General Effects Of Crack Use Include Burning The

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Crack cocaine, which is often just referred to as crack, is a free-base version of cocaine that can be smoked. When it’s smoked, it delivers a short but very intense high to the user, and because of that sense of euphoria it creates, it’s incredibly addictive.
  1. The effects of crack cocaine can be severe and even deadly. Some of the potential dangers associated with using crack include: Lung damage.
  2. Crack Cocaine; Cocaine and Crack. The effects of crack cocaine include aggressive and paranoid. In general, the long term effects of crack cocaine include.

General effects of cocaine use include - What is the general effects of cocaine use? Crack is stimulant, so hyper arousal; agitation, changes in pupil size with increased metabolism are common.

It’s described by most substance abuse research and professionals as the most addictive form of cocaine, and it first gained widespread worldwide attention during the 1980s, when inner city neighborhoods were overrun with its use. That time was often called the crack epidemic, and it hit places like New York and Los Angeles particularly hard.

While it’s no longer the 1980s, crack is still used by people, leading many people to wonder how to know if someone is on the drug.

Since crack is a stimulant, when someone takes it, it tends to speed up the processes happening in their body, mentally and physically. Since crack is smoked, the effects of taking it occur almost instantly.

The drug is absorbed straight from the lungs of the user into the bloodstream, but these effects usually end after 5 or 10 minutes.

The short-term effects of being high on crack are one why it’s highly addictive and abused. As people try to chase the high of initially smoking, they may take more and more crack, or become obsessed with it.

Some of the signs someone is on crack include:

  • Right after taking it they will feel euphoric or have an inflated sense of self
  • A burst of energy occurs almost right away
  • The person will be very focused at first
  • Dilated pupils
  • Insomnia
  • Suppressed appetite
  • Muscle twitches
  • Nosebleeds
  • Increased rate of breathing
  • Burns on fingers
  • Blistered or burned lips from smoking from a pipe
  • Restlessness
  • “Coke bugs” which are the hallucination of bugs crawling under the skin

Some of the mental and behavioral signs someone is on crack can include:

  • Mood swings
  • Amplified aggression or volatile behavior
  • Hallucinations and other psychotic episodes including hallucinations
  • Obsessive desire to smoke crack

If you’re wondering not just whether or not someone is on crack, but how to tell if they are addicted, one of the biggest signs of addiction and dependence is smoking large amounts of the drug. Users of crack tend to develop a tolerance quickly, and they require more for the same effect.

When someone is addicted to crack, they’re likely to engage in illegal or dangerous activities to keep getting the drug. This could include illegal activities such as stealing, violence or dangerous sexual behaviors. People who are addicted to crack will stop paying attention to their responsibilities, including attending school or work, paying bills, or taking care of their family. Relationships will often decay because crack is such an addictive and all-consuming drug.

Being addicted to crack can ultimately lead not only to the breakdown of relationships and the end of careers, but also to legal troubles that come not just from trying to obtain the drug, but also the potential ramifications of being caught possessing or using the drug.

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Speak to an Intake Coordinator now.352.771.2700Even if you know the signs of someone being on crack presently, you may not know how long they’ve been using the drug. There are a number of health risks associated with crack that occur in the short-term and the long-term. Some of these potential adverse health side effects of crack may include:
  • Extreme weight loss and malnutrition
  • Long-term cardiovascular problems that can lead to heart attack and stroke
  • Cognitive decline
  • Confusion and psychotic problems
  • Damaged mouth, teeth, and lips
  • Severe depression and anxiety

People who are on crack for a long period of time are more likely to experience infections because of a compromised immune system, and they may have damage to organs including the liver and kidneys.

Crack is a drug that is conducive to bingeing for many addicts. The reason, as mentioned, is the short amount of time the high lasts. This can lead someone who is addicted to the drug to take it repeatedly in a short window of time, at higher and higher doses.

Signs that someone is on crack and potentially has binged can include extreme irritability and paranoia as well as restlessness. In some instances, a large amount of crack may lead to a complete psychosis. Signs that someone is on crack and experiencing psychosis can include a loss of reality and hallucinations.

Using crack in large amounts can also lead to very erratic, strange behavior, tremors, and vertigo.

One of the first ways you can start to identify whether or not someone is on crack is to know what it looks like. Typically pure crack will appear as off-white “rocks” which aren’t very dense and may seem crystalline. When someone puts a crack rock on their tongue, it numbs it. Pure crack will also melt when introduced to a flame or water.

In many cases, however, crack isn’t pure when it’s sold on the street, and it’s often cut with many other substances to increase how much it seems like a person is buying. Some of the substances crack is cut with can be incredibly dangerous.

Another important way you can determine if someone is on crack is to know paraphernalia used to take the drug. Some of the common forms of crack paraphernalia include a smoking pipe, tube, an antenna or something similar, and a lighter or even a small torch.

