Cocaine is a stimulant that causes arousal, eases depression, induces euphoria, suppresses appetite, banishes fatigue and increases alertness. Typically, cocaine is smoked as cracked, inhaled or snorted, but it can also be injected. Dependence or addiction is usually caused by environmental or psychological factors, biological factors, and tolerance and withdrawal.
Environmental, Social and Psychological Factors
Environmental cues associated with abuse play an important role in cocaine withdrawal and continued addiction, according to the text “Drugs and Human Behavior.” What this means is that environmental triggers that evoke memories of cocaine euphoria may activate powerful drug-seeking drives. Additionally, cocaine correlates with previous marijuana use, notes “Drugs and Human Behavior.” This may be because the addict is part of a social substratum that encourages drug use. Many psychological theories propose that drug addicts self-medicate to avoid unpleasant feelings, circumstances, pressures and stresses and/or to feel better or high. The website DrugLibrary.org notes that mood disorders are more common in cocaine abusers than opiate addicts, suggesting cocaine is chosen for relief of mood-disorder symptoms. Additionally, according to DrugLibrary.org, cocaine has pharmacological properties similar to medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and therefore, individuals with ADHD may self-medicate with cocaine.
Biological Factors
Repeated drug use can alter the brain and result in long-lasting changes that are in large part responsible for the drug cravings and compulsion to use cocaine, explains the National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA reported research recently that shows that cocaine lowers availability of the dopamine D2 receptors in the basal ganglia, a key brain region for pleasure or reward. The consequences of this alteration may include addiction-promoting alterations in cognitive functioning and decision making, notes NIDA. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom reported in 2009 that a gene was discovered that increased the risk of cocaine addiction; therefore, there may be genetic factors that predispose a person to addiction as well.
Tolerance and Withdrawal
The short duration of cocaine effects is a key factor in the probability of addiction. Cocaine is psychologically addicting, particularly with heavy usage. A psychological addiction differs from a physical addiction in that when the drug is stopped, the individual feels an intense craving and need for the drug, but there are not harsh physical withdrawal symptoms like the convulsions, seizures and hallucinations often seen with alcohol withdrawal. “Drugs and Human Behavior” describes cocaine withdrawal as an initial intense crash in energy and mood followed by a period that typically lasts several weeks where the individual feels a loss of pleasure, lack of motivation and increased craving. It is during this time that individuals attempting to "get clean" often relapse. Tolerance is associated with positive effects diminishing and negative effects increasing, notes “Drugs and Human Behavior.”
References
- "Drugs and Human Behavior"; Tibor Palfai and Henry Jankiewicz; 1997
- Drug Library: The Self-Medication Hypothesis
- The National Health Service: Cocaine Addiction and Genes
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse: Cocaine
