A lot of researches have been made to find out why cocaine is so addictive and how it produces the pleasurable effects in those people who are addicted to the drug. Addiction to anything is extremely dangerous and finding one’s way out of addiction is essential to lead a normal life. Addicted people need to break their addictions in order to get their lives back in a normal track. If you or someone you care about has cocaine addition, it makes sense to seek appropriate help.
Cocaine and it’s affects on the brain
One of the most important ways in which cocaine becomes an addiction is by the way it starts controlling the brain. The VTA of the brain of the Ventral Tegmental Area is a portion of the brain which gets particularly stimulated by cocaine. It