With some drugs such as prescription medications, it can be difficult to determine when there’s abuse and an addiction and when use is normal. Crack is not one of those drugs. Crack is an incredibly addictive and powerful drug, and it’s not likely that someone can do it recreationally without becoming addicted and physically dependent on it.

If you sense a person is using crack at all, even if they’re acting as if it’s recreational, it should be a huge cause for concern.

Virtually anyone who is using crack but particularly if they’re letting their responsibilities go or using more than they intend to, particularly in the face of negative consequences, they can be described as having an addiction to cocaine. If this is the case, treatment is necessary, and if you recognize signs that someone is on crack, you should contact a medical professional or addiction specialist.

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Key Facts About Crack Abuse

What Is Crack?

What does crack look and smell like?

If you're worried that your teenager is doing crack, it's helpful to know what to look for. Shaped in irregular white chunks of varying sizes sometimes gives crack the nickname 'rock'. Though the drug itself doesn't carry a distinct smell, the method it's taken—typically smoked—produces a burning or smoke odor.

Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine. Crack's popularity, in part, was due to its appeal for drug users seeking an inexpensive, ultra-potent, fast acting high.1,4 The name crack actually comes from the sound that is produced from burning the rock-shaped chunks.2 Other names for the substance include:3

  • Nuggets.
  • Jelly beans.
  • Gravel.
  • Dice.
  • Candy.
  • Rocks.
  • Base.
  • Cookies.

As a powerful stimulant, crack use can elicit a rapid, euphoric high.1 Its stimulant effect on the body means that it will speed up various mental and physical processes, serving to increase energy and give you a sense of control.2 As a smoked form of cocaine, crack cocaine use results in near-immediate effects because the drug is inhaled into the lungs, where it is then absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.4 The effects are quick to be felt, peak quickly, and then end after only 2-20 minutes.1 Because the high is so short-lived, users often abuse crack in a binges.1 The binge and crash cycle of use adds to the risk of tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

Why Do People Use Crack?

Those who use crack do so to achieve a “high” that includes:4,5

  • An intense euphoric feeling.
  • Inflated sense of self and increased self-importance.
  • Increased alertness.
  • Hyperstimulation.
  • Decreased appetite.

As with other drugs, with persistent use, the desired effects quickly become replaced with negatives.

Who Answers?

Signs and Symptoms

Crack is a very dangerous substance. It is very unlikely that someone can use crack cocaine in a casual or recreational way for any significant duration, due to its powerfully addictive nature.4 Any crack use must be taken seriously. Symptoms of crack abuse may be both physical and psychological.

Crack is addictive because it causes an intense euphoric rush that fades quickly, leaving the user wanting more.1 The brain's reward centers are activated by crack stimulation, reinforcing continued use of the drug.3,4

When the high wears off, the user feels a need to smoke more crack because he or she becomes agitated, restless, paranoid, or anxious.4,5

Parents or others close to a individual potentially addicted to crack may benefit from knowing what some of the warning signs or such an addiction are. Physical signs include:4,5

  • Dilated pupils.
  • Reduced sleep.
  • Increased heart rate.
  • Hypertension (raised blood pressure).
  • Suppressed appetite and weight loss.
  • Fasciculations / twitching of the muscles.
  • Nosebleeds.

Psychological signs may arise that may indicate a person is abusing crack cocaine. These signs may include the following:4,5,6

  • Aggression and volatile mood swings.
  • Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and paranoia.
  • Persistent thoughts about smoking crack/strong cravings.
  • Inability to stop despite a strong desire to do so.
  • Tendency to put a high priority on obtaining the drug.
  • Smoking crack at the expense of your finances, your relationships, or other important aspects of your life.

Other Signs: Tolerance and Withdrawal

Addiction is likely present when someone will engage in risky, dangerous, or problematic behaviors to continue receiving and using the substance.

Someone who persistently engages in crack use can easily build a tolerance to the drug. Tolerance occurs when your body adapts to the crack in your system and requires greater amounts of it to have the same effect. If you are no longer satisfied with a small amount of crack and feel a need for larger and larger amounts, you have built a tolerance.4

Once tolerance has manifested, and increasing amounts of drug are used to overcome it, addiction to the substance may follow soon thereafter. Addiction is likely present when someone will engage in risky, dangerous, or problematic behaviors to continue receiving and using the substance.7

In the throes of an addiction, someone will be less rational and logical. It will likely be increasingly challenging to maintain a relationship due to the influence of the substance.

The phenomenon of withdrawal is another sign of crack abuse. As tolerance develops, a physical dependence may also develop, meaning the brain comes to rely on the drug. Without it, the person may experience withdrawal symptoms such as:5

  • Depression.
  • Increased anxiety.
  • Being highly irritable and easily agitated.
  • Intense cravings for more crack.

