What Is Cocaine?

With both anesthetic and stimulant properties, cocaine is a strong narcotic falling into a class of energizing drugs colloquially known as “uppers.” Most often snorted or rubbed into the gums, cocaine can also be smoked or injected for a powerful, rapidly hitting high. As cocaine interacts with the brain’s dopamine systems, physical addiction quickly develops, leading to physical – and psychological – cravings that perpetuate chemical dependency on the drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a stunning 15 percent of Americans had tried cocaine by 2008 alone.

The History of Cocaine

Derived from the leaves of a coca plant, cocaine has been used medicinally for centuries, largely because of its analgesic and energizing properties. As early as the 16^th century, cocaine intoxication spread throughout Europe, by direct ingestion of coca through chewing. Cocaine was first purified and isolated during the mid-1800s, followed by the synthesis of cocaine alkaloids, employed as numbing agents and anesthetics towards the end of the 19^th century.

As acceptance of cocaine’s medicinal properties grew, widespread and mainstream cocaine use increased. Cocaine became available in varied mediums, including smokable, powder and intravenous preparations, even famously finding its way into Coca-Cola soft drinks in minimal amounts. As the 20^th century dawned, however, the negative effects and addictive properties of cocaine led to its regulation. By 1970, widespread use of cocaine was banned in the United States, gaining it a place on the controlled substance list. Though illegal today in the United States, cocaine use – and ensuing addiction – still occurs, worsened by the 1980s epidemic of smokable, rock-form cocaine, known as “crack.”

Street or Slang Names

Cocaine’s long and storied history has led it to accumulate a wide variety of nicknames, particularly when purchased on the street. Common terms for cocaine include “coke,” “blow,” “candy,” and “snow,” inspired by the drug’s white, powdery appearance. Other names for powdered cocaine include “dream,” “dust,” “yao,” and “zip.” According to the National Institute on Chemical Dependency (NICD), street slang terms for crack – cocaine’s solid form – include variants such as “rock,” “ice cube,” “bad,” “ball” and “black rock.”

What Makes It So Addictive?

From the moment that cocaine is ingested into the body, it instigates a series of potent chemical changes in the brain. Acting on neurotransmitters, cocaine alters brain chemistry, causing the unnatural over-release of these powerful chemical messengers. As cocaine acts on dopamine – a brain chemical responsible for feelings of calm, well-being and happiness – the user experiences cocaine’s euphoric effects. Cocaine interacts with the ventral tegmental area of the brain (commonly called the VTA), lighting up the brain’s pleasure centers and reinforcing the drug’s euphoric associations. Cocaine also prevents dopamine from being recycled, continually triggering its ongoing stimulation and release.

Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Physical signs of cocaine addiction can range from subtle to obvious in nature. Symptoms of cocaine addiction can include dilation of the pupils, irritation of the ocular tissues, and tremors or twitches fueled by hyperactivity. Nasal passageways become particularly susceptible to cocaine use, largely because of the drug’s most popular method of ingestion known as insufflation (“snorting”). Congested noses and frequent or sudden bleeding from the nose are among the drug’s classic signs, sometimes culminating in a condition known as “coke nose,” marked by wheezing as the cartilage barrier (known as the septum) breaks down and deviates. Many cocaine users also experience formication – known among cocaine addicts as “coke bugs” – described as a phantom “crawling” sensation under or across the skin. Severe and rapid weight loss may also be apparent, resulting from cocaine’s appetite suppressing qualities, leading to the development of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

When users have fallen prey to cocaine drug addiction, those close to them often notice key changes in personality and behavior. At the outset, cocaine can cause addicted individuals to exhibit rapid speech, disjointed thoughts, attention span problems, and manic episodes fueled by delusions of grandeur – colloquially known as “cocaineomania.” Over time, mental and emotional issues may become more obvious, as cocaine addicts become prone to mood swings, anxiety attacks and severe depressive episodes. Complete transformations in personality can occur, leading cocaine addicts to become hyperactive, aggressive and even violent, engaging in classic outbursts of rage.

