What is Cocaine Induced Psychosis?
If you or a loved one suffer from a cocaine addiction, you should learn about the dangers of cocaine especially cocaine induced psychosis.
Drugs come in many forms and can be administered in many different ways. Cocaine originates from a plant and differs in the forms and ways to be ingested. Cocaine is powered from, and Crack, which is solid form. They are both cocaines, so they are the same, but they look different, feel different, depending on the administration, and are sometimes viewed differently socially.
On the street, cocaine looks like a fine, white crystal powder. Dealers often mix it with cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase profits. They may also mix it with other drugs such as the stimulant amphetamine, or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Adding synthetic opioids to cocaine is especially risky when people using cocaine don’t realize it contains this dangerous additive. Increasing numbers of overdose deaths among cocaine users might be related to this tampered cocaine.
Even though it is illegal, users still crave the euphoric stimulant high it creates. There are many ways that cocaine can be used. One popular method is by snorting cocaine powder through the nose. Another is by dissolving the cocaine into a liquid and injecting it intravenously. Combining cocaine with heroin, called a Speedball, is another way.
Another Cheaper and Most Popular Way of Using Cocaine
The powder form is processed and concentrated to form a rock crystal (known as a crack rock or rock cocaine). The rock is heated up to the point of releasing vapors, which are then inhaled into the lungs (known as freebasing).
Cocaine is very easy to overdose from. In addition, it is commonly used simultaneously with other drugs and alcohol, which are deadly combinations and can lead to accidental overdoses.
How Dangerous is Cocaine?
Cocaine, when snorted, can be dangerous because enough use can cause your nasal structure to deteriorate, and the stimulant effects can lead to cardiac problems. When injected, the same goes for cardiac problems, but also you have injected cocaine with a mix of who knows what additive and not to mention you are at a higher risk of getting Hepatitis C and HIV.
Cocaine use can harm many different areas of your body. One of the parts of the body that cocaine can damage is your brain. Cocaine can hurt your brain by interfering with the way you understand the world around you. Doctors have known for a long time that cocaine can cause changes in a person’s mental status. One of those changes is psychosis, which involves losing touch with reality.
What Is Psychosis And How Does Cocaine Cause It?
Cocaine is addictive because it triggers the brain’s reward system like most things like sex, food, drugs, etc. The reward system causes a release of the brain’s chemical dopamine. Doctors believe that when too much dopamine is released, psychosis can result.
Psychosis Symptoms & Risk Factors
Being paranoid is often one of the first symptoms of cocaine psychosis. Some doctors think that the more cocaine you use, the more you will risk certain psychotic symptoms. For example, more cocaine use may put you more at risk for feeling objects (often described as bugs crawling) on your skin that is not there.
Other symptoms of psychosis include:
- Having false beliefs
- Being paranoid
- Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
- Speech that does not make sense
- Inappropriate behavior
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If you or a loved one have a cocaine addiction, we can help. Evoke Waltham Center is an addiction treatment program located in the heart of Waltham, Massachusetts. Our carefully developed vision of quality clinical care includes Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs.
Our medical, clinical and therapeutic team of experienced and compassionate professionals is available around-the-clock to treat all symptoms associated with addiction as well as the underlying causes. This addiction recovery experience is ideal for individuals ready for world-class drug or alcohol treatment who have been suffering from a substance use disorder.
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