
Risk Factors: Some factors can increase a person’s chance at developing an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Additionally, people who begin to experiment with drugs during their young teens are at a greater risk for developing addiction later in life. Additionally, those who abuse cocaine may be doing so in an attempt to self-medicate an unknown, inborn deficiency to certain neurotransmitters that regulate pleasure and activity.Įnvironmental: People who are born into families in which addiction and drug abuse is acceptable and prevalent may grow up to believe that using drugs such as cocaine is a normal way to cope with stressors of the world. Physical: It has been hypothesized that some individuals are born with temperamental qualities that predisposes them to develop an addiction to stimulants. While this is not a definitive indicator, genetics are believed to play a major role in addiction. Genetics: Individuals who have a first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, who has an addiction to cocaine or other substances are at a higher risk for developing an addiction themselves. The causes and risk factors for cocaine abuse may include: Most researchers agree that addiction to any substance like cocaine is the result of a number of different factors working together that increase the likelihood a person will develop an addiction to cocaine. Learn About the Causes and Risk Factors for Cocaine Addiction With repeated use, cocaine changes the reward system of the brain, leading to tolerance, addiction, and dependence on cocaine. This causes excessive amounts of dopamine to build up in the synapses between neurons, resulting in the associated high. Snorting cocaine crosses the blood-brain barrier more slowly, prolonging the high.Īs a central nervous system stimulant, cocaine increases the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain by preventing dopamine reuptake in the neurons. Smoking or injecting the cocaine causes a faster delivery into the bloodstream, allowing it to quickly cross the blood-brain barrier. The route of administration affects the duration and intensity of the pleasurable effects produced by coke.
What are the symptoms of crack addiction crack#
These two forms of cocaine can be abused in a variety of different ways crack cocaine is usually smoked, while powdered cocaine can be snorted or dissolved and injected. Crack cocaine is of lower purity and comes in a rock-like crystal, hence the name “crack rock.” The combination of heroin and cocaine is called a “speedball.” As powdered cocaine can be mixed with a number of things, it’s hard to assess the purity and strength of the dose, even those sold by the same dealer.

Sometimes this powdered cocaine can be cut with other stimulants such as methamphetamines or narcotics such as heroin. In the most pure form, cocaine is a white powdered substance that is usually cut on the streets with fillers such as lactose, baking soda, or lidocaine. This illegal drug is distributed in two forms: powdered cocaine and crack cocaine.
