Cocaine
It is an all-too-common scenario: A person experiments with an addictive drug
like cocaine. Perhaps he intends to try it just once, for "the experience"
of it. It turns out, though, that he enjoys the drug's euphoric effect so much
that in ensuing weeks and months he uses it again -- and again. But in due time,
he decides he really should quit. He knows that despite the incomparable short-term
high he gets from using cocaine, the long-term consequences of its use are perilous.
So he vows to stop using it.
His brain, however, has a different agenda. It now demands cocaine. While his
rational mind knows full well that he shouldn't use it again, his brain overrides
such warnings. Unbeknown to him, repeated use of cocaine has brought about dramatic
changes in both the structure and function of his brain. In fact, if he'd known
the danger signs for which to be on the lookout, he would have realized that
the euphoric effect derived from cocaine use is itself a sure sign that the
drug is inducing a change in the brain. He also would have known that as time
passes, and the drug is used with increasing regularity, this change becomes
more pronounced, and indelible. Finally his brain has become addicted to the
drug.
And so, despite his heartfelt vow to never again use cocaine, he continues
using it again and again. His drug use is now beyond his control. It is compulsive.
He has become addicted. While this turn of events is a shock to the cocaine
user, it is no surprise at all to researchers who study the effects of addictive
drugs. To them, it is a predictable outcome.
No one ever starts out using cocaine with the intention of becoming a drug
addict. All cocaine users begin by trying it once or twice. Every cocaine user
starts out as an occasional user, and that initial use is a voluntary and controllable
decision. But as time passes and the cocaine user continues, they go from being
a voluntary user to a compulsive cocaine user. This change occurs because over
time, use of addictive drugs such as cocaine, changes the brain. At times the
change can present itself in dramatic and toxic ways. It effects others in more
subtle ways, but always in destructive ways that can result in compulsive and
even uncontrollable cocaine use.
Cocaine's recent notoriety belies the fact that
the drug has been used as a stimulant by people for thousands of years. Its
properties as a stimulant have led people in the past to use it in a number
of patent medicines and even in soft drinks. But cocaine's highly addictive
nature and addicts' willingness to pay a high price for the drug have propelled
it into the public eye. The crime and violence associated with its transportation
and sale along with the celebrity nature of some of its victims has kept cocaine
in the news.
In its pure form, cocaine is a white crystalline powder extracted from the
leaves of the South American coca plant. On the street, pure cocaine is diluted
or "cut" with other substances to increase the quantity, and thereby
increase the profits for its sellers. Cocaine users most often inhale the powder
sharply through the nose, where it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.
But it also can be heated into a liquid and its fumes inhaled through a pipe
in a method called "freebasing". Freebasing is also a common method
of using a form of cocaine called "crack". Crack resembles small pieces
of rock and is often called "rock" on the street.
Cocaine is highly addictive, especially in the crack form. In studies, animals
addicted to cocaine preferred the drug to food, even when it meant they would
starve. Many users report being "hooked" after only one use. The addiction
is both psychological and physical.
Users usually feel an initial "rush" or sense of well-being, of having
more energy, and being more alert. This effect quickly wears off, often leaving
the user feeling more "down" or depressed than before. This down feeling
leads the addict to use more cocaine, sometimes just to feel "normal."
Over a period of time, the amount of cocaine needed and the frequency of use
to achieve a "high" have to be increased. Feelings of depression can
become chronic.
Cocaine users frequently turn to other drugs to relieve the down feeling when
more cocaine is not available. When used together, these drugs and cocaine can
prove even more deadly than when used alone.
Despite a popular myth, cocaine does not enhance performance whether it be
on the job, in sports, at school, or with a sexual partner. On the contrary,
long-term cocaine can lead to loss of concentration, irritability, loss
of memory, paranoia, loss of energy, anxiety, and a loss of interest in sex.
The controlling effect cocaine has on an addict's life can lead to exclusion
of all other facets of life. A habit can cost an addict thousands of dollars
a week to maintain.
Breaking a cocaine habit is not easy. How long and how difficult a task
it may be varies from person to person. Treatment can be costly and the craving
for cocaine may persist for long periods of time.
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