Psychological Effects of Cocaine Use
Richard Estes
Caledonia-Mumford High School
Abstract In this paper the many physical and psychological effects of Cocaine use will be presented to the reader. The reader will be able to see the rough timeline of Cocaine use and how it has evolved into the narcotic that is seen today. It will be clear to see just how much the theories on the drug has changed throughout history as a one point Sigmund Freud himself promoted the drug as healthy and could see no fault within its effects (UXL Encyclopedia of Science, 2015). In today’s world it is clear that cocaine is in fact dangerous and it is up to the reader to decide whether the physical effects or psychological effects are more drastic.
Psychological Effect Caused by Cocaine Use Coke, C, Toot, Flake, Snow, Booga Suga, the list of names goes on and on but one thing that all these have in common is that they all refer to one drug, cocaine (Feinberg 1984). Cocaine is a very addicting drug and contrary to early belief can and will cause gross psychological and some physical effects. The “wonder drug” as it was so affectionately called has turned out to not be wonderful at all. Cocaine use began roughly around the late fifteenth century, majorly anyway, when the Spanish began giving raw coca leaves to their workers as it enabled them to do massive amounts of work in their gold and silver mines (UXL Encyclopedia of Science, 2015). It was not
Cocaine is a stimulant drug that can be snorted, injected, or smoked. Cocaine comes from a Coca plant (Hart & Ksir, 2016). It can come from any of the four Erythroxylaceae plants, but it most commonly comes from the Erythroxylon Coca plant (Hart & Ksir, 2016). These plants are commonly grown in South America (Karch, 1998). Cocaine interacts with several neurotransmitters in the brain, such as “Dopamine, Serotonin, Gaba, and Glutamate” (Hart & Ksir, 2016). Upon consumption of the drug it also influences adrenaline reuptake and causes more to be released (Karch, 1998). Cocaine is a popular mainstream drug, it impacts the user positively and negatively, and has known stereotypes associated with it.
Cocaine originated from South America, from coca leaves. Originally, the coca leaves were chewed by workers to decrease fatigue, improve endurance and have a greater resistance to the cold. This was to benefit the workers so they could work longer hours and be more productive. In 1855 the active ingredient in cocaine was isolated from the leaves, and in 1880 it was used as a local anesthetic (Nunes,2006). It was also used in coca cola. In 1855, coca cola was a soda beverage that contained sixty milligrams of cocaine for every eight ounces of the beverage. The idea behind this was to give people energy and a sense of well being (Nunes, 2006). By the late 1880s Sigmund Freud was using cocaine regularly and was even recommending it to others.
The long term effects of cocaine are very extreme. Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty controlling the urge to use the drug and the perspective might change leaving the consumption of the drug as primordial. Cocaine’s stimulant and addictive effects are due primarily as a result of its ability to stop the reabsorption of dopamine by nerve
Studies have shown that acute stress disorder has prevalence between 14 percent and 33percent in people who have experienced severe traumatic events in their lives. Anxiety disorders are often more common in women than men and genetic factors may play some role, but specific genes have not been identified. Of course, risk factors ultimately determine the diagnosis including the loss of a family member, bodily injury, being depressed, and losing your home. The severity of the trauma and nature can alter the statistics of the disorder. The majority of individuals experiencing acute stress disorder recover completely. As stated before, if the symptoms are not resolved, a possibility of progression to post traumatic stress disorder can occur. The chances that a person with the diagnosis of acute stress disorder will develop posttraumatic stress disorder are about 80 percent. But, if they receive cognitive behavior therapy, the chance is decreased to only about 20 percent (Lindemann 1944). Now, when looking at the epidemiology of cocaine: more than 14 million people use cocaine worldwide, about 0.3 percent of the global population age 15 to 64 years old. The use is more prevalent in North America and Central and South America. The United Kingdom and Spain’s current use has reached the levels of the US. Most cocaine use is by
Coca is one of the oldest, most potent and dangerous stimulants of natural origin. It was first extracted from its leaves and isolated into cocaine in 1859. The drug rapidly became popular. But it took over 20 yrs. before it was popular in the medical community. Then, in 1886, coca leaves were an added ingredient Coca-Cola. Sigmund Freud, who used the drug himself, was the 1st person to promote cocaine as a tonic to cure depression and sexual impotence calling it a “magical” substance. He promoted the drug to friends, one of whom ended up suffering from paranoid hallucinations from it. He also had a patient die from a high dose that he had prescribed. In1905 snorting cocaine became
