Summary:
Cocaine is the third most widespread drug being abused today, with people being attracted to the drug either for stress relief or the lure of easy money. Cocaine adversely affects the body both mentally and physically, and the road to recovery from cocaine addiction is long and extremely difficult.
Until recently, cocaine had the reputation of being a "safe drug." It was considered non-addicting and many people who had never taken any kind of illegal drug, started taking cocaine for "recreation." Today cocaine is the third most widespread of all of the abused drugs.(Hughes 44) To fully understand cocaine addictions one must first know the causes, the effects, and the available treatments for the drug.
The most popular cause for cocaine addictions is stress. (Landau 33) A lot of young people find it hard to deal with the everyday stresses of life, so they begin looking for something to make them forget their problems and make them feel better. The drug makes people feel rushed and anxious, therefore they feel like they can get a lot done, but in reality they are too disorganized to accomplish a whole lot of anything. (Landau 26) Another cause of cocaine addictions is "easy money." Most addicts start by selling the grug because it is an easy way to make a ton of money. In the United States, one ounce of cocaine will sell anywhere from $330 to $990. (SIRS Art 78)
Cocaine affects the body both mentally and physically. Cocaine affects the body mentally because it causes depression, hallucinations and paranoia, and it also changes a persons behavior, most of the time for the worse. People using large amounts of cocaine frequently experience a hallucination known as "coke bugs." During this hallucination they feel and see bugs all over their bodies. (Landau 31) One woman with "coke bugs" said she would pick bugs off of her arms and legs and put them in a glass of water besider her bed. When she woke up the next morning she found a glass of water filled with pieces of her own skin. (Landau 31) That leads to the physical effects of cocaine. Cocaine affects the brain in many different ways. First, it narrows the blood vessels, so the supply of oxygen and nutrients, essential to the brains functioning and survival, are cut down. (Hughes 44) Seizures and major convulsions also result from cocaine's direct effect on the brain. Cocaine may also interfere with the hearts pumping action. This can cause disturbances in the hearts rhythm. The heart may beat irregularly or stop all together.(Landau 28)
For cocaine addicts, the road to recovery is long and extremely difficult. Like dependency in general, dependency on cocaine never goes away. (Hughes 44) A reaction to cocaine in humans ends up being a way of life and even death. Withdrawals from any method of using cocaine result in deep depression, irritability, loss of energy, and intense cravings. (Hughes 44) To help fight these intense cravings the addicts must first admit he has a problem and then do something about it. Addicts can check into a Rehabilitation Center for help and support to get off of the drug that once ran their life. If this is what the addict chooses to do, they must first be purged of the drug by detoxification. After detox the addict may live at the Rehab Center from six months to one year until they are completely clean and drug free.
Now one can have a better understanding of the causes, the effects, and the available treatments for cocaine addictions. Remember, cocaine does more then harm your body, it runs your life.
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