What is cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant drug that comes in the form of a white powder. Street
names for the drug include snow, nose candy, coke, “C,” toot, and blow. People
snort cocaine through their nose or inject it into their muscles or veins.
Drug dealers mix it with other substances so they can have
more of the drug to sell. These “fillers” make the drug even more dangerous
because the user does not know how much cocaine he or she is taking. The fillers
also can add harmful side effects to an already unsafe drug.
What is crack?
Crack is cocaine that has been processed so that it can be smoked. Crack
looks like small pieces or shavings of soap but has a hard, sharp texture.
When a person smokes crack, cocaine reaches the brain more
rapidly and in higher doses than when taken as a powder. The user feels an
intense “rush” followed by a “crash” that can produce a strong craving for more
of the drug.
What’s so bad about cocaine and crack?
Cocaine and crack are dangerous for many reasons. Consider these facts:
Cocaine and crack use can lead to:
- Sudden heart attack
- Death
- Loss of sexual function
- Addiction, even after occasional use AND even after one try
- Brain seizures
- Irregular heartbeat
- Depression
- Stroke
- Violent actions
- Paranoia
A person who is addicted often:
- Loses control of his or her life
- Will do anything to get more cocaine
- Spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on his or her habit
- Loses interest in friends, family, and social activities
- Has a need to take the drug just to feel “normal”
Why do people become addicted to cocaine?
Cocaine causes chemical changes in the brain that control happiness and trigger
an intense craving for the drug. These chemical changes stay in the brain even
after the person stops using cocaine. They account for the extreme pleasure the
user feels, as well as the depression that occurs when the user stops taking the
drug.
Though an addict may further use cocaine to relieve bouts
of depression, an even stronger withdrawal state, called anhedonia, influences
addiction. Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure. The user can
overcome depression, but still feel as if he or she cannot enjoy life without
cocaine. Anhedonia can last for years, which is one reason why cocaine addiction
can be so difficult to treat.
What are the signs that someone is addicted to cocaine?
- Periods of severe depression, alternating with euphoria
- Weight loss
- Decline in personal hygiene or appearance
- Constant runny nose
- Frequent upper respiratory infections
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Loss of interest in friends, family, and social activities
- Loss of interest in food, sex, or other pleasures
- Hearing voices when nobody has spoken, or feeling paranoid
- Expressing more anger, becoming more impatient or nervous
- Hallucinations
- Money trouble
- Stealing
- Selling personal possessions
How can I help someone who is addicted?
Most drug users deny that they have a problem and push family and friends away.
You may feel helpless, frustrated, and unable to cope. You can get help by
contacting a local drug abuse treatment center. You should also:
- Maintain established limits and rules. Don’t change your actions to suit the needs of the addict.
- Don’t cover up for the addict when he or she fails to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home.
- Don’t make excuses for the addict’s drug use.
- Don’t lend money for drugs.
- Encourage the user to seek help.
- Get help from Alanon or NarAnon. These organizations are for family members.
How are cocaine and crack addiction treated?
Recovery often begins with “detox,” the body’s physical withdrawal from
cocaine. Physical symptoms of withdrawal can begin within a few hours and last
up to seven days. Withdrawal symptoms include:
- Extreme agitation and nervousness
- Depression and suicidal thinking
- Extreme craving for more cocaine
After the body is clean of cocaine and other drugs or
alcohol, the addict enters a counseling program. The goal of counseling is to
help the addict understand the effects of cocaine use, confront issues that lead
to drug use, and learn ways to abstain from cocaine.
Where can I get help?
For referral to drug and alcohol treatment programs in your area, call: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Helpline and Treatment: 800.234.0420.
© Copyright 1995-2009 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All rights reserved.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 8/21/2006...#4038
