Cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The drug stimulates the nervous system. It was first introduced as an anesthetic in medicine. The drug is usually snorted and enters the blood through the nasal membrane. Administration can also done through injection into the blood. The injected form of cocaine reacts faster in the body than the snorted one.
Crack is a strain of cocaine that is smoked as opposed to snorting. It reacts rapidly in the body and is processed from cocaine hydrochloride. It usually occurs in the form of rocks, chunks or chips. Most users prefer smoking cocaine, as opposed to snorting or injection. This is because smoking is more socially acceptable and more hygienic. Cocaine is a type of stimulant which gives a false illusion of excessive strength and limitless power. Crack has the same physical effects as powder cocaine only that is has more rapid effects. The psychological effects are also more intense (Weiss et al., 2002).
Physical Effects of the Drug
Cocaine leads to an increase in the heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and breathing rate. This is usually because the drug causes constriction of blood vessels. With an increase in the heartbeat, there is a higher demand for supply of blood. These increase risks of strokes and cardiovascular incidents. However, excessive use of the drug leads to respiratory failure, strokes, and heart attacks. The body of the user becomes weak and, the body’s immune system is unable to combat infections (Grabowski, 1994).
At first, use of the drug leads to a reduction in appetite levels but, continued use makes the user more energetic and alert. Sometimes users of crack may experience hyperactive violence. Pregnant women may also cause a lot of harm to their fetuses by smoking crack. Drug use via injection may lead to spread of hepatitis and sometimes even HIV/AIDS.
Psychological effects of the drug
Use of the drug has psychological effects such as paranoia. Users may also become violent and erratic. One becomes confused, anxious, depressed and disinterested in sex and food. Hallucinations and loss of touch with reality are also common side-effects of use of the drug. High doses make the user delusional with incidents of toxic psychosis reported in some cases.
Depression is a common effect and usually sets in once the levels of the drug in the blood have reduced. Other common delayed effects of the drug are anxiety, fear, fatigue and restlessness. Common symptoms of cocaine psychosis include delusions such as insects crawling on the skin, hyperactivity, and visual hallucinations (Paredes, Gorelick &Stimmel, 1990).
Cocaine addicts usually neglect their families and even forget to fulfill their obligations. The affected families eventually struggle to acquire basic needs such as food, rent, and school fees. This may result in a ripple effect whereby even the children and other family members may start using cocaine as a way of relieving themselves of all the stress in their lives.
Consequences of use
Continued use of crack and cocaine may lead to addiction and dependence on the drug. The user may also fall victim to heart problems such as heart attacks, heart failure and irregular heartbeats. The nervous system is also affected significantly. Seizures, strokes and brain infection may also affect perennial users. The tissue surrounding the brain is also damaged due to use of the drug.
The inhaling of smoke leads to accumulation of fluid in the lungs, respiratory failure and asthma. Users of cocaine also suffer sleeplessness, nausea, headaches, and sexual dysfunction such as erectile dysfunction. Fetal cocaine effects include low birth weight and head circumference at birth, higher risks of mental retardation and visual impairment and spontaneous abortion. Intravenous cocaine users stand higher chances of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and endocarditis. Users of cocaine stand to have more promiscuous behavior, increasing the risk of HIV\AIDS infection.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal from the use of cocaine is known as cocaine dysphoria, comedown or crash. It is usually accompanied by fatigue, muscular pains, and general fatigue. The user may also feel irritable, extremely hungry with instances of nausea. Psychological effects of withdrawal include suicidal tendencies, low self esteem, loneliness and depression.
A permanent form of psychosis may also occur in the long term. This comes with permanent loss of dopamine, long term depression, mood swings and symptoms similar to those of a person with Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasurable feeling such as satisfying hunger, thirst or sex. These disorders may even continue long after one has even ceased from using the drug.
Treatment of cocaine addiction
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a management option for cocaine addicts. It can be applied to a variety of behavioral or psychiatric condition. This therapy helps affected individuals to identify situations that may lead to use of cocaine, avoid such scenarios and cope with the problems and management of withdrawal symptoms of cocaine.
CBT is a short term approach to treatment of cocaine abuse and hence fit to the resource availability of medical programs. Evidence shows that its effects are durable and effective. It focuses on the immediate difficulties faced by cocaine abusers. It is also flexible and is suitable for different kinds of patients. It is compatible with other treatment measures such as pharmacotherapy (DIANE Publishing Company, 1996).
It involves functional analysis and skill training. Functional analysis involves identification of the patient’s feelings, thoughts and circumstances prior to and after use of the drug. This helps in the determination of high risk situations and even possible causes for continued use of cocaine. This also helps in the progressive analysis of the patient throughout the treatment.
Skill training is a program that helps the patient to unlearn old habits that arose due to cocaine abuse. It also provides a learning ground of healthier habits. It is aimed at helping the patient to break away from the addiction by coping with thoughts of cocaine while also helping him cope with other social problems such as stigma (Bickerstaff, 2009).
CBT aims at understanding who the patient is and his day to day activities so as to develop more functional analysis. CBT is compatible with other treatments such as pharmacotherapy. Groups, such as cocaine anonymous (CA) and alcoholics anonymous (AA) also help in the administration of CBT. The family also plays a key role in helping the addict to cope with his problem. This is through family and couples therapies.
In order to break away from the use of cocaine, the addict has to change most areas of his life. This may require a change of the environment such as change of residence, work and sometimes even friends. Activities such as active sports and group activities should be incorporated into the addict’s program so as to help him to cope with the new found free time. There are drugs available in pharmacies that clean the patient’s blood. Eating of a balanced diet especially one with plenty of fruit and vegetables helps in the detoxification process.
References
Grabowski, J. (1994). Cocaine: Pharmacology, Effects, and Treatment of Abuse. Philadelphia.
DIANE Publishing.
Weiss, R., D. et al. (2002). Cocaine. Washington D.C. American Psychiatric Pub.
Bickerstaff, L. (2009). Cocaine: Coke and the War on Drugs. New York. The Rosen Publishing
Group.
Paredes, A.,Gorelick, D.A., Stimmel, B. (1990). Cocaine: Psysiological and Physiopathological
Effects. New York. Routledge.
DIANE Publishing Company. (1996). Cocaine Treatment: Early Results from Various
Approaches. Washington. DIANE Publishing.
