Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that drastically affects the mind, and its ramifications on the body are detrimental. Cocaine addiction is difficult to overcome. While recovery is possible, it is necessary to address the physical, mental, and emotional effects of cocaine to begin your recovery.
Regardless of how you ingest cocaine, there is no safe way to engage with the drug. Its highly addictive nature can cause immense damage to your body. Awareness of these dangers can help you better prepare for the necessary recovery journey ahead.
The Development of Risk-Taking Behavior
Cocaine’s effects on the body are closely tied with its impact on the mind. The use of cocaine can produce feelings of euphoria, an inflated sense of your capabilities that comes from the rapid onset of its intense high. These effects can cause you to act in an erratic manner, increasing the chances of engaging in increasingly risky behaviors. Cocaine use can also produce an overinflated sense of self-confidence or compromise your ability to process the dangers and consequences of your actions.
The anxiety, depression, and paranoia caused by cocaine can also cause you to behave in ways that are detrimental to your well-being. This includes but is not limited to hallucinations or imagining a threat or perceived danger, leading to increased irrational thoughts and reckless decision-making.
The Dangers Embedded in Usage
There is also a slew of adverse effects that are produced with prolonged use of this substance. Cocaine is an unsafe recreational drug that has a dire impact on your mental and emotional state. The administration of cocaine can cause track marks on arms or legs if used intravenously and can damage nasal canals from snorting or inhaling the substance. Consistent use intravenously can cause abscesses which can turn into blood infections that may turn fatal.
The sharing of needles can further exacerbate the dangers of cocaine even before the drug has been injected, with unsanitary practices putting you at risk for infection and disease. Many IV drug users expose themselves to contracting HIV and hepatitis C each time they decide to share a needle.
Cocaine’s Effects on the Body
Cocaine carries a number of physiological effects, each of which can be dangerous to the body. The use of the drug hijacks your higher brain function to create a high. It causes the brain to send rapid messages throughout the rest of the body, affecting your central nervous system.
Muscle twitches, spasms, hypertension, and intense pain akin to experiencing a heart attack are all possible side effects of extensive cocaine usage. You may also feel unable to regulate your body temperature, either feeling incredibly hot or cold as the body attempts to reach homeostasis.
Tremors throughout your body may also become prevalent. Tremors are a compulsive shaking of one or more parts of your body that are uncontrollable. As cocaine stimulates the mind and causes you to become restless, it can also compromise motor skills, mental focus, and emotional resilience.
Coping With High Blood Pressure
Cocaine also dramatically increases blood pressure and heart rate, causing your heart to beat irregularly as it becomes overtaxed by trying to keep blood flowing throughout the body. Coupled with cocaine’s ability to constrict blood vessels and the damage done to your veins as a result of track marks and injections, you put your heart into overdrive each time you get high.
However, these dangers to the heart can be even more extreme. Cardiac arrest can happen, especially during an overdose, along with the possibility of heart arrhythmia and stroke which can sometimes be fatal.
The Persistent Physical Effects of Cocaine
You do not have to be actively taking the drug in order to continue suffering from the physical ramifications of use. Chronic aches and pains, fatigue, and seizures can persist as long-term effects of the drug. Insomnia can also result from the use of the drug, and the anxieties and depression present can further add to your emotional, mental, and physical turmoil. Pains throughout your body due to muscle hypertension can be present even when you are not actively taking the drug. Nosebleeds can become increasingly common as well.
Cocaine is a destructive drug that affects your body as much as your mind. Recovery is always possible. Recognizing the physical effects of cocaine is instrumental in creating a personalized recovery strategy. No person is “too addicted” to recover, but addressing your body and mind in tandem is paramount in creating an effective recovery plan for a healthy future.
Cocaine is a highly addictive and exceptionally destructive drug. It affects all facets of life, including your physical health. If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction to cocaine and are ready to take the first steps towards a healthier, sober future, we at Avalon Malibu are here to help. Located in Malibu, California, we understand the unique and challenging recovery process associated with such a destructive drug and are prepared to help you address the physical, mental, and emotional effects that cocaine has had on your life. Your time with us can be personalized to fit your unique needs and goals with art, music, writing, mindfulness practices, individual and group therapy, and physical fitness programs all available. We can help you manage your recovery with dedicated attention to your body and mind. For more information on how we can help you, call to speak to us today at (844) 857-5992.
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