Cocaine is a Schedule II drug and regulated under the Controlled Substance Act. This means it possesses medicinal properties but is highly addictive. Today, it is no longer used in the medical context. Earlier, doctors used cocaine hydrochloride solution as topical anesthesia for patients suffering from upper respiratory tract problems.
How cocaine messes up with the brain
Presently, cocaine is popular as a recreational drug. A huge chunk of the population is addicted to this dangerous drug.
Cocaine addiction can cause the brain to stop producing dopamine on its own. It becomes dependent on the drug to release dopamine. Cocaine causes a surge of dopamine in the body, leading to euphoria.
This is not how the brain normally functions.
But, under the influence of cocaine, it releases a flood of dopamine. This makes you abnormally happy and confident. When you are under the influence of this drug you might do things that you would normally not do.
That’s why it is common to find cocaine addicts indulging in risky sexual behaviors, anti-social activities, and dangerous activities. Cocaine makes you shed your fears and inhibitions, even making you unable to differentiate between right and wrong. You do things on an impulse.
Cocaine diminishes your ability to think clearly, make good decisions, or even make decisions at all. You are more likely to do what somebody provokes you into doing. Your judgment takes a beating.
Prolonged use produces more serious results
Prolonged cocaine use can damage your brain seriously. It is almost impossible for you to feel pleasure or happiness without cocaine. This is because the brain is now unable to produce happy hormones on its own. It is dependent on the drug.
Without cocaine, you feel restless, depressed, and hopeless. This makes you take the drug again. You are trapped in a vicious circle with seemingly no way out.
Yet, there is a way out.
Places like the Maryland drug rehab center specialize in treating mild to severe addictions to drugs like cocaine and alcohol. So, if you believe you are trapped in addiction and have lost all hope, not so soon. Contact the center and give yourselves a chance to recover.
Treating addiction to cocaine
Reputable rehabilitation centers feature well-structured programs that help cocaine addicts go off the drug in a safe and comfortable manner. It is seen that combining medical-assisted therapies with behavioral therapies works wonders in helping addicts recover.
Generally, treatment begins with drug detox. This is to wean your body off cocaine gradually. Such an approach helps to ease withdrawal symptoms and cleanses your system to restore health.
Detox is done under strict medical supervision. Once the body has no cocaine in the system, the program subjects an addict to behavioral therapies.
The time for complete withdrawal and addiction recovery varies with an individual. It depends on the severity of the addiction. Some people may recover within a few months, while some may take upto a year or more to become fully confident to live without cocaine.
It does not matter what level of addiction you are in; it is never too late to start.