Long Term Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that is responsible for more emergency room visits than any other drug. According to WebMD.com, it is estimated that roughly 14 percent of American adults have tried cocaine. Cocaine acts rapidly on the brain and prevents naturally occurring chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin from being absorbed. While it increases one’s energy and gives the user feelings of euphoria it can also bring about depression (after the effects of cocaine wear off), paranoia and difficulty with both sleep and appetite.
What Are The Long Term Effects of Cocaine Use?
For those who are chronic long-term users of the drug, the long terms effects of cocaine include an increased risk of heart attacks and heart arrhythmia as can lead to strokes, seizures, headaches, abdominal pain, ulcers and nausea. Long-term effects of cocaine can also include significant impacts on kidney and liver functioning and users may also experience extreme weight loss. If cocaine is snorted, there can be permanent damage to the lining of the nose and with administration of the drug via intravenous injection, there are increased risks of contracting infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. Another long term effect of cocaine use for those who smoke the drug is an increased risk of respiratory infections and diseases.
Other conditions seen with long term effects of cocaine use include both visual and audio hallucinations, delirium and increased risk of developing psychosis. Irritability and mood disturbances are also noted with chronic cocaine use. Long term effects of cocaine use also extends to the deterioration of the blood vessels in the brain, severe tooth decay and sexual reproduction problems in both women and men. The long term effects of cocaine use can also include death.
These effects can be seen even whether an individual continues to use the drug or if cocaine use is stopped. The long-term effects of cocaine can vary in severity dependent on length of time used, quantity used, and if cocaine was used in conjunction with other drugs such as alcohol.
Unfortunately, cocaine is a highly reinforcing drug that can create powerful cravings and often cause people to continue to bounce in and out of addiction treatment centers. With these powerful cravings have a foundation after the first use of the drug, the cravings themselves a prominent feature in regards to the long term effects of cocaine. In order to manage the cravings and prevent relapse, the former cocaine user must manage three key areas, which are outlined by substance abuse expert Terence Gorski:
- The Set-Up Behaviors—includes the physical, psychological, and social elements that can set the stage for cravings and relapse
- Trigger Events—those events that can lead to immediate craving and can include thoughts, feelings, behaviors and situations
- The Craving Cycle—includes obsessing about use, compulsive thoughts, craving and ultimately engaging in behavior to seek out the drug.
The management of these three key areas is essential in the prevention of relapse and thus the long term effects of cocaine and cocaine use. Being active in a recovery program, knowing trigger situations, knowing and avoiding any of the “set-up” thoughts and behaviors and understanding the underlying motivations behind the “joys of using” are key components in prevention and thus minimizing the long term effects of cocaine in recovery.