Gabapentin is a prescription medication primarily used to treat nerve pain, seizures, and sometimes anxiety disorders. It is commonly sold under brand names such as Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant. Initially developed as an anticonvulsant, gabapentin has been widely prescribed for conditions like epilepsy, postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain following shingles), restless leg syndrome, and even off-label uses such as fibromyalgia and chronic pain management.

How Does Gabapentin Work?

Gabapentin works by affecting calcium channels in the brain, which play a role in nerve signaling. Unlike other pain-relief medications such as opioids, gabapentin doesn’t impact dopamine levels directly, which means that it does not produce the same level of euphoria or risk of immediate addiction. However, gabapentin does alter the way nerves communicate, making it effective in reducing nerve pain and preventing seizures. Gabapentin is used to help treat or manage the following conditions: Epilepsy: Gabapentin helps prevent seizures by stabilizing electrical activity in the brain. Neuropathic pain: It is highly effective in managing chronic nerve pain caused by conditions like shingles or diabetic neuropathy. Restless Leg Syndrome: Gabapentin enacarbil, a product of gabapentin, is FDA-approved for treating moderate to severe cases. Anxiety disorders: Some healthcare providers prescribe gabapentin off-label to manage anxiety and panic disorders, particularly in individuals who do not respond well to traditional medications.

Cocaine: Is This Drug a Stimulant or Depressant?

Is cocaine a stimulant or depressant? The DEA answers that this illicit drug is a stimulant. Yet, this stimulant also has depressive effects, which we’ll learn later. Most importantly, what makes it so harmfully addictive? Here, we not only answer the debate of stimulant vs depressant, but also the important question of how you can recover from cocaine addiction.

At Golden Gate Recovery in Novato, California, located in Marin County, we provide men with the tools and resources they need to recover from cocaine addiction. Without further ado, here are all the details surrounding cocaine’s effects and why it’s so harmful to the human body.

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is an extremely addictive substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant, which is native to South America. It is primarily found as an illicit drug that some individuals consume to experience euphoria. In rare instances, it is also utilized as a prescribed medication for anesthesia in specific surgical procedures.

As an illegal street drug, cocaine typically appears as a fine, white, crystalline powder. Street vendors occasionally adulterate it with cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase its apparent volume, thereby maximizing their profits. They may also combine it with other illicit substances. Another variant of this drug is crack cocaine, which is produced by heating cocaine to form a rock-like crystal.

Cocaine is a very powerful stimulant that accelerates central nervous system function to abnormal degrees. The drug stimulates dopamine release in the brain, resulting in excessive feelings of euphoria. However, these CNS and dopamine stimulations are the reason for its physical harm. These aforementioned impacts result in high strain on your vital organs, including the cardiovascular system.

Signs and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse and addiction have very tell-tale characteristics if you know what to look for. Seek the appropriate professionals if you notice any of these behavioral or visual indicators.

The indicators of cocaine abuse can differ significantly among individuals, influenced by factors such as the quantity of cocaine consumed and the duration of use. Some examples of symptoms that may manifest in a person abusing cocaine include:

Behavioral symptoms

Abrupt, unaccounted-for surges of hyperactivity
Unexpected, unprovoked instances of aggression
Engaging in high-risk activities
Dishonesty
Theft
Excessive, rapid, and enthusiastic speech

Physical symptoms

Regular nosebleeds
Enlarged pupils
Accelerated heart rate
Excessive perspiration
Rapid weight reduction
Reduced need for sleep
Seizures
Increased body temperature

Cognitive symptoms

Capacity for hyperfocus
Enhanced startle reflex
Heightened alertness
Psychotic episodes
Hallucinations
Delusional thoughts
Paranoia
Impaired judgment

Psychosocial symptoms

Abrupt, significant mood swings
Extended periods of mania
Excessive anxiety
Diminished enjoyment in activities other than cocaine use

Signs of cocaine abuse include the following:

Bloodshot Eyes

The most visual indication is perhaps severe redness or bloodshot eyes. This redness will often be prominent in cocaine addiction sufferers, regardless of whether or not they are currently under the influence.

Abnormally High Energy Levels

Cocaine has accelerated effects on the central nervous system and cardiovascular functions. This result is uncontrollable and irrepressibly high energy levels. They will exhibit this through rapid, unnatural movements and behaviors to include working at an unusually high rate. Take notice of anybody exhibiting overanxious energy levels that look out of place.

