Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that can cause serious side effects, including heart disease. It can also be a deadly drug when mixed with other drugs like heroin or fentanyl, which is why it’s important to learn more about cocaine addiction and seek treatment for your loved one before it’s too late.

Cocaine can be snorted, smoked or injected, and it works by increasing the concentration of naturally occurring neurotransmitters in the brain that make you feel good by blocking their reuptake. This alters the way the brain functions and, over time, causes you to build a tolerance to the drug. When this happens, you need to use more and more cocaine to experience the same high.

If you’re a regular user of cocaine, you may experience severe mood swings that can quickly turn into paranoia and aggression. You might also experience hallucinations that can affect your ability to interact with others and make you appear out of touch with reality. This can have a negative impact on your relationship with the people who care about you and can lead to isolation.

Long-term cocaine use can damage your organs, such as your heart, lung and stomach, and can weaken your immune system. It can also have an impact on your mental health and can result in depression, anxiety, paranoia, irritability and memory problems. People who use cocaine are at an increased risk of getting infected with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, particularly if they share needles.

Regular cocaine use changes how the brain functions, and can result in an imbalance that negatively affects decision making. It can also cause a loss of gray matter in the brain, which impacts memory, movement, emotions and speech. It can even impact the way your body perceives pain, causing you to need to take higher doses of cocaine to experience the same effect.

There are a number of different treatments available for people who struggle with Cocaine Addiction, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This can help you learn to recognize the situations that trigger drug abuse, avoid these instances and cope with cravings in a healthy manner. During treatment, you’ll also work on addressing any underlying issues that may be contributing to your problem.

Trying to overcome Cocaine Addiction on your own can be extremely difficult and even dangerous. It’s best to find a clinically competent treatment facility that can diagnose your addiction and create a custom program designed to get you back on the road to recovery. If you’re concerned about someone close to you struggling with Cocaine Addiction, consider arranging an intervention. This involves gathering a group of loved ones together to have a direct conversation about the person’s behavior and ask them to seek treatment. It’s important to plan an intervention in a supportive and encouraging environment, so that the person doesn’t feel judged or attacked. Then, they’re more likely to agree to seek help. You can also contact a support line or hotline for more information on addiction treatment.