April 19th, 2012
The Dangers Of A Crack Dependency
Anyone who has ever been around someone on crack cocaine before knows what an incredibly powerful drug it can be. In fact, crack is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. Prolonged crack cocaine abuse can cause very serious health problems and even lead to death. If you or someone you know is fighting a crack addiction, it is vital that they seek medical intervention as soon as they can. It may be necessary to go through a detox from crack in order to get all of the toxins out of the person’s system. However, a detox should only be undergone with the supervision of a medical professional. Detoxing from crack can be a very painful process, and having a doctor there who can administer medications makes the process much more bearable.
Crack Cocaine
Crack is produced by mixing cocaine with baking soda and other elements. It is a way for drug dealers to take a small amount of cocaine and turn it into a large amount of crack that they can sell on the streets. When a person smokes crack cocaine, they receive an immediate and powerful high that lasts a few minutes. After that, they experience a very sobering comedown. This is why people get addicted to crack so incredibly easy. After that first hit, their bodies crave the drug on a nonstop basis.
Psychological Effects
Crack cocaine alters the brain chemistry of the user. This causes a sense of euphoria, or high. It results in supreme confidence, loss of appetite, heightened alertness, insomnia, rapidly increasing energy, and even potential paranoia. It releases a large amount of dopamine which creates the euphoric feeling. It’s normally a five to ten minute high, which when over, causes dopamine levels to plummet which leaves the user in a depressed state.
Physical Side Effects
There are many side effects when using crack cocaine, the short terms effects include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature as well as blood pressure and heart rate. In higher doses bizarre behavior accompanies the drug abuse and can even lead to violent behavior. Large amounts can cause tremors, vertigo, twitches, as well as paranoia. Toxic reactions can occur as well that resemble that of amphetamine poisoning. Most deaths associated with crack cocaine use are attributed to cardiac arrest, seizures, and respiratory arrest.
Crack Addiction
Crack is one of the most addictive forms of cocaine and one of the most addictive substances in the world. After a person uses crack for the first time, they will continue to chase that high until they either end up in jail, die, or go to rehab. There are no other options. There is no such thing as a functioning crack addict. Using crack, even one time, can be a very dangerous decision for a person to make. It does not take much for a person to have crack addiction.