Cocaine addiction can have serious effects on your physical and mental health. It can lead to extreme mood swings, financial stress, and difficulties maintaining employment. You may experience these symptoms even when you are not using cocaine. For this reason, cocaine addiction treatment should include treatment for any co-occurring mental health disorders.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that triggers behavior in response to previous pleasurable experiences. While it is often thought of as the brain's primary pleasure hormone, dopamine is also involved in behavior related to eating, working, emotion, and reproduction. It is produced by neurons and travels between brain cells where it triggers signals in neighboring cells.
Researchers have determined that chronic cocaine use changes the brain's ability to release dopamine. In addition, the addiction can alter the genetic instructions required to make dopamine molecules. This research, led by Dr. Little of the University of Texas, examines the molecular effects of cocaine on the human brain.
New imaging studies have shed light on the neurobiology of cocaine addiction, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying drug addiction. The rate at which dopamine increases in the nucleus accumbens is thought to be an important factor in the reinforcing effects of drug abuse. Increased DA levels increase the likelihood that an individual will pursue the drug of choice as a reward.
Physical dependence
Cocaine addiction and physical dependence are two different conditions. While addiction is a mental health problem that requires treatment, physical dependence can develop even without substance use disorders. Physical dependence develops after repeated exposure to a substance and may result in changes in the brain and central nervous system. These changes may cause the body to lose its ability to maintain its normal homeostasis.
People who are physically dependent on cocaine or another opioid drug should seek medical help to deal with the physical symptoms of withdrawal from the substance. The symptoms of withdrawal are very real and can cause a variety of problems. Often, a person with physical dependence on an opioid drug will need to take higher doses to experience the same effects.
While withdrawal from a drug is a common symptom of addiction, physical dependence can also occur without addiction. A person who is physically dependent on a drug may not seek it out, but if they stop suddenly, they will experience withdrawal symptoms. While withdrawal symptoms may be mild, they can also be debilitating and dangerous.
Tolerance
When you take a drug regularly, your body develops a tolerance to the chemical makeup of the drug. As a result, you require a larger dosage to get the same effects. In time, your tolerance can become unhealthy and lead to dangerous situations. The good news is that it can be prevented.
Cocaine is highly addictive. Even after a few weeks, it will create intense cravings. The brain will not produce the same levels of dopamine as before and the user may need to wait several days to feel the effects again. In addition, because cocaine is often combined with other substances, the effects of the drug may be harder to detect.
Tolerance to cocaine addiction develops when the drug is used repeatedly. The body builds up a tolerance over time by inhibiting the dopamine transporter, and the person will need more of the drug to get the same effects.
Long-term effects
Cocaine addiction has a number of negative effects on the body. It impacts the brain and nervous system and can cause changes that affect behavior. It can lead to increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Users also exhibit restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, and paranoia. Additionally, cocaine can cause bloody noses, as well as inflammation of the liver and heart. It can also lead to constricted veins and arteries, increasing the risk for heart attacks.
As a result, cocaine users' brains become adapted to the drug. The substance replaces neurochemicals such as dopamine, which the brain requires to perform basic tasks. When the drug is not present, the brain will stop producing these neurochemicals and will become dependent on an external source.
In addition, cocaine users' body becomes tolerant to the effects. This means that they need higher doses of the drug to get the same effect. Eventually, they build up a dependence on the drug and become unable to live without it. This dependence on the drug leads to addiction, which is characterized by compulsion to use it. About five to six percent of people who try cocaine become long-term users.
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