Thursday, December 11, 2014

Cocaine Dependence

What is cocaine?

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, users cannot predict or control the extent they will continue to use the drug. The drug creates a strong sense of exhilaration. Users generally feel invincible, carefree, alert, and euphoric and have a lot of energy. The short-term and long-term effects of cocaine are equally dangerous. This is usually followed by agitation, depression, anxiety, paranoia and decreased appetite. The effects of cocaine generally last about two days. A form of cocaine with the street name crack is processed into a rock crystal and then smoked, most often using a pipe. Given the lower purity level and wider potential for introduction of other dangerous chemicals, long-term crack cocaine users may experience even more dramatic symptoms.


Cocaine Dependence


Cocaine dependence (or addiction) is a psychological desire to use cocaine regularly. Cocaine overdose may result in cardiovascular and brain damage such as constricting blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes and constricting arteries in the heart, causing heart attacks specifically in the central nervous system. In my opinion, nobody should depend on cocaine. Cocaine should not be used to solve any sort of problems. Yes cocaine is an addicting drug but this is one of the many mental disorders that you are able to control. If you don’t take cocaine to start with then you’re in the clear with this disorder. If you start on cocaine and keep doing it you’ll get addicted and with that addiction comes the mental disorder of cocaine dependence... You’ll be so dependent on that drug that certain people would do anything to get the money for it. The use of cocaine can also result in a loss of appetite, extreme insomnia and sexual problems. Heart disease, heart attack, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, and gastrointestinal problems are not uncommon among long-term users of cocaine. This mental disorder is treatable with therapy and you can stop it by not taking cocaine in the first place. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be an effective approach for preventing relapse. CBT is focused on helping cocaine addicted individuals abstain and remain abstinent from cocaine and other substances. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_dependence
http://www.mentalhealth.com/home/dx/cocainedependence.h 
http://www.timberlineknolls.com/drug-addiction/cocaine/signs-effects


5 comments:

  1. It's sad to hear some people depend on this terrible drug. It hurts them and the people around them. I learned a lot of new things from your blog about this addiction. I hope the people who are addicted to cocaine get help before they hurt themselves beyond the point of no return. Keep up the good work!

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  2. Yes Emily, i do agree, it is very sad that alot of people depend on this type of very dangerous drug to help them out. If they really need help they should depend on something else instead of a drug, especially considering how dangerous some of them can be. i do hope aswell that the people who are addicted to cocaine get help.

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  3. Mia, where I`m from you don`t hear much about these kinds of disorders so i was very interested to learn about all the side effects/symptoms. I agree people can control it themselves and there are many other things they can do to relieve their pain other than drugs. It is very sad to hear what happens to these people.

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  4. i know what you mean Emma, i wasn't aware that cocaine dependence was a mental disorder either. i wish that people would be able to depend on something better then cocaine. it is extremely sad to hear about this type of dependence.

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  5. Careful once again. Some of your phrases are identical to phrases from your sources. Without quotation marks, this is plagiarism.

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