Battling Addiction

By Ross Bainbridge

Cocaine, as a stimulant, mimics the action of chemicals the brain produces to send messages of pleasure to the brain’s reward center. Like adrenaline, cocaine increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. When the stimulation goes too high, it can also produce feelings of panic, paranoia, hallucinations, and rage that can even progress to potentially fatal seizures and strokes.

Treatments for cocaine addiction vary, based on a lot of factors including the severity and length of the symptoms, the amount of damage done from the cocaine use, and the rate of recovery. The most common symptoms of addiction usually noted are drug cravings, irritability, loss of energy, depression, fearfulness, wanting to sleep a lot or difficulty in sleeping, shaking, nausea and palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and increased appetite. These symptoms can commonly last several weeks — even after one stops using cocaine.

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By Ryan Bombard

Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant which instantly affects the brain after introducing it to the body. The effects of this drug are extremely pleasurable and give a false sense of euphria. Like caffiene, coke makes the user feel awake, and energized. Cocaine addict’s usually experience a sense of well being and feel ‘powerful’, combined with restlessness and anxiety. When the effects of cocaine wear off the user will ‘crash’, become depressed, and crave another ‘hit’ or ‘wack’. Cocaine addiction is hard to beat, because of the great length’s the user will go to get the drug. Some will even neglect their job, family and loved ones, in order to satisfy their craving for cocaine. This is one of the reasons why cocaine addiction is considered so harsh. It effects the user as well as everyone around him or her.

Signs of cocaine abuse include: change in mood, appitite and sleep cycles, depression, absence at work and home, running/ sniffly nose, new group of friends and a drop in school grades. Loss of interest in hobbys and other activities are also common signs of cocaine usage. Teenagers may also have a frequent need for money, without a good reason. Confronting the suspected user is the best solution. Cocaine addiction’s should not go overlooked and should be treated ASAP. Long term effects of cocaine include: irritability, mood swings, restlessness, paranoya, possible auditory hallucinations and the number one long-term effect is addiction to the substance itself.

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Alright, then, let’s get down to (show) business … Maybe he bit off a little more than he can chew: It says here in The Mirror that Mike Tyson checked into a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona for 30 days, and walked out after five. The former world heavyweight boxing champion is battling a cocaine addiction, and was looking for some tips on anger management as well …

[MORE: Tyson checks out of rehab early]

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