What Are the Signs of Cocaine Use?
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that often hooks users after the first use. Commonly seen and used as a recreational drug, cocaine is highly addictive and takes over the lives of those who use the drug. To make matters worse, many cocaine users use other substances to enhance or negate the drug’s effects. Without professional help, the physical and psychological symptoms of cocaine addicts often turn life-threatening and even deadly.
If you suspect that a family member or loved one is struggling with cocaine use, knowing the signs of cocaine use increases the chances of them getting into rehab. This article will give you vital information on what cocaine is, the signs of cocaine use, and where you can find the right rehab that will help your loved one break the vicious cycle of cocaine abuse once and for all.
Arista Recovery is a Midwest drug rehab center that can help you overcome your addiction. Contact us today to learn more about our inpatient cocaine rehab center in Kansas City.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a substance derived from the coca plant indigenous to South America and the countries of Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. For thousands of years, natives would chew the leaves of the plant for its beneficial effects. To produce the powdered form of the drug, the manufacturers isolate the chemical cocaine hydrochloride from the leaves of the coca plant. Interestingly, this purified form of cocaine was used in many tonics and elixirs in the early 1900s. Currently, cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse but does have some medical benefits.
While many people are familiar with cocaine in its powdered form, the drug can smoke cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that is known as crack cocaine. Additionally, cocaine can also be dissolved in water and shot into the veins. Drug dealers will often mix or “cut” cocaine with additives such as talcum powder, cornstarch, and talcum powder as well as powerful street drugs such as fentanyl, amphetamines, or heroin.
How Addictive is Cocaine?
As already stated, cocaine is a drug that creates powerful feelings of euphoria, and users feel energetic, happy, and confident when under the influence of cocaine. When people use cocaine, they feel the effects of the drug very quickly. However, the high from cocaine lasts 5 to 30 minutes. Because its effects wear off so quickly, users repeatedly use cocaine to keep those feelings going.
As also stated earlier in the article, cocaine is often used in conjunction with other drugs. Common drug combinations include alcohol and cocaine, as well as heroin and cocaine. Depending on the drug, the effects of cocaine are amplified or negated. However, these drug combinations are highly dangerous and often lead to overdoses and death.
What Are the Signs of Cocaine Use?
If you suspect a loved one is using cocaine, the signs of cocaine use are seen in the physical, psychological, and social sense. When looking for signs of a cocaine user, the following are tell-tale symptoms in each of the three categories:
Physical
- Rapid heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Persistent nosebleeds
- Loss of appetite
- Bursts of high energy
Psychological
- A large and inflated sense of self and ego
- Wide and often unpredictable mood swings
- Agitation
- Depression
- Psychosis
Behavioral
- Continuing to use cocaine despite negative consequences
- Borrowing money or stealing money and property
- Using in isolation and being secretive about cocaine use
- Losing interest in activities, hobbies, or event
- Poor performance at work or school
The signs of cocaine abuse can be difficult to spot at first. Chronic users go to great lengths to hide their addiction; their symptoms can be similar to other illnesses or conditions. Additionally, the signs of the cocaine user can be difficult to spot if they have a mental illness in addition to their substance abuse issues.
Arista Recovery Can Help Your Loved One Overcome Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine often destroys the lives of the addict and those they love most. If your loved one is ready to kick cocaine addiction to the curb for good, the experienced and compassionate professionals at Arista Recovery are ready to help. We are one of the Midwest’s premier drug treatment facilities, and we offer evidence-based drug treatment programs personalized to meet your loved one’s unique needs. We approach addiction from a holistic perspective and believe in healing each client in body, mind, and spirit. Call Arista Recovery toll-free today and help your loved one overcome cocaine abuse for good.