Rapid Speech

In correlation with abnormally high energy levels comes rapid speech. This is a common side effect of cocaine use and abuse that the user is unaware of. They may think they are speaking normally, but their speech will come across as rapid to indiscernible levels. If you observe any unusual behaviors of rapid, indiscernible speech, get them the help they need today.

Stealing to Feed Cocaine Habits

A cocaine addiction is a very expensive habit. Consequently, the addicted party may indulge in addiction-provoking behaviors to feed that habit, such as stealing money or possessions. This occurs when the mind and body have reached a level of dependency that causes them to become desperate to feed their fix. This addiction-fueled mentality often leads to resorting to stealing to feed their habit at any cost, regardless of the consequences.

Cocaine Eyes

The term “cocaine eyes” refers to the heavy dilation of pupils that occurs as a result of cocaine abuse. This is a very evident symptom, as cocaine’s dilation of pupils has the opposite effect that other drugs have. These large pupils are a tell-tale sign and should be met with swift action. Seek the appropriate authorities at your discretion if you observe this or the other aforementioned symptoms on this list.

How Does Cocaine Affect the Brain and Body?

The greatest way to get the motivation and confidence to seek addiction treatment is to understand cocaine’s negative bodily effects. Here is a brief rundown of the many mind and body strains that lead to permanent health defects in the long run.

Regarded as the most potent substance derived from natural sources, cocaine is available in both powdered and crystallized rock forms, and can be consumed through smoking, injection, or inhalation.

When individuals use cocaine, they undergo a high that induces profound feelings of euphoria and excitement by enhancing the release of dopamine in the brain while simultaneously inhibiting the brain’s pain receptors. Excessive use of cocaine leads to alterations in the brain’s reward system, which ultimately results in tolerance, addiction, and dependence.

Recognized as an exceptionally addictive substance, those who use cocaine frequently struggle to cease their usage. These individuals may begin to face disruptions in various aspects of their lives and their relationships. However, with appropriate intervention, effective treatment can be achieved, allowing individuals to regain a sober lifestyle.

Dopamine Overload

Cocaine’s chemical compounds block neurotransmitters that regulate dopamine levels. As a result, your body releases abnormal levels of dopamine, “feel good” cells into your bloodstream. These feelings of euphoria are very short-lived, causing a severe crash after the fact. In other words, after the initial rush of dopamine, your body goes through a “crash” recovery period in an attempt to restore natural neurobiological frequencies.

Body Crash

As alluded to at the end of the previous section, your body undergoes a severe crash after the initial euphoric rush. This means your body goes into a severe mental and physical depressive state to restore your body’s natural chemical levels. As a result, you will feel severe fatigue, lethargy, and even sadness as your body undergoes this difficult recovery period.

Neurobiological Dependency

Your brain is heavily affected by the presence of cocaine because it is considered a foreign agent to the body. Once your mind is exposed to cocaine’s chemical compounds, it feeds off the dopamine rush and adapts to cocaine’s alterations. In short, your mind makes room for this compound by neurologically requiring trace amounts of the drug to function normally. This is when dependency forms as your mind develops a dependency or craving for this drug. Without which, you will begin to experience very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Severe Withdrawals

Once dependency is developed, your mind and body acquire severe withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, you will begin to experience severe pain and discomfort throughout your body until your next dose. Only when your dose is satisfied do these withdrawals subside momentarily. This causes a dangerous and repetitive loop of substance abuse that is only recoverable with professional addiction treatment.

Cocaine and Mental Health: The Fine Line Between Euphoria and Despair

Cocaine’s euphoric sensations don’t come without severe mental health consequences. Unbeknownst to many, cocaine is the cause of many mental health conditions, some of which are irreparable. Below is a brief overview of cocaine’s effects on mental health.

Dopamine Overstimulation Can Cause Depression

This goes in direct correlation with cocaine’s fine line between euphoria and despair. That is to say, cocaine’s overstimulation of dopamine incurs serious mental health consequences through induced depression. When the body is perpetually exposed to overstimulated dopamine levels, the body often develops severe deficiencies leading to depression. Fortunately, you can restore some degree of neurochemical stabilization by seeking professional detox programs. Once your body expels this dependency from your body, your mental well-being begins the restoration process.

