Individuals who are addicted to cocaine will exhibit certain side effects which are notable.
Commonly Overlooked Cocaine Addiction Side Effects
Besides the obvious fidgety, nervous, high energy behaviors commonly displayed by cocaine addicts, other less obvious side effects actually drive a person’s addiction and the resulting behavioral displays. Cocaine addiction side effects actually originate from altered brain chemical processes and progress outward from there.
As with most any addiction, the desired drug becomes the center of a person’s world, which is actually an obsession that’s driven by physical cravings. Cocaine addiction side effects take root in a person’s everyday behaviors towards self and others. Over time, cocaine addiction side effects start to cause considerable damage within different areas of a person’s life.
Cocaine-Centered Mindset
From a person’s very first dose, brain chemical reactions gradually evolve to the point where he or she develops a cocaine-centered mindset. Cocaine addiction side effects start out within the brain’s chemical processes and eventually invade a person’s psychology or behavioral approach to daily life.
Since neurotransmitter chemicals act as the brain’s unique messaging system between its various regions, any chemical imbalances that develop affect how the brain regulates body processes. Chemical imbalances can offset a person’s emotional status, cognitive functions as well as other vital bodily processes.
Cocaine addiction side effects not only maintain a person’s cravings for the drug but also have a desensitizing effect the longer a person uses. As a result, increasing tolerance levels mean a person must ingest larger and larger doses to achieve the same desired effects.
After a certain point, no amount of cocaine will produce the desired “high” effect, at which point a person continues to use in order to ward off withdrawal effects. Since cocaine’s effects have taken over brain chemical processes, the brain experiences withdrawal effects in the absence of the drug. Withdrawal effects account for many of the cocaine addiction side effects a person experiences, such as loss of appetite, anger and exhaustion.
Once a person develops a cocaine-centered mindset, relationships, priorities and obligations all take a backseat to the needs of the addiction.
Compulsive Behaviors
As cocaine gradually takes over a person’s daily life, cocaine addiction side effects often take the form of compulsive behaviors designed to maintain an addiction lifestyle, according to Bryn Mawr College. Important obligations, such as going out with friends or spending time with loved ones gradually get pushed aside to accommodate drug seeking and drug using behaviors.
Over time, a person’s overall demeanor tends to grow more and more frantic as his or her tolerance for the drug increases. At this point, angry or violent outbursts and drastic mood swings start to happen more frequently.
Quality of Life Issues
With long-term use, cocaine addiction side effects gradually alter a person’s overall personality and sense of purpose. Someone who’s always showed up to work on time may start to arrive late or call in sick on a frequent basis.
The same goes for financial obligations, as the need to finance a cocaine addiction requires fairly large sums of money, according to Columbia University. Being evicted from a home or having a car repossessed becomes par for the course as maintaining an ongoing supply of cocaine takes top priority over all other responsibilities.
In effect, a person’s quality of life shows a steady decline the longer a person remains addicted.