The Neurological Effects of Cocaine

The Neurological Effects of Cocaine

            Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plants from the Andes Mountains. It is a highly addictive drug with various methods of administration. Despite being known for its very highly addictive characteristics and expensive consumption, it is still a relevant drug today in America.  The U.S. consumes roughly 37% of the world’s cocaine according to Haney, 2008.

Cocaine, along with amphetamines, work the way they do because they stimulate the neurotransmission of the brain’s dopamine receptors; the “feel good” hormone. Because of the intensity of the high, when the high peaks and starts to decline, it can cause tremendous pain and depression in the user and the only remedy is to continue to take more and more cocaine, creating a cycle of addiction rapidly. Frank H. Gawin writes in his article Cocaine Addiction: Psychology and Neurophysiology, “The response of the nervous system to persistent, drug-induced neurochemical perturbation is a compensatory adaption in the perturbed systems. Dysregulation follows the adaptions when the drug is not present…high-dose cocaine use over long periods of time generates sustained neurophysiology changes in the brain system” (Gawin 1991). So essentially, cocaine use for years and years will change the status of the brain to where it is not even possible to feel the high anymore and that taking the drug is only to suppress the withdrawal symptoms.

Cocaine abuse and addiction is beatable, but it incredibly painful; especially the initial couple of days. According to Gawin 1991, “From 30 to 90% of abusers remaining in outpatient treatment programs cease cocaine use.”  So when an addict attends say a narcotics anonymous group on a regular basis, they have a high chance of being able to stay clean from narcotics and stay sober. Without the help of a support group, an addict’s relapse rate is high and unfortunately, in some cases, that relapse can be the start of a whole new level of addiction.

Abstract

Gawin, F. H. (1991). Cocaine addiction: Psychology and neurophysiology. Science, 251(5001), 1580. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213559048?accountid=12085