About
What kind of drug is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant.
What are 5 of the side effects of cocaine use?
These are the side effects that can happen after even someone's first time using.
What is the definition of Addiction?
Addiction is defined as continued use of a substance despite negative consequences, addiction always carries a harmful downside.
What is Environmental risk factors
Like community crime and unemployment
Where does Cocaine come from?
The Coca plants.
What is Cocaine abuse?
Cocaine abuse occurs when a person recreationally uses cocaine, often with the intention of getting high.
A person who abuses cocaine is not automatically considered addicted to the drug, although they are at risk for addiction.
Even in the short term, a struggle with cocaine can have obvious negative consequences on your life. These include both the drug’s physical side effects and changes in your behavior.
List 3 of the short term effects.
Minority status risk factors
like discrimination and generational assimilation
What does Cocaine do to the brain?
It enhances the effects of a brain chemical called dopamine, leading to a sense of increased energy and power.
The increased impact of dopamine also causes the euphoric and pleasurable sensation of a “high” on cocaine.
What is Cocaine Addiction?
Cocaine addiction includes both physical and psychological components. Recognizing that cocaine addiction is complex and includes a physical and a mental component is key to understanding the addiction process.
List 2 of the long term effects and explain why these are long term instead of short term
Over the long term, the effects of a cocaine addiction can become even more pronounced, reflecting the toll that cocaine abuse can take on the body. People who snort cocaine can develop nasal problems like loss of smell and nasal damage, while those who smoke cocaine can develop lung disease. Bleeding in the brain and neuromuscular diseases like Parkinson’s Disease can also occur with long-term cocaine abuse. The brain often becomes desensitized to feel-good stimuli, a change that can lead to a decrease in mood and make it harder to feel happy.
When the body becomes used to the presence of cocaine, a phenomenon called tolerance, higher and more frequent doses may be needed to achieve previous results. Higher doses are more toxic than lower doses, so a person may be more likely to have side effects like seizures after a dose.
Family risk factors
like parental cocaine abuse and parental neglect
People who hear about the effects of cocaine may wonder, “Is cocaine bad for you? If it makes you feel good and have more energy, what’s wrong with that?”
So what is wrong with that?
By overstimulating your body, cocaine puts too much strain on your system.
What does it mean to be physically addicted to Cocaine?
Physically, cocaine is addicting because of an effect called dependence. As the brain and body become adjusted to the chemical changes that cocaine causes, they start needing cocaine to continue functioning normally. This need can lead to withdrawal symptoms when cocaine use stops. The body needs cocaine to continue normal functioning, so it creates cravings for cocaine that many people find irresistible.
What is speedballing?
smoked along with marijuana or injected with opioids like heroin, a practice known as “speedballing.”
Constitutional risk factors
like physical or learning disabilities
What are 3 other names for Cocaine?
What does it mean to be psychologically addicted to Cocaine?
Psychological addiction to cocaine occurs when cocaine fulfills a psychological need. For example, the increased energy and stimulation that cocaine causes may make the person using cocaine feel better about interacting in social situations. The high that cocaine creates may help someone overcome feelings of inadequacy or depression. The person then may have an urge to use cocaine because they link it with feeling better about themselves.
List 4 symptoms of Cocaine overdose.
Behavioral risk factors
like low self-esteem and delinquency