Cocaine Addiction Treatment in Northfield, NJ

Cocaine abuse and addiction affect millions of Americans. In fact, it is the 2nd most addictive drug in existence, behind only heroin. It also stimulates the brain in ways that result in someone constantly chasing that feeling, which is another major factor in it being so addictive. The short and intense feeling of euphoria becomes something that the brain craves and causes the person to use more and more in order to reach their desired effects.

Cocaine addiction can be particularly crippling. Once someone finds themselves hooked on cocaine it can take over their lives entirely. Their cocaine addiction might be so bad that they can’t go to work or school or they can’t even get out of bed in the morning without using first. Luckily, for those suffering from cocaine addiction, cocaine addiction treatment is available. Let’s take a deeper look at cocaine addiction and some of the treatment options that are available if you or a loved one are suffering.

What Is Cocaine?

Cocaine is considered a stimulant and as we touched on above, is highly addictive. Cocaine is derived from the coca plant and is commonly found in the form of a white, fine, powdery substance. Most cocaine found on the street though is not pure cocaine from the coca plant. Cocaine found on the street is often diluted or “cut” with another substance. Substances that are often used to dilute cocaine include baking soda, flour, sugar, cornstarch, boric acid, laxatives, or even talcum powder. Unfortunately, in some situations, it can even be mixed with other drugs in order to keep its potency but not cost as much to make. Oftentimes, when a person OD’s on cocaine it’s because it is mixed with another lethal substance, such as fentanyl and they are unaware of it and end up ingesting too much.

When people use cocaine they typically ingest it by snorting the substance. That being said, cocaine can also be ingested via injection or even by rubbing it on your gums. In all three cases, the cocaine hits the bloodstream quickly, and therefore, the person will feel the effects of it right away.

What Does Cocaine Do To the Brain?

When cocaine enters the body, it immediately attaches itself to the dopamine receptors in the brain. That’s why the effects are felt almost instantaneously. Dopamine is the “feel good” portion of the brain. When the body releases dopamine naturally, it allows us to feel good and be happy. When our dopamine levels are high we tend to be in a good mood, whereas if our dopamine levels are low we might be more irritable or feel more down. The dopamine plays a large role in telling our brain how to tell the rest of our body to act and behave.

When we rely on dopamine production the natural way, it will recycle back into the cell that released it, thus maintaining a proper chemical balance of dopamine along with the other chemicals that make up the brain. When a person uses cocaine though, it prevents the dopamine from being recycled, resulting in an excess level of dopamine building up. When the dopamine continues to build with nowhere to go and is not able to be recycled, this is how a cocaine addiction begins to develop. That’s because the brain starts to grow accustomed to all that extra dopamine and it gets to a point where it can’t function properly without it.

What Does Cocaine Do to the Body?

When someone begins to suffer from a cocaine addiction, it can wreak havoc on the brain and the body. Suddenly, they might find it hard to perform even the most basic of tasks without first getting high. Cocaine addiction can cause both short-term and long-term issues that a person might find themselves dealing with long after they have stopped taking the substance.