Psychological Effects Of Cocaine Research

Cocaine, a narcotic drug that took the entire world by storm in the 1980’s, has continued to find it’s way into countries all over the world. The drug is a highly addictive stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which is indigenous to the Andean highlands of South America. It comes in two main forms, powder and crystalline, also known as “crack” (“Cocaine Use and Its Effects”). Although the short term effects of cocaine seem somewhat harmless, the long term effects are devastating and have ruined the lives of many users. The short and long term effects of cocaine can be seen on Ishmael Beah, and his companions in the novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.

Some short term effects of Cocaine , is that it causes a high , then followed by nervousness, and a crave for more of it . People who use it usually have trouble sleeping at night, As they get very restless. It can make their heart rate faster, and the user could have muscle f its and shakings. The drug can make the users feel paranoid, fu rious, threatening and restless. He art attack, stroke, and a seizure are all other side effects of Cocaine.

The short term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. The short term effects on the brain are tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety

One of the most detrimental and addictive narcotics in the world today is cocaine. Cocaine dates back as early as 3000 BC. Ancient Incas used the coca leaves to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air. Native Peruvians in the 1500’s chewed the plant strictly for religious ceremonies. Andean Indians are believed to chew the leaves of the coca plant to increase their energy for work while decreasing their hunger and pain. It wasn’t until 1859 when a German chemist Albert Niemann successfully extracted the narcotic from the coca leaf. In the 1880’s, it was freely prescribed by physicians for “maladies as exhaustion, depression, and morphine addiction and was available in many patent medicines” (“Cocaine”), until users and doctors began to realize its dangers and side effects. While it was not fully understood at the time, cocaine has many devastating and lasting effects on the user.

Cocaine’s mode of action has been shown to involve the dopamine receptors. This paper will discuss how cocaine affects dopamine receptors, the mode of addiction, how cocaine affects the frontal brain metabolic activities, as well as the role of excitatory amino acids in cocaine’s mechanism. I will also discuss how cocaine affects another system through its mechanism on the brain—the renin angiotensin system.

often to beat, using cocaine can make the heart pump so fast that it damages the

This article focuses on examining how the brain effects cocaine dependent individuals and treatment. The first section primarily focuses on providing a biopsychosocial description of cocaine addiction or dependence based on recent research findings. This description includes a discussion on the evolution of cocaine dependence to become a major public health issue. This is followed by an evaluation of the social impact of the problem. The analysis is carried out on the premise on why cocaine dependence and

Studies have shown that acute stress disorder has prevalence between 14 percent and 33percent in people who have experienced severe traumatic events in their lives. Anxiety disorders are often more common in women than men and genetic factors may play some role, but specific genes have not been identified. Of course, risk factors ultimately determine the diagnosis including the loss of a family member, bodily injury, being depressed, and losing your home. The severity of the trauma and nature can alter the statistics of the disorder. The majority of individuals experiencing acute stress disorder recover completely. As stated before, if the symptoms are not resolved, a possibility of progression to post traumatic stress disorder can occur. The chances that a person with the diagnosis of acute stress disorder will develop posttraumatic stress disorder are about 80 percent. But, if they receive cognitive behavior therapy, the chance is decreased to only about 20 percent (Lindemann 1944). Now, when looking at the epidemiology of cocaine: more than 14 million people use cocaine worldwide, about 0.3 percent of the global population age 15 to 64 years old. The use is more prevalent in North America and Central and South America. The United Kingdom and Spain’s current use has reached the levels of the US. Most cocaine use is by

To understand the devastating effects of cocaine one needs to understand its history and how it became one of the most potent drugs in today’s society. Cocaine is extracted from the coca leaves and is one of the oldest and natural stimulants. Ancient Incas and native Peruvians chewed cocas leaves for religious ceremonies and to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air and air sickness prevention. To this day Peruvian markets sell coca products, from teas, soft drinks, cocktails and candy; its use is accepted and is an integral part of their culture and way of life. So the question one must ask is when did this natural product become a notorious drug that is abused by many?

In order to fully understand addiction, one must examine the pathways and circuits in the brain as well as the genetic attributions that form this type of behavior. It is important to note that addiction has various forms such as with substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs) and behavioral addictions (food, sex, shopping). With the forms listed and the many other types of addiction that are out there, they all contribute to alterations in brain structure and function. This article focuses on a particular addiction- cocaine addiction- and how it impacts gene expression and neuronal function. Like other substances of abuse, cocaine users have behaviors that cause them to compulsively take the drug with a loss of control in amount. Even with

Drugs have taken control over the lives of millions of people. From cannabis to heroin, and all the other drugs on the street, the one thing all these drugs have in common is how deadly they are. However, the one drug that is known to be deadly, yet so addicting at the same time is cocaine. Cocaine has developed over the years. This drug targets people of all backgrounds, the high affect’s people before, during, and after the use, and finally it does permanent damage to the body, if death caused by overdose does not occur first. No matter the cost, or how one will get inventory of this substance. People who have a serious need for cocaine will do just about anything for it to be in their possession.

Cocaine is one of the most highly abused drugs in the world. It is extracted from coca leaves, and mixed with other substances such as: corn starch, talcum powder, and/or other drugs, that results in a powder stimulant. While many users snort cocaine, it can also be ingested or rubbed on the gums, generally for its euphoric effects.

Abuser quickly develops a tolerance to the drug and must use more and more to obtain a euphoric effect. “Taking high doses of cocaine for prolonged use, such as binging, usually causes paranoia”. (DEA, 2011, pg.45). Using larger dosages or regular use, the risk of adverse

Although antisocial behavior is characterized by being alone, early exposure to drug use will eventually affect all forms of social relationships inadvertently (Trezza, Baarendse, and Vanderschuren 1721). Furthermore, any person young or old has a disposition to behave based on familiar environments. The relation between drug use and mental illness is lacking in substance considering how many studies have been done to show the correlation. Additionally, not only do social factors remain a clear aspect of drug abuse but also the acquiring of the drug (Trezza, Baarendse, and Vanderschuren 1721). Thus, drug use is hardly coincidental with sociopathic behavior, contrary to what the opposition

A lot of people link drug abuse with crime, at times even with violent crime. This association comes from psychopharmacological association that imply that people may engage in criminal acts after taking some kind of substance known to undermine their judgment as well as self-control result in paranoid thoughts and distortion of inhibitions (Sewell, Poling and Sofuoglu, 189). Though all substances that affect the central nervous system might result in this kind of relationships, scientific information indicates that some type of drugs have a more strong effect than others. Such drugs are alcohol, cocaine, phencyclidine and amphetamines (McCauley, Ruggiero, Resnick and Kilpatrick, 136). Inversely, cannabis and heroin are less associated with desire to commit