Cocaine Addiction Research Paper

It takes time for the body to produce more and when you use cocaine you can deplete your supply of neurotransmitters which are required for the normal day functioning of your body. This can cause feelings of depression and lethargy making it difficult to take pleasure in things that would normally feel good. It means that repeated use of cocaine or other drugs that interact with these neurotransmitters such as ecstasy or amphetamines will result in less return as the drugs will have no neurotransmitters to draw upon hence tolerance can easily build up on stimulants.

Cocaine’s primary effect on the brain is to produce “psychoactive and addictive effects primarily by acting on the brain’s limbic system, a set of interconnected regions that regulate pleasure and motivation. Initial, short- term effect- a buildup of the neurochemical, dopamine which gives rise to euphoria and a desire to take the drug again”(Nestler, 2005, p.4). This is normally seen in some individuals that draw in the drug like through inhaling. It gives them an instant increase in blood, and brain levels. It causes the individual to become addicted to this substance. Cocaine is thought to produce pleasure/reward like any addicted drug

One of the most common drugs use across the nation is Cocaine. Cocaine is classified as a stimulant, which is a group of drugs that cause short-term increase in the mental or physical state. Cocaine has a rich, long history dated back hundreds of years. The native people of South America first used it; they used to chew on it. The natives introduced this drug to the Spaniards when they landed on the continent. This lead to the research of Coca leaves a few hundred years later in Europe. Scientists sought o isolate and name the compound. After it was isolated, it was used as an anesthetic and other medical purposes for a couple of years. It was a useful anesthetic for eye and nasal surgery. However, today, it has very limited anesthetic use.

Addiction of cocaine has proven to be a lifetime addiction and there is always a possibility for relapse even after years of curtailment. These drugs have the ability to alter the physical makeup of the brain.

As a coach, I had a player, who was very polite and worked hard in practice. She was very timid around other teammates. She would stop in to talk to me and never had friends that I could see her relate to. Trying to fit in desperately, she was happy to be included in the “social” activities in college. She got pregnant and her boy friend and her were arrested for conspiracy to deliver cocaine and both sentenced to prison. This course states cocaine can cause an initial rush of pleasure that makes you alert, talkative and confident. With prolonged exposure to meth and cocaine, it can destroy up to 50% of dopamine – producing neurons in certain parts of the brain. This can lead to irreversible symptons of Parkinson’s disease. (Cocaine handout) After several letters from her in prison, she thanked me for being a good listener. I know her family closed their eyes thinking it’s not an addiction, but a social activity that they can quit at any time. This course explains how a higher level of dopamine on a regular basis is needed just to keep you feeling normal. Cocaine can make people feel paranoid, angry and hostile even when they are not high. Prolonged use causes sleep deprivation and loss of appetite. A person can become psychotic and experience hallucinations. It increases the risk that the user will experience a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure which can result in sudden death. (Foundation for a Drug-Free

It stimulates the central nervous system, which strongly influences the mind and body, which allows people to function far faster and efficiently while using cocaine. It also reduces the size of the frontal lobe, the part of the brain which is responsible for decision making and self control. People with larger frontal lobes are far less likely to become addicted to substances because they believe that the risks far outweigh the gains of addictive substances (Dept. of Psychiatry). The frontal cortex analyzes information and compares possible courses of actions. It allows people to skip certain things that they know are detrimental but might cause good feelings, such as drugs, to avoid their negative side effects. Cocaine impairs the frontal cortex, which makes people far less likely to avoid the negative substances in exchange for the good feelings of pleasure. When people begin to withdraw from the drug they experience many anxiety symptoms (Van Bockstaele). This is caused by the residue of the kappa receptor stimulation (Goodman). Cells are altered to change the conscious memories and desires of people into uncontrollable impulses that can be easily triggered. Triggers include seeing cocaine, seeing the tools to use cocaine, and then just seeing simple posters of cocaine (Nestler). It is one of the strongest drugs out there and thus it is one that most strongly affects the

It can cause respitory failure, stroke and heart failure. People who continue to use cocaine may show symptoms similar to schizophrenia, it can cause severe mood swings, reduce libido, weight loss and insomnia. It is estimated that 1.3 million people in the U.S. use cocaine every month (Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory 2003).

Cocaine has much impact on your body. Cocaine is a stimulant that increases your body,

Cocaine, also known as coke, is a very strong recreational drug. It is usually snorted, inhaled as smoke, or injected into a vein. A recreational drug is a drug that is used to induce an altered state of mind for pleasure. People usually feel the effects within seconds to minutes of use and they last between five and ninety minutes. After cannabis, cocaine is the most used illegal drug in the world.

Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that gives the user immediate effects that wear off quickly - often within minutes. The powder form of this illicit drug can be smoked, snorted, injected, or orally ingested. The rock form, crack-cocaine, is almost exclusively smoked.

The drug cocaine is one of the most powerful and harmful drug around. It is addictive and directly affects the brain. Cocaine is a social issue because people who are addicted to this drug walk around on the streets and others may feel as if it is a disturbance.

There are different types of effects this drug can cause which is short term and long term damage. Short term effects cocaine can cause a short lived. Other effects is intense high which is followed by intense depression, edginess and you start to get addicted to the drug. Cocaine increases the chance of heart attack, stroke, seizure or respiratory breathing failure. Long term phrase is

Cocaine is one of the many most addictive drugs that can ruin your life and health.

However, everything comes at a price, the short-term health effects are: constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, nausea, raised temperature and blood pressure, faster heartbeat, tremors and muscle twitches, and restlessness. The long-term effects of cocaine depend on how it is taken. If it is snorted effects include: loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing. Ingesting orally leads to severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow. If it is injected, the effects include higher risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases. However, those who use non-needle forms of cocaine are still at risk for STDs because cocaine affects one’s judgement so one may lead to unsafe sexual behavior. Long term effects shared by all forms of cocaine include: being malnourished due to cocaine’s appetite suppressing properties, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s, irritability, restlessness, and severe paranoia which can lead to the loss of touch with reality and cause auditory hallucinations. Along with all the previously mentioned effects, if someone becomes dependent on cocaine, withdrawal symptoms include: depression, fatigue, increased appetite, nightmares, insomnia, and slowed cognitive function. I personally know someone who has tried cocaine and here’s what they said on the matter:

Cocaine can cause dramatic change in moral code and can lead to bad decision making. But, it can also cause diseases to occur. Some of them are listed below.