Asking the question “is cocaine addictive?” may seem a little silly to some people. “Of course, it’s addictive!” some people will say, “how can anyone think anything otherwise?” Well, not everyone knows a lot about cocaine or addiction and its effects on the human system. Other individuals will only be able to think back on the one time their frat brother tried cocaine, and think “well, he never got addicted.”

The point is, addiction is a lot more complex than many of us give it credit for. And drugs like cocaine can react very differently in people, from one individual to the other. So, the question still remains then, is cocaine addictive?

About Cocaine, Definition and History

Originally derived from the Coca Plant in the 1850s, cocaine–also known as crack or crack cocaine–is a drug with a long history. First nicknamed “the wonder drug,” cocaine in its earliest days was used as a medicine to either “boost the spirits and vitality” of individuals, or as a type of topical numbing agent in cataract surgeries. For a short time, researchers, medical professionals, and scientists were excited to have found such an amazing, versatile medication to use in their everyday and specialized practices. The excitement was short lived though, as doctors began to experience an uptake in patient deaths, related to accidental cocaine overdoses in surgery.

In the late 1880s to late 1890s, cocaine was used in a different form, as an additive to a sugary syrup made by the Coca-Cola company. The beverage industry leader sold, for a short time, cocaine infused tonics. But the trend quickly faded out, and the company stopped using cocaine in its drinks by the year 1903. By the year 1914, the first attempts at managing cocaine and other narcotics in the U.S. was made by introduction of the Harrison Narcotics Act, which was employed in national drug legislation.

Yet, by the 1980s crack cocaine, in the form we are most familiar with, began to move its way through the popular drug market, as a crystal, rock-like substance that could be smoked or injected after a boiling down or dissolving period. By the late 1980s, a true crack cocaine epidemic had begun in the U.S., resulting in nearly 6 million chronic users and accounting for 60% of all drug related homicides in New York city alone. Today, cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance, due to its highly potent, stimulating nature.

Is Cocaine Addictive?

If you are still wondering whether or not cocaine is additive, the answer is yes. Cocaine is a highly addictive type of stimulant drug that increases an individual’s feelings of well-being in the short term, but ultimately hijacks and overrides their normal brain function, leading to addiction and some potentially life-threatening situations and circumstances. Typically, addictions form after long term substance abuse patterns and disorders have set in. But for cocaine, it is possible for a person to develop an addiction even after only one initial use of the drug.

Not all substance abuse patterns lead to substance use disorders and addiction, but many of them do. Not all illicit drugs and alcoholic substances have a high abuse potential, but crack cocaine does. It is possible to become addicted to almost any drug or alcoholic substance, it’s just that some drugs are easier to form addictions to than others. Cocaine is one such drug, that it is easy to form an addiction to. The best way to prevent addiction is through complete abstinence, but there are many ways for an individual to become addicted to drugs and alcohol.

The Causes of Addiction

If you or your loved one struggles with a crack cocaine addiction, or any other type of substance use disorder, we want you to know there is nothing for you to be ashamed of. Addiction can happen to anyone, the important thing is you have decided this is not the life you want to lead any longer, and you have decided to get help to treat your condition. Substance use disorders, even crack cocaine addictions, are chronic diseases that alter the chemicals in the brain, causing everything from mood / personality changes to financial, work, and home difficulties. Typically, addictions are formed over time with repeat abuse patterns in place, but every once and a while they can begin even after only one initial use of a powerful illicit substance like cocaine.

Of course, no one chooses to become addicted to a substance. Addiction is never intentional, even by those who choose to use drugs and alcohol recreationally. But addiction is a complex disease that can have many on-setting factors. Some of the most common on-setting factors for drug and alcohol addiction include:

  • Height
  • Weight
  • Personal metabolism
  • An individual’s personal genetics
  • Gender
  • Early childhood development environment
  • Current environment
  • Personal peer pressure levels
  • An individual’s family history
  • Personal use and abuse patterns
  • A person’s stress levels

Crack Cocaine Addiction Treatment and Rehab

Luckily, if you or your loved one suffers from crack addiction, or another type of substance use disorder, there are ways for you to receive help to beat your condition. Addiction may be a complex disease, but there are drug and alcohol rehab centers located across Florida, and the rest of the country, that specialize in addiction treatment. The rehab facility known as St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), is one such addiction treatment center, dedicated to helping people heal in as holistic a manner as possible. Of course, not every drug and alcohol rehab center are structured in the exact same way, but many of them offer the same basic types of treatment services and operate on the same basic founding principles. Some of the most common forms of treatment programs offered in drug and alcohol rehab include:

  • Medical detox
  • Inpatient / residential rehab
  • Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs)
  • Medication-assisted treatments (MATs)
  • Support groups
  • Outpatient rehabs
  • Intensive outpatient rehabs
  • Aftercare services

Of course, not every individual will respond to treatment services in the same manner, some people may need additional or complementary services to be added to their treatment regimen–which not every rehab center offers. It is for this reason that it is important for you to do some research on the rehab center you are looking to attend, before enrolling in the program, this way you are better to ensure you will receive the types of treatments and services you would like to try. At the end of the day, addiction is hard and treatment can be difficult and frustrating at times.

But there are rehab companies out there, like SJRP, that work hard to ensure you, or your loved one, receives the type of quality treatment that you need to overcome your addiction. Addiction and recovery can come with their difficulties, but the journey towards sobriety is well worth the struggles you will work through. Don’t wait another day to start your recovery journey, call today to find out more on your first steps so you can start healing sooner, rather than later.

References

  • History. Cocaine. (2018, August 21). (2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Research Report: Cocaine Research Report. What is Cocaine? (2016, May). (2020, December 10).
  • Justice: National Drug Intelligence Center: A Component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Crack Cocaine Fast Facts. Questions and Answers. (Accessed 2020, December 10).
  • U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Justice Programs. Promising Strategies to Reduce Substance Abuse. (2000, September). (2020, December 10).
  • Medline Plus: Trusted Health Information for You. Substance Use Disorders. (2020, December 3). (2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Publications: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide (Third Edition). Types of Treatment Programs. (2018, January). (2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Publications: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide (Third Edition). Principles of Effective Treatment. (2018, January). (2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Research Report. Cocaine Research Report. How is Cocaine Addiction Treated? (2016, May). (2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Archives. Drug Abuse and Addiction: One of America’s Most Challenging Public Health Problems. (Accessed 2020, December 10).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Drug Facts. Understanding Drug Use and Addiction Drug Facts. (2018, June). (2020, December 10).