Cocaine Destabilizes Neurobiological Frequencies

Dopamine is not the only chemical affected by cocaine use. Neuropathways and other neurobiological frequencies are severely affected, causing drastic mood swings, fatigue, and other mental deficiencies. These effects stem from cocaine’s interference with proper neurotransmitter communication. This results in misfiring neurons, which can induce permanent mental defects with prolonged cocaine use.

Elevated Anxiety Levels

After the effects of cocaine wear off, the cocaine crash has adverse effects on anxiety levels. That’s because dopamine, which is also responsible for regulating mood and anxiety, is severely destabilized after the fact. This contributes to elevated anxiety in the absence of dopamine as your body attempts to replenish the dopamine lost during cocaine use.

Cocaine Causes Mental Health Problems

All of the factors mentioned previously are direct contributors to inducing several types of mental health problems. The elevated anxiety levels, destabilized frequencies, and dopamine deprivations associated with cocaine crashes are directly linked to personality, depression, and anxiety disorders. If the depth of your addiction is severe enough, these mental health conditions may even be irreversible. However, stopping now prevents further mental health harm from being done while minimizing mental health condition symptoms.

Anhedonia

This symptom’s literal definition is an utter inability to feel pleasure, regardless of how enjoyable the activity is. This occurs when your body has been so severely overstimulated that it induces a dangerous trenching of pleasure cells. As a result, this torturous feeling renders your mental capacity incapable of feeling pleasure. If this symptom describes you, it is especially crucial to immediately consult a treatment specialist.

What are Cocaine’s Depressant Effects?

Though cocaine is classified as a stimulant, the associated crash inflicts depressant effects during the attempted restoration process. Here are the contrary depressive effects this stimulant has on the body after initial use.

Serotonin Deficiencies: Cocaine addiction suppresses serotonin production in the brain, which is the brain’s vital message carrier from the brain to the body. This includes crucial brain-to-body communication with the central nervous system. These deficiencies, in conjunction with other chemical suppressions caused by cocaine, are the direct cause of many depressive disorders.
Insomnia: Cocaine’s overstimulation has adverse effects on your sleep patterns. This means, regardless of how tired you may be, cocaine’s depressive effects on sleep regulation are distorted. This means you will have little or no REM sleep, the vital deep sleep your body needs to produce natural energy. In conjunction, you may experience frequent awakenings throughout the night.
Severe Withdrawal Symptoms: Cocaine use does more than deprive the body of necessary neurons. It inflicts severe withdrawal symptoms by causing the mind and body to ‘hunger’ for the drug constantly. This level of addiction puts the brain and body into complete subjection to the drug’s neurobiological dependent properties. That’s because these levels of dependency require consistent dosages just to function at a near-normal rate.
Extreme Fatigue: Regardless of how much sleep you get, cocaine’s depressive effects will leave you feeling incapable of doing even menial tasks. This can even render you incapable of getting out of bed, performing job duties, or other simple functions.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you care about is struggling with cocaine addiction or another substance use disorder, it is not too late to pursue treatment. At Golden Gate Recovery in Novato, CA, we will assist you in navigating each stage of treatment and the services available at each facility.

Treatment for cocaine addiction may involve a mix of inpatient care, behavioral therapies, and additional options. The cocaine treatment programs we provide at our men’s rehab center may consist of:

Outpatient treatment

Individuals who enter outpatient treatmentbenefit from the ability to live at home with the stability of a flexible schedule while still receiving the treatment needed to stay on the path to recovery.

Partial hospitalization program

In this setting, clients are afforded more independence compared to residential treatment programs. Partial hospitalization programs may be suitable for patients who are highly motivated to recover and/or have completed more intensive treatment options.

Intensive outpatient program

Intensive outpatient programs are structured so that patients attend a facility for treatment during the day and return home or to a sober living environment in the evening. This option is appropriate for patients who have shown they do not require 24-hour supervision.

Transitional living/sober housing programs

Following the completion of an inpatient or outpatient program, many individuals find it beneficial to reside in a sober living environment, supported by peers and staff who offer medical services, job opportunities, and other resources as they reintegrate.

Seek Help at Our Cocaine Rehab Center

Golden Gate Recovery in Novato, California, is your lifeline to a happier life in sobriety. We exhibit these joys through our enjoyable rehab programs and treatment procedures. You don’t have to suffer the impact of addiction or withdrawals thanks to our cutting-edge symptom-alleviating therapy. Expose yourself to the fullness of life’s joys and opportunities apart from addiction by contacting us today.

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