Crack cocaine is a very serious drug that can be very dangerous. It is a strong drug that stimulates the central nervous system, and will interfere with the release in your body of dopamine, which is the messenger that is associated with pleasure and movement. When the absorption of dopamine is compromised, dopamine builds up in your system, and this causes a continuous stimulation of neurons that are receiving information. This is the process that produces the euphoria associated with cocaine addiction. When these dopamine transmitters are not allowed to do their job, the person will have a build up of “good” feelings, which will result in a high. However, these good feelings come with terrible side effects.
However, this process also contains very dangerous physical effects. Cocaine users will develop constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and an overall increase in their temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. During the time when the user is experiencing the high associated with cocaine use, they will feel that they are being hyper-stimulated, and will feel less tired. They will also feel mentally clear at times. The faster the person takes the drug and it is absorbed into their system, the more strong and intense the high will be. The more the person uses crack cocaine, the less amount of time they will feel the high. This adds to the cases in which people will use more and more crack cocaine, and will eventually become addicted. For one, they are attempting to recreate the first time they used it, and for two, the down feeling that comes after the crack cocaine high has worn off is something that they do not wish to feel.
Some of the dangers associated with crack cocaine use besides the above mentioned include feelings of irritability, anxiety, and general restlessness. They may also build up a tolerance to the high, and therefore will want to use more crack cocaine because the high is never as good as it was before. They will increase their doses so that they can feel the high like they did the first time, and this can also make the user more prone to some of the dangerous side effects of cocaine use.
When a person uses cocaine repeatedly, and goes on a binge, where the drug is taken over and over again, with each dose being higher than the last, they might feel even higher levels of restlessness and anxiety, as well as feelings of paranoia. Sometimes, a person will develop paranoid psychosis, where they will actually lose touch with reality and might experience hallucinations. There are, of course, other complications that might be associated with crack cocaine use.
There will be an overall disturbance in the rhythms of the bodily organs, which include the heart and lungs. This might lead to heart attacks, as well as chest pain and failure of the person’s respiratory system. They might also experience strokes and headaches, and even seizures because of the overall disruption of the body systems. Often times, with crack cocaine abuse, there will be complications in the gastrointestinal areas of the body, which will lead to abdominal pain and nausea. Lots of times, people who use crack cocaine will actually become malnourished, because some of the side effects of the high include decreased appetite.
All of these combined factors make crack cocaine abuse among some of the most terrifying and hard to beat drug addictions. The best move is to never get started using crack cocaine. It will not end well.
