Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant and topical anesthetic made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. Cocaine can be consumed in a number of ways, although the most popular form of using powder cocaine is insufflation through the nose. Freebase cocaine, or "crack", is almost always smoked and delivers a far more potent, but inversely short-lived high.
Short-Term Effects of Cocaine Use
As a powerful central nervous system stimulant, cocaine has a profound effect on the way the brain functions. Often used as a party drug, cocaine causes sensations of joy and euphoria. Adding to its party drug persona is cocaine's ability to eliminate fatigue and keep people awake, allowing them to stay up longer and dance longer. Not unlike amphetamines, a select few use cocaine while working to help them stay up, concentrate longer, and get more accomplished in the same amount of time.
After consuming a high dose of cocaine, marked differences in behavior often take place. Many cocaine users feel irritable while on the drug, and this, together with drug induced confusion and hyperactivity, can lead to irrational or violent behavior. Cocaine can cause hallucinations, usually auditory. Cocaine users often become paranoid and antisocial when using larger amounts of the drug, furthering their delusions and increasing their risk of injury. In addition to these mind altering psychological effects, cocaine introduces a variety of problems to the human body which can also be dangerous. Upon using cocaine, blood pressure and body temperature are raised. Perspiration and heart rate are increased, and these factors when in combination with the strenuous physical activity stemming from cocaine abuse can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. The risks of these type of health problems are especially increased in people who already have a heart condition or are at risk of seizure.
Compared to opiate withdrawal, withdrawal from cocaine is not nearly as dangerous to the user, although it is in no way a walk in the park. Cessation of cocaine abuse can lead to paranoid thoughts, loss of sexual drive, suicidal tendencies, and an overall sense of apathy. These symptoms are enough to tempt users to use cocaine just to get rid of them, and this self-medication often leads to a cycle of abuse, addiction, and eventually a dependency on the drug.
Cocaine's Long-Term Effects
The long-term risks of using cocaine are basically more serious versions of the short-term effects. Extreme restlessness and anxiety lead to a barrage of paranoid thoughts and violent mood changes. Insomnia is also common among regular cocaine users, as cocaine prevents the user from being able to sleep. This inability to fall asleep, combined with the other effects of cocaine can lead to dangerous weight loss while on the drug. When using cocaine by snorting it into the nose, health problems associated with insufflation can occur.
Although cocaine may seem like an innocent party drug, this is not the case. Nobody likes to party with a paranoid drug user who may at any time become delusional and violent. Not only that, but partying too much while on cocaine can lead to death from heart attack, stroke, or overheating of the body. This, combined with cocaine's addictive properties, makes it a very dangerous drug to abuse.
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