Cocaine, a crystalline drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant, is a commonly abused central nervous system stimulant. It exerts its effects on the brain by interfering with the flow of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. The resultant disruption of normal brain chemistry causes psychological and physiologic effects that can lead to repeated use of the drug and, eventually, to dependence and addiction.
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant, increasing energy and speeding up thoughts; alcohol depresses the brain. Both drugs can activate the pleasure sensors in the brain, resulting in a feeling of euphoria. Alcoholism and cocaine add...
A cocaine addiction can be particularly hard for individuals to conquer. Offering a quick high and a stable street price, cocaine is considered an attractive drug of choice. Those interested in leaving cocaine behind also find ...
Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. The propensity for cocaine use turning into a serious addiction is high, based on the changes cocaine makes to the brain from chronic use. Withdrawal symptoms are often dis...
Dopamine triggers the portion of the brain associated with pleasure and movement. Over the long term, cocaine use may lead to addiction, as well as a host of additional medical problems, including heart attacks, strokes and hig...
Crack provides an instant, euphoric effect by acting on the midbrain, where it blocks the removal of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. The treatments for crack cocaine abuse can help break the addiction to ...
Cocaine is a highly addictive and abused drug. It is ingested by snorting, smoking or injecting it directly into the bloodstream. Once the cocaine reaches the brain, dopamine is released and creates a pleasurable feeling. Thr...
Researchers see case after case of cocaine addicts that lose their homes, their jobs and their spouses because of the drug yet continue to seek it on a regular basis. Eric J. Nestler, M.D., PhD reports in his article, "The neur...
Cocaine addiction affects about 1.6 million Americans and accounts for about a third of all emergency room admissions for drug abuse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy...
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 2,000 Americans start using cocaine each day. Unfortunately, due to the highly addictive nature of cocaine...
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant. Crack is specially processed from cocaine into rock crystals that are smoked. The dangers of crack cocaine addiction are many, and they can affect the bod...
According to the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, cocaine's addictive properties are due to its ability to increase levels of chemicals that arouse pleasure. Cocaine use leads to feelings of euphoria and high energy. Individu...
Cocaine is a drug that is commonly used for illegal recreational purposes. It is a powerful stimulant medication with a high potential for abuse and addiction in chronic users. Cocaine can be delivered into the body via differe...
Repeated use of cocaine alters the way the reward system functions in the brain. The long-term changes caused by repeated cocaine use causes cocaine addiction. Although cocaine addiction carries significant consequence to an in...
Chemical dependency treatment includes short-term therapy for withdrawal and long-term psychotherapy for psychological issues. Cocaine causes addiction that makes it difficult for the user to stop using. Drug addicts, no matter...
Unfortunately, because of crack's higher potency, there are serious dangers--health, social and economic--involved in smoking it, and users often need help in quitting the addictive habit.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse about 15% of Americans have tried cocaine, also known as coke, blow, flake, snow and C. Those who use it most are unemployed men in their 20s in urban areas. Cocaine is mostly a...
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.
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that can be smoked, injected or snorted. Crack cocaine is cocaine that has been mixed with baking soda or ammonia to form a rock of cocaine that is smoked and highly addictive. Crack cocaine user...
Cocaine produces an immediate pleasurable effect that makes the user energized for a brief time. Cocaine causes a number of health problems and can eventually lead to death if the abuse continues. There are several different tr...
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, a fact which often leads to long-term use, impacting every organ in the body from the brain to the skin. How the drug is ingested and abused is one of the biggest factors in how the skin will...
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that increases signals to the brain's pleasure centers. Long-term cocaine use can alter the brain's physiology and lead to addiction. As cocaine use continues, a tolerance to the drug develops, a...
Cocaine is a highly addictive street drug that produces a sense of extreme joy when it triggers the release of higher than normal amounts of biochemicals in the brain. The drug is classified as a stimulant and heightens energy...
Cocaine addiction affects the user physically, socially, emotionally and environmentally. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) indicates that treatment is hopeful for a cocaine addict and that many options are available ...
Drug treatment for cocaine addiction is a controversial topic. According to Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated there is no known drug treatment recognized for treatment of cocaine...
According to CocaineAbuse.us, about 1 million people in the United States alone try cocaine each year for the first time. For many of those people, one use is all that is necessary to form an addiction to the drug. Recognizing ...
What's the difference between a cocaine addiction and a caffeine addiction? Caffeine lasts longer. The "high" produced from cocaine only lasts from 5 to 30 minutes (depending on how it was administered), at which point another ...
The short duration of the high paired with the immense rush that comes seconds after use is the primary contributor to repeated binge use of the drug, increasing the potential for longer-term addiction. Cocaine is a psychologic...
Cocaine addiction produces both short- and long-term effects, making it a complex addiction to treat and cure. The addiction not only creates biological changes in the brain but involves a number of family, social and environme...
Cocaine is an addictive illegal drug that causes tolerance, withdrawal, preoccupation with the drug, unsuccessful attempts to stop use, severe cravings, and continued use despite severe consequences. It can also cause sudden de...
Withdrawing from cocaine isn't easy, but it's necessary in order to kick the habit completely. Rather than gradually reducing your dose of cocaine, which is a difficult and usually impossible means to end your dependence, it's...
