Why Is Cocaine Addictive?
Cocaine is an addictive illegal substance described as a ‘white powder’ that is usually taken via snorting but it can be smoked or injected. Cocaine addiction is one of the hardest addictions to break free from and that is due to the powerful nature of the substance that makes people crave it. Taking cocaine can give the user a number of effects such as an intense ‘high’ where they gain a massive amount of self-confidence which makes them want to consume the substance over and over again to chase these highs but a cocaine addiction is severely dangerous and can be damage your physical and mental health.
But what makes cocaine substances so addictive? We’ve put together this article to help you understand more about cocaine addiction, the effects of taking cocaine and the importance of finding rehabilitation treatment in order to get you back to your healthiest version.
What Makes Cocaine Addictive?
There are a wide variety of factors that makes cocaine such an addictive substance to many people. One of the main reasons is that it gives a powerful ‘high’, especially to those suffering from cocaine addiction who will abuse it on a regular basis. Cocaine misuse causes dopamine to develop inside the user’s brain with constant use over an extended period, this produces a feeling of satisfaction for the person. Users have described that cocaine will give them a high sense of importance aswell and they feel more confident. The effects of cocaine can affect you shortly after taking it as it is a fast-acting drug.
All of these reasons make it easy for someone to develop a cocaine addiction, much like other addictive substances such as heroin, ketamine and more, the addiction will form because of a psychological process that has been labelled as a ‘positive reinforcement’ which is the pattern of behaviour to develop through getting a reward for certain behaviour. This is usually when someone will do something positive such as a treat at the end of the week after hard work but in the context of cocaine addiction, taking cocaine can cause a number of effects on your brain that people find to be positive.
Cocaine stimulates key pleasure centres in the brain which causes the release of dopamine in your brain which is the brains happy chemical meaning that the user will feel ‘pleasure’ through taking the substance. It’s because of these ‘positive’ effects that they feel when taking cocaine that they will retake the substance over and over again so that they can continue to chase these feelings which will ultimately always lead to a fully-blown cocaine addiction.
How Long Does A Cocaine ‘High’ Last?
When taking cocaine, you can experience a brief but very intense high. People can start to feel the effects of cocaine in as short as 5 minutes to 30 minutes and the effects can last from 20 mins to 40 mins. Due to the effects of cocaine being so powerful when the feelings start to wear off during this short time frame, it can make the user want to take more of the substance in order to get the same effects again. This means that cocaine addicts will build up a tolerance to cocaine very quickly and the comedown of the drug can become extremely painful to a user’s physical and mental state.
People with a tolerance to cocaine will take larger amounts of the substance in order to feel the same effects that they felt when they first took it but a tolerance will always lead to a dependency on cocaine where a user will seek out the substance in order to ‘function’ or feel ‘normal.’ As a result, cocaine addict comedowns can become extremely difficult to manage.
Why Do People Experience Cocaine Withdrawals?
Due to taking cocaine in large amounts on a regular basis, your body will start to become familiar with the substance and depend on it. When people attempt to withdraw cocaine from their body or go without it for a number of different reasons much like any drug they will start to experience withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms can range depending on the individual as you have to take into consideration the many factors behind it such as the severity of cocaine addiction, genetics and more.
People suffering from cocaine addiction will often attempt to withdraw themselves from the drug in order to quit but most likely relapse due to the withdrawal symptoms that they will start to experience as a way to cope with what they are feeling. Some of the withdrawal symptoms that a cocaine addict may experience are depression, anxiety, paranoia, vivid nightmares, intense cravings, nausea and more.
The ongoing cycle of abuse leaves you at a much higher risk of developing a cocaine addiction.
Getting Treatment For Your Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction is a serious problem that can be extremely damaging to all aspects of your life overall. The good news is that it is possible to treat a cocaine addiction and you can start to take the needed steps in order to recover and start living the life that you dreamed.
The first and most important step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem and that you need help – you shouldn’t see asking for help as a sign of weakness but as a strength, as you are finally ready to take back control of your life.
Through cocaine rehabilitation, you will undergo a medically safe detox which is the process of eliminating the substance from your body in order for it to heal. While in rehab, you will have the option to undergo certain types of therapy that will be able to help you understand more about yourself and get to the root of your addiction. All rehab programmes will be tailored to your situation and personality for the best chance of you recovering from your cocaine addiction.
Free 24/7 Callback Service
Start your journey today on the road to recovery by reaching out to our friendly addiction managers who will be able to tell you the best next steps in treating your addiction.
Free Callback Service
Our trained addiction counsellors are available 24 hours a day to help you