What is Crack?
Crack is cocaine in crystal or solid blocks form, with color varying from white to pale rose to yellow. It is heated and smoked, and is named for the popping or cracking sound it makes when heated. In all of its forms including crack, the United Nations regards cocaine as a schedule 1 drug. This labeling means the entire processes involved from manufacture to possession are illegal.
How does Crack Work?
When a person takes cocaine, it enters the bloodstream and gets transported to the brain, increasing pleasure and the brain’s mental alertness. Specifically, crack works by affecting dopamine neurotransmitters found in the human brain. Such transmitters control your feelings and how you experience pleasure. It causes accumulation of dopamine that fills you with good sensations and moods in a short amount of time.
Crack cocaine makes a person’s brain function at a higher than normal rate, making the body feel a little jittery.
Crack Tolerance
Crack is an extremely addictive drug that people tend to abuse. Even with a single use of cocaine, an individual may develop significant initial tolerance from the high it causes. Most cocaine users have reported they have not been able to achieve the kind of pleasure and euphoria they achieved during their first exposure to the drug. If you use cocaine frequently or heavily, it will become psychologically habit-forming for you. Crack addiction increases with every use.
What is Crack Abuse?
One indicator that someone is used to crack abuse is when he or she gets an urge to frequently or heavily use it so he or she can get longer lasting pleasure. Cocaine is a very addictive substance and if you use too much of it you will almost certainly become addicted. Experts consider a dosage of 1.2 grams to be lethal, and there are some reported cases where people that are hypersensitive to cocaine have died from a dosage of just 30 grams.
Is Crack Dangerous?
Crack is one of the most addictive and dangerous substances that you can ever use. No dosage, however small, is ever recommended for anyone. If you overdose cocaine you may become agitated, paranoid, and aggressive. Taking high doses of cocaine also results in several unpleasant effects including:
– Vomiting
– Dizziness
– Tremors
– Hallucinations
– Nausea
– Headache
– Heart Pain
There are several reported cases of people that died after first-time use of cocaine. Even if you are used to crack, you are not safe as it has unpredictable purity levels. The major problem with cocaine use is you become more addicted to it with every dosage your take and you will need a larger amount of cocaine to get to the current level of high during your next use.
Should I Stop Taking Crack?
Cocaine is a dangerous drug with adverse side-effects on your body, hence the earlier you decide on quitting the better for you. Also, the more you take it, the more addicted you become and the harder you will find to quit. It’s best not to ever try taking and if you already have, you should make up your mind to quit as soon as possible.
Crack cocaine is more addictive than powder cocaine and carries a heavier punishment. Being a Schedule 1 substance, you aren’t allowed to manufacture, buy or sell it. If you are found manufacturing, carrying, selling, buying, distributing, consuming, or using the substance you will face harsh punishment including a jail term and possible deportation if you are a non-citizen.
Crack is also very expensive so you will dig deep into your pocket with every purchase. Since the drug is very addictive, if you run out cash you might be might be pushed obtain money through unconventional means to purchase it.
The long-term effects of crack abuse include addiction, damage to the brain, and harm to the body. You have every reason to stop taking crack as the dangers outweigh benefits. So far the only benefit crack users have reported is getting high.
Who Abuses Crack?
Young Adults
Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that cocaine use is common among people aged 18-25 years than any other age group. Unfortunately, cocaine use has remained relatively stable over the past nine years. Of these, 55 percent are white, 37 percent black, 4 percent Asians, and 4 percent Hispanic/Latino.
Victims of Violence and Traumatized People
Crack use is correlated with trauma including childhood abuse and domestic violence victims. Statistics show that people with a traumatic past tend to use drugs such as crack to cope with it.
Veterans
Veterans tend to use drugs such as crack for their post-traumatic stress disorders.
Women
Women, including expectant mothers, tend to use drugs like crack so they can numb the pain of traumatic and violent life experiences.
Quitting Crack
If you have been using crack for at least 4 weeks, it’s strongly recommended that you don’t stop taking suddenly on your own, as this is likely to increase chances of a relapse. To achieve success you need to quit slowly under medical supervision. Quitting slowly ensures you don’t provoke intense withdrawal symptoms and severe cravings.
Seek medical help including emotional support and psychotherapy, during withdrawal. The doctor will monitor your progress and if necessary administer nonaddictive medication for underlying conditions such as depressive disorders and anxiety. By seeking professional assistance, you increase chances of staying clean.
Usually, after withdrawal is a period of “post-acute” or “protracted” withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). Symptoms for this period include sleeplessness, mood disorders, and trouble feeling pleasure. PAWS may last for half-year to one year after quitting. If you experience such symptoms seek help as quickly as possible.
Lastly, the surest way to completely treat crack addiction is by addressing the underlying emotional and psychological issues. Seek therapy that addresses past ways of thinking, trauma, or believes about you. Getting the substance out of your system is only part of the solution, you need to change the way you approach issues in your life so you can lead a completely drug and crack-free life.
