RSS Drug Abuse Symptoms of Using Crack
What is crack?
Crack is the freebase, smokeable form of cocaine. It is typically sold in crystalline form and in its purest state, resembles a brittle, off-white plastic that snaps when you break it. It has the appearance of jagged-edged, small, off-white nuggets when it is less pure. Before it is sold on the streets, crack is oftentimes altered or “buffed” in order to increase the amount of the drug that can be sold. The name “crack” comes from the sound that it makes when it is being manufactured or smoked.
Recognizing the symptoms of using crack
Individuals who abuse crack or are addicted to it will experience a number of physical and psychological side effects. Getting professional help from an addiction treatment and recovery center oftentimes becomes necessary because of the severity of the individual’s abuse, addiction, or dependency. Unfortunately, relapses are not uncommon with those who have suffered with an addiction to or dependency on crack cocaine.
The physical symptoms of using crack include bizarre, erratic, or violent behavior; constricted blood vessels; dilated pupils; elevated blood pressure and heart rate; increase in body temperature; muscle tremors and twitches; paranoid behavior; and vertigo (a.k.a. fear of heights).
The psychological symptoms of using crack include alertness, appetite loss, cravings, elevated energy levels, euphoria, hallucinations, increased confidence, insomnia, irritability, and paranoia.
Larger amounts of the drug can also induce muscle spasms or twitches, tremors, and vertigo. Some individuals who are suffering with crack addiction or dependency have reported feelings of anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. Crack cocaine is one of the most powerfully addictive forms of cocaine as well as one of the most powerfully addictive substances available in society today. That is why so many addiction treatment and recovery centers throughout the US today are offering cocaine addiction rehab programs.
Additional considerations of using crack
Whenever smoking crack, the person is driven by intense cravings and they will want to smoke more and more of the drug as time goes by and their addiction to it becomes increasingly more severe. The increase in tolerance functions in conjunction with the intensity of the dependency on the drug. In other words, the more you consume, the more you want.
Granted, consuming larger amounts of crack will intensify the high but it could also lead to bizarre, erratic, and even violent behavior as well as a toxic reaction resembling amphetamine poisoning. Although it is rare, there have been instances where an individual died suddenly the first time they used cocaine or smoked crack. Additionally, as the cravings get stronger and you consume more of the drug, you could overdose and die.
Ironically, the initial effect an individual feels is euphoria. This results when the brain releases large amounts of dopamine, a euphoria-inducing chemical. Ironically, the high will last as little as 5 to 10 minutes, at which time the dopamine levels drop radically and the individual is left feeling depressed and low. Eventually, the cravings for more become overwhelming and the individual must smoke the drug again.
We are here to help you overcome your addiction
The Freedom Center and its staff of licensed professionals can help you overcome your addiction to and symptoms of using crack by prescribing an effective addiction treatment and recovery program that address your specific clinical and personal needs. If you or a loved one is suffering with crack abuse, addiction, or dependency issues, we are here to help you get back on the road to a substance-free life. Please call us at the toll-free phone number listed above for more information about our facility and our programs.