Risks of Crack Abuse

Oftentimes, those who abuse crack place themselves and others in harm's way because of dangerous compulsive drug seeking behaviors. Crack abusers tend to engage in the following behaviors:

  • Risky sexual behaviors. Crack intensifies sexual desire and removes inhibitions. Those high on crack might be more likely to have sex with multiple partners and are also more likely to have unprotected sex. In addition to risky sexual behaviors while under the influence of crack, some people may choose exchange sex for the drug.7
  • Increased tendencies towards violence. Crack cocaine intensifies emotional experiences, including anger and rage. People who are high on crack may be violent toward others. They may also harm themselves intentionally or unintentionally.4,8
  • Getting into risky situations in order to obtain crack. Crack users often enter dangerous neighborhoods or agree to do risky things in order to obtain the substance. Crack addiction is a powerful motivator, and many individuals ensnared by it are willing to do almost anything in exchange for some more of the substance.
  • Neglecting their other responsibilities. People in active crack addiction will prioritize drug use over responsibilities like paying their bills, attending work, maintaining relationships with family members, or even caring for their children.6
  • Breaking the law. Many addicted to crack may steal to support their habit. They also may commit robberies or engage in other illegal activity to gain money to buy crack. In addition, crack possession itself is illegal, so some will face legal trouble for using it even if they don't engage in these behaviors.8

Effects of Crack Abuse

In both the short- and long-term, crack abuse can give rise to a number of side effects that can drastically compromise your health.

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Short-term health risks of crack abuse include:4,5

  • Cardiovascular risks including higher heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
  • Higher breathing rates.
  • Nausea.
  • Odd or bizarre behaviors.
  • Delusional thinking.
  • Paranoia.
  • Anxiety and panic.

The above negative effects of the substance can occur after only one use at a high dose.

Crack's Long-Term Effects

Long-term effects can occur after days, weeks, months, and years of consistent abuse. They include:4,5,9

  • Long-lasting cardiovascular issues that may include heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
  • Malnutrition due to significant weight loss.
  • Marked cognitive decline.
  • Confusion / delirium.
  • Psychosis.
  • Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not present).
  • Damage to the lips, mouth, and teeth.
  • Major depression, anxiety, and irritability.
  • Seizures.

Don't wait until crack use has caused numerous debilitating physical and mental health effects to pile up before beginning your recovery.

Crack Abuse Treatment

Treatment for crack abuse may begin with detoxification. This is a controlled withdrawal from crack cocaine that is usually performed at a detox center. Doctors are able to monitor patients for severe physical symptoms of crack withdrawal. Patients may experience intense psychological effects such as mood swings, agitation, depression, and anxiety during the withdrawal period.5 This period varies in duration based on the amount of use and the time the substance was abused. Withdrawal can be more severe if the patient has used crack at high doses for an extended duration. Some users may experience what is known as a post-acute withdrawal syndrome, in which symptoms can extend well past the acute detoxification phase.5

After finishing detox, many patients transition to a residential rehab center or other form of structured addiction treatment. Rehab programs are generally inpatient, which means patients live at the rehab center while getting treatment. Download cyberlink powerdvd 6 keygen idm. Treatment focuses on the psychological aspects of addiction—patients receive individual and group therapy and may attend ongoing support groups (such as 12-step groups like Narcotics Anonymous). These residential programs may last anywhere from 30 days to 1 year.

An inpatient or residential rehab stay is typically followed by a period of ongoing aftercare, in which patients return to their daily lives but continue to visit the treatment center (or a pre-arranged aftercare clinic or clinician) on a regular basis to receive continuing therapy and other needed treatment. Some patients transition back to their normal lives by living in a halfway house or sober living facility. These facilities are run like regular apartments, but residents must follow house rules such as curfews and must submit to regular drug tests to prove they are clean.

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Some people may elect to enroll in or undergo addiction treatment in an outpatient setting. In outpatient treatment, someone in recovery from crack might meet with a mental health or addiction therapist weekly on an ongoing basis. Someone in recovery will also benefit from community supports like sober activities and meetings and will be encouraged or required to participate in some sort of support group setting.

Sources:

  1. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2013). Cocaine.
  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Cocaine (Coke, Crack) Facts.
  3. Clinical Pain Advisor. (2017). Drug Slang Code Words.
  4. NYC.gov. (n.d.). Cocaine Abuse & Addiction.
  5. Center for Substance Abuse Research. (n.d.). Crack Cocaine.
  6. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
  7. Harzke, A. J., Williams, M. L., & Bowen, A. M. (2009). Binge Use of Crack Cocaine and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among African-American, HIV-Positive Users. AIDS and Behavior, 13(6), 1106–1118.
  8. De Carvalho, H. B., & Seibel, S. D. (2009). Crack Cocaine Use and its Relationship with Violence and Hiv. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 64(9), 857–866.
  9. Victoria State Government. (n.d.). Teeth and drug use.
  10. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2010). Protracted Withdrawal. Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory, 9(1).

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Last updated on November 25, 2018
Key Facts About Crack Abuse What Is Crack? What does crack look and smell like? If you’re worried that your teenager is doing crack, it’s helpful to know what to look for. Shaped in irregular white chunks of varying sizes sometimes gives crack the nickname “rock”. Though the drug itself doesn’t carry a distinct smell,…'>
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