of the drug?
A few hits of cocaine will not do serious long term damage but chronic users may suffer serious consequences such as strokes, attention deficit problems, memory loss, and difficulty in learning. Recreational users can usually sustain a somewhat stable lifestyle while chronic users become unstable in all of their ways.

Where does cocaine come from?
The drug is derived from the leaf of a plant that grows primarily in Bolivia and Peru and is called a Erythroxylon coca bush. The leaves are processed into a white crystalline powder and is called by many names such as coke, snow, blow, flake, crack, or simply C.

What happens once it is consumed?
It is commonly inhaled through the nose but the delivery that produces the fastest high is by smoking it in the form of crack cocaine. After ingestion, complex functions take place that includes neurons, synapses, and transmitters in the brain. A simple explanation: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is a naturally occurring chemical produced by neurons in the body that is responsible for producing the sensation of pleasure. Cocaine blocks the transmitters from moving the chemical out of the synaptic gap and creates a backup which elevates the level of Dopamine and thereby creates the euphoria that is experienced during a high. With chronic use, the brain adapts by neuro-adaptive processes within the circuits of the central nervous system and the brain becomes dependent on the drug to produce feelings of well-being.

What happens when the brain is denied the drug?
If denied the chemical, since the natural mechanisms of the brain that produces pleasure has been blunted or obliterated, the chronic user experiences symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, paranoia, and restlessness. This is when a vicious cycle of dependence starts.

What are the symptoms of an addict?
These may include severe moodiness, delusions, hallucinations and other maladaptive behaviors that hinder them from holding down a job, maintaining acceptable family or social relationships, or living a productive lifestyle. Many will become obsessed with obtaining the drug at all costs.

What should a person do when they become addicted to cocaine?
Once the decision is made to stop taking cocaine, it is difficult to simply give up the drug without any help from others. A call to the local mental health facility is a good place to start to obtain information and aide regarding drug rehabilitation.