How Do You Get Addicted to Cocaine?

How Do You Get Addicted to Cocaine?

The psychoactive properties of drugs account for the perceived benefits people get from using them. Some of these benefits include relief from pain and stress, alertness, and mood enhancement. Although short-lived, these perceived rewards make drug use appealing and might trigger subsequent misuse in first-time users.

The Pathway to Danger Cocaine Addiction

The pathway to becoming addicted is quite similar across most psychoactive drugs. Psychoactive drugs, when consumed, bind to receptors in the brain through which they exert their overall effects on the body. With repetitive use, the harmful patterns these drugs create in the brain are reinforced over time. The initiation and reinforcement of these patterns mark the onset of addiction and its many ugly outcomes.

Illicit drugs lie at the center of New York’s drug use crisis. The numerous overdose deaths, DUI-linked crashes, and health complications they bring about annually place a massive strain on the states’ human and capital resources. With the legalization of marijuana, cocaine and heroin now stand out as the primary illicit drugs consumed in the state. 

Cocaine As One of The Most Abused Drugs

Despite its high cost, cocaine is still widely used across the United States. In 2019, 5.5 million individuals reported past-year use of cocaine in the nation. However, a breakdown of the statistics reveals cocaine users aged above 26 years account for a greater fraction of this prevalence, with about 3.6 million users. Comparatively, crack cocaine use in this age group was recorded in about 700,000 individuals with adolescents and young adults, also account for relatively lesser prevalence figures.

Regardless of the method, repeated use of cocaine is a primary trigger for addiction. This onset of addiction from cocaine abuse results from the new patterns it creates in the brain over continuous use. Cocaine acts by raising the neurotransmitter dopamine to levels far above its threshold in the brain. Ideally, dopamine is recycled into the cells that release it after it exerts its effects. However, with cocaine use, this recycling process is inhibited, causing the neurotransmitter to build up in neural synapses. 

Numerous severe consequences come with cocaine addiction. Irritability, restlessness, respiratory infections, asthma, blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis are common examples. 

Finding Help for Cocaine Abuse and Addiction in New Jersey Addiction Resources

NJ Addiction Resources is your best bet for beating cocaine addiction in the United States. Our years of experience in the nation’s cocaine use dilemma give us an edge in identifying and leading you to first-class treatment centers located in your city or county. With the extensive network of rehabilitation centers, we work with across the nation, you would not have to worry about finding programs that overlap your interest or specifications. We have made provisions for addicted people to surmount most of the barriers to sobriety they face effortlessly. However, we are also willing to listen to your needs and tailor our recommendations to meet them.