This article focuses on examining how the brain effects cocaine dependent individuals and treatment. The first section primarily focuses on providing a biopsychosocial description of cocaine addiction or dependence based on recent research findings. This description includes a discussion on the evolution of cocaine dependence to become a major public health issue. This is followed by an evaluation of the social impact of the problem. The analysis is carried out on the premise on why cocaine dependence and
One of the most detrimental and addictive narcotics in the world today is cocaine. Cocaine dates back as early as 3000 BC. Ancient Incas used the coca leaves to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air. Native Peruvians in the 1500’s chewed the plant strictly for religious ceremonies. Andean Indians are believed to chew the leaves of the coca plant to increase their energy for work while decreasing their hunger and pain. It wasn’t until 1859 when a German chemist Albert Niemann successfully extracted the narcotic from the coca leaf. In the 1880’s, it was freely prescribed by physicians for “maladies as exhaustion, depression, and morphine addiction and was available in many patent medicines” (“Cocaine”), until users and doctors began to realize its dangers and side effects. While it was not fully understood at the time, cocaine has many devastating and lasting effects on the user.
What is Cocaine? Cocaine comes from the leaves of coco plants. Cocaine is high addict
Cocaine has been shown to be the most common, most potent stimulant out there. It was found in the leaves of the erythroxylon coca plant in the Andean highlands, and it was used for many centuries as a relaxant and energizing tea by natives. It was used in surgeries to numb the nose, throat or eyes. It was useful in these areas because it constricted blood vessels and helped stop blood flow as well as acted as an anesthetic (Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory 2003). Today cocaine is still used in hospitals for the same reason. Cocaine was also thought to be used to treat depression, alcoholism, and addiction to morphine. It was sold in pharmacies in Canada until around 1911. It made a return in the 1960s. Cocaine is illegal and is sold
Cocaine, a narcotic drug that took the entire world by storm in the 1980’s, has continued to find it’s way into countries all over the world. The drug is a highly addictive stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which is indigenous to the Andean highlands of South America. It comes in two main forms, powder and crystalline, also known as “crack” (“Cocaine Use and Its Effects”). Although the short term effects of cocaine seem somewhat harmless, the long term effects are devastating and have ruined the lives of many users. The short and long term effects of cocaine can be seen on Ishmael Beah, and his companions in the novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.
Some people call Cocain a street drug. Cocaine can get very addictive . Some doctors
"Cocaine and crack are among the most addictive substances known to modern science, and they have already ruined the lives of millions of Americans" (Morganthau and Miller, 208). Cocaine and crack are both dangerous, harmful drugs. Though pleasurable effects can be obtained from these drugs, the use of crack and cocaine cannot be worth the actual consequences that are inflicted on mind and body. The bad effects of these drugs, by far outweigh the good. Because crack and cocaine are so closely related, it is important to have a firm understanding of both drugs.
In 1914 the Harrison Narcotic Act was enacted which restricted the usage of coca and by the 1930’s, consumption stood at an all-time low. Surprisingly the advent of another drug, amphetamine almost eradicated demand for cocaine, however similarly created a demand for other stimulants. During this period cocaine had been used primarily by what professionals touted as deviants and those who lived on the outskirts of society. In the 1960’s the cost of the white powder remained high therefore only a few were using it and other drug abuse was on the rise such as hallucinogens, barbiturates and amphetamines as a result little was being done around the addictive properties of cocaine. In the 1970’s cocaine abuse began to rise again and it was believed at the time that it was a relatively nonthreatening drug that was used recreationally. During that time the expense of the drug kept it as a drug that only a few could afford to partake in regularly. Prices came down as availability went up and afterward there occurred
A few nicknames for crack is Coke, Snow, flake, blow Cocaine will cause stomach pain headaches that make you shake go up or pass out cocaine will make you not want to eat cooking also raises blood pressure make your heart beat faster you could you could have a heart attack or stroke Some people might get the HIV virus or hepatitis if they use used needles they may forget this because of the drug high
The drug Cocaine alters chemical levels in the brain which can lead the user to have the ‘feel good’ factor.