I am sure you have heard this word a lot- Cocaine. What comes to your mind immediately? Umm, police, drugs, smuggling, etc, etc. I know, that’s because it’s been used illegally for long. It’s been talked about everywhere be it movies, news, or magazines. But do you actually know what it is? I mean about how it looks or its impacts on our body?
So, Cocaine is a drug that gives you a brilliant high followed by difficult downers, also known as a ‘celebrity drug’ or white powder or Coke. It is addictive in nature and substance abuse can lead to a mental health disorder and can also lead to permanent brain damage because cocaine withdrawal is very difficult.
It is derived from the coca leaf and is a stimulant and very addictive. You must have seen in movies how people snort, inject, or smoke it to get high. Actually, euphoria is created due to the increase in the dopamine levels of the brain.
Basically, it’s a recreational drug that is inserted into your bloodstream so you even need to take care of how you procure it because impurity can add to another set of problems. There are a lot of side effects of crack cocaine, both long-term and short-term.
Are You Aware of the Effects of Cocaine?
I think most people know that it is a form of addiction but how? Let me explain this clearly.
When used in a repeated manner, cocaine can lead to severe health problems even physical and mental dependence. Brain cells are significantly affected by cocaine addiction.
When you consume cocaine the dopamine level increases which gives a feeling of pleasure as it stimulates the pleasure centre in the central nervous system. Now after repeated usage, your brain becomes depleted of dopamine, which in turn requires you to consume larger amounts of cocaine to get the feeling of euphoria.
Structurally also the brain gets affected by repeated cocaine use which can lead to chronic headaches if the linings of the veins and the arteries are damaged because the blood flow to the brain becomes restricted. If the veins or arteries are damaged too much it can even lead to blood clots, which in turn can cause a stroke as well.
Consumption can also cause seizures, when you binge cocaine that can develop into a seizure disorder as well.
As a normal process, brain changes and gray matter decreases, but it is a gradual reduction mechanism that takes decades. It is complicated because it leads to dementia, memory problems, and even changes in cognitive abilities. However, people with cocaine dependence can lose gray matter in a faster manner, compared to a person who is not a cocaine user.
The level of glucose metabolism is reduced in many brain areas due to long-term cocaine usage, where the neurons might even die after underperforming. Cocaine leads to neurological stress and neurotoxicity which can also cause autophagy.
Cocaine Abuse Also Affects Your Heart
Cocaine affects the circulatory system a lot. Primarily it can lead to the constriction of blood vessels thus reducing the flow of blood by the heart into the body, creating more stress on the heart. Intake of cocaine in the body disturbs the concentration of sodium, potassium, and calcium and this disruption leads to irregular heartbeat due to interference with the communication system.
Long-term effects of cocaine on the heart include problems like the hardening of arteries and capillaries and in severe cases, it can even lead to sudden death.
Psychological Effects of Cocaine Lead to Behavioural Changes
Cocaine not only creates a dopamine imbalance but also impacts other components like GABA. Thus, causing psychological effects on the brain where agitation, hallucination, and paranoia are some of the most commonly occurring symptoms. Most cocaine users have paranoia, violent behaviors, and suicidal tendencies.
Cocaine Withdrawals
Any user needs to come out of this trap. The drug creates physical, psychological, and neurotic dependence in a person. The constant urge is driven by the fact that the high or the euphoria is short-lived.
Withdrawal is very difficult because the symptoms affect the brain in many ways. However, there are still devoted detox centers that now support many forms of help not just individually but also in a family, group, or case-based setting. There are more ways of pain-free rehabs now, where they help you to heal out of the withdrawal symptoms physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Derived from the coca plant, cocaine is a high-risk drug among other substances. It is an extreme stimulant consumption that leads to increased dopamine flow.
This leads to a lot of changes in the body like sexual arousal increase, abrupt talkativeness, and a zen-like focus and energy to work towards anything, the high however spiral down very brutally, and eventually, this addiction turns into a cocaine use disorder.
To prevent yourself from falling into it make sure you are aware of what are the effects of cocaine on brain function, respiratory system, and other body functions.
Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Pragya
Authors
It was insightful to know of the effects caused by the intake of cocaine.
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug, which means that it has high potential for abuse. The addiction of cocaine leads to death.
It is necessary to keep our loved ones and ourselves from this addiction.
it’s really worrying to see how much this drug messes with our brain. The article explains in simple terms how cocaine messes up the signals in our brain. It shows we need to do something serious about drug use and help people who are struggling with it. This information tells us it’s super important to teach people about drugs and find good ways to stop addiction for a better and healthier community.
This drug really messes up your brain and your body. I hope people read this and become more aware and stay away from this and other harmful drugs as well.