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Cocaine is classified as a hard drug and is illegal to possess or consume, but it’s often seen in a different light. Due to the stereotype of use among wealthy individuals like investment bankers or in rave settings, coke has a different reputation — that it’s safer to use than heroin or meth, and it’s less damaging too.
However, this is not the case. Abused by around 2 million Americans, cocaine has a small but significant presence in the United States.
And, according to research, its use may be on the rise, particularly among young adults. With potential health risks that include seizures, heart disease, stroke and mood disorders, ongoing use can come with serious problems.
Despite the pop-culture perceptions, cocaine is a dangerous drug and can lead to significant consequences when abused. If you or someone you love is stuck in a cycle of cocaine abuse, the time to get help to quit cocaine is now.
What are the Signs of Cocaine Abuse?
Cocaine is a stimulant that increases alertness and inspires feelings of euphoria due to an increase of dopamine in the brain. It can be snorted, smoked or shot.
Cocaine is stereotyped as a white-collar drug for its prominence in the 1980s among investment bankers, who used it to stay awake long hours while working. However, in other forms, like crack cocaine or cocaine in a hard rock-like substance that can be cut with other materials, cocaine doesn’t enjoy the same reputation. Regardless of form, its effects are pleasing, but the risks are serious.
Cocaine abuse can manifest in different ways, but those using cocaine often display symptoms like:
- Erratic behavior
- Extreme excitability
- Paranoia
- Loss of appetite
- Overconfidence
- Dilated pupils
- Inability to sleep
Many signs of persistent abuse manifest in behavioral ways. If you see any of these effects in yourself or your loved ones, addiction may be at hand:
- Financial problems: Cocaine is an expensive drug and, accordingly, costs a lot of money. Dwindling savings, a reduction in income or any other financial issues when coupled with other side effects may indicate addiction.
- Disinterest in hobbies: When drugs take over, it’s not uncommon for hobbies and other interests to fall by the wayside. Users start to cancel plans, quit organized events and retreat into drug use.
- Relationship troubles: When drug use starts to dominate, it’s not uncommon to see the side effects manifest in relationships. Whether it’s strange behavior from drugs or financial issues from excess spending, cocaine abuse can strain even the best relationships.
- Lying and hiding activities: As drug use accelerates, it’s not uncommon for users to attempt to hide behavior, lie about plans or otherwise work to make sure their use isn’t noticed.