Another sure sign of cocaine addiction is often drug use paraphernalia used to facilitate ongoing cocaine use.

Health Concerns Related to Cocaine Abuse

Some of the long-term health concerns associated with cocaine abuse include:

Unfortunately, while the pleasure-oriented effects of cocaine may be more difficult to feel, cocaine users do not build tolerance to potential side effects, increasing the risk of serious damage or death with heightening doses. In particular, those who with a long-term history of cocaine abuse who have completed a period of abstinence may be at higher risk for unintentional overdose, as the body has lost ability to tolerate high doses from the past. Other risk factors for cocaine overdose include the intravenous injection of cocaine and drug cocktails that mix cocaine with alcohol, sedatives or other drugs.

Individuals exhibiting symptoms of a cocaine overdose should receive immediate emergency medical attention. Signs of a cocaine overdose include:

Withdrawal Signs and Symptoms

When cocaine is abruptly removed from the body – particularly after lengthy periods of use – the body makes an attempt to adjust to sobriety as it detoxifies. Often jolted by the fast-onsetting physical changes associated with sudden cocaine cessation, the body responds with telltale physical symptoms of cocaine withdrawal.

As opposed to the dramatic physical responses withdrawal to other street drugs can cause, many cocaine withdrawal symptoms are relatively subtle in nature. Physical withdrawal from cocaine can, however, include symptoms such as ravenous appetites (as the urge to eat returns), slowed reflexes, depressed motor skills and exhaustion.

Cocaine withdrawal can also have psychological symptoms as the brain experiences – often for the first time in years – the chemical imbalances cocaine has caused. According to the National Institutes of Health, mental symptoms of cocaine withdrawal are not always apparent to outside observers. One of the most powerful withdrawal symptoms associated with cocaine addiction includes powerful, overwhelming urges to use the drug again. Emotional disturbances such as mood swings, bouts of rage and anger, irritability, and deep depression can occur. Cocaine users experiencing withdrawal may also suffer from sleep disturbances (nightmares, hypersomnia or insomnia), lethargy and extreme paranoia.

Staging an Intervention

When someone you love battles cocaine addiction, time can be of the essence – and getting them into treatment can become a matter of life and death. Studies have repeatedly shown that how an individual enters treatment – whether of their own volition or by coercion from others – matters less than the duration and intensity of treatment they receive.

Cocaine Abuse Statistics

Cocaine abuse and addiction remain an ongoing problem across the nation. Here are just a few of the facts and figures surrounding modern cocaine abuse.

• More than 1.5 million American residents engage in cocaine use at least once every 30 days.
• Among 2009’s drug-involved emergency room visits, cocaine-associated health issues were responsible for more than 400,000 separate ER trips in 2009 alone.
• Among methods of ingestion, insufflation (snorting) remains the most popular way to intake cocaine, with smoking cocaine and intravenous use coming in second and third, respectively.

• Nearly 2.5 percent of US residents have engaged in some form of cocaine use over the course of their lives, according to the New York Times.
• An excess of 600,000 people in the United States struggle with some degree of cocaine use.
• More than 40 percent of those who use cocaine have become violent during a cocaine high.
• A mere 25 percent of addicted individuals who attempt to stop using cocaine without professional treatment get sober.

Types of Addiction Treatment

Once the decision has been made for treatment, drug addicts can begin the healing process with enrollment in a cocaine addiction treatment program. Most residential recovery programs will involve on-site detoxification facilities, some form of counseling, group meetings and wellness exercises. However, each addiction treatment option tends to have a distinct emphasis, each with their own dedicated benefits.

Get Help for Cocaine Addiction Today

At Axis, we specialize in providing hope and healing to clients who have struggled with long-standing addictions to cocaine. With a state-of-the-art drug detoxification program and intensive and progressive addiction therapies, clients undergo a total transformation as they achieve sobriety. Call us today to speak with a cocaine addiction intake specialist and learn how Axis can help you or a loved one finally break free from a life of drug addiction.