StopCocaineAbuse

the self help recording

Side Effects Of Cocaine Abuse

Anyone who uses cocaine – whether it is just the once or continually over the course of time – is laying themselves wide open to experiencing the side effects of cocaine abuse.

These are many and varied, and no two people will experience exactly the same symptoms and effects. It is fair to say though that the longer you take the drug for, the more pronounced and severe the adverse effects are likely to be.

What do you experience when you actually take cocaine?

As with any drug, there are both short term and long term effects involved with cocaine use. One important point to note though is that if you have been abusing the drug for a long time, you will need more of it with each hit to gain the same effects that a much smaller hit would have given you initially.

The main reason many people try cocaine is to experience the change in mental state that goes along with it. You feel as if you don't need any sleep; you can be much more alert to what is going on around you, and your energy levels will be noticeably higher.

Apart from the mental effects, your body goes through a number of physical effects too. Your pupils will dilate and you will feel able to go much longer without any food. Many people describe the combined physical and mental effects of cocaine use as being like a "rush". And of course, it is this rush that encourages many people to take it again.

Ironically, it is not generally considered to be harmful to take a single dose of coke. But it is this fact that leads to the addiction. Because you think it isn't harmful and the side effects are pleasant, you won't worry about taking it again. But once the addiction has a hold of you, you will start to experience the harmful long term side effects of cocaine abuse.

What can happen in the long term for those who take coke regularly?

The main dangers come when the addiction increases. Cocaine isn't cheap when you continually need to take more to try and feel those same great effects you did the first time. This is why so many users end up stealing cash and belongings from other people, so they can carry on buying cocaine.

Both mental and physical problems can occur in this case, and these can be as severe as suffering from heart failure or problems with your respiratory system. Mentally, becoming paranoid and irritable are not uncommon with repeated use of this drug.

It is more difficult to quit the drug the longer you have been taking it, and the side effects of withdrawal are not pleasant. However the side effects of cocaine abuse are far worse in the long term, and many people who persist with their habit end up losing everything they used to hold dear in their lives.

That's why saying no in the first place is always the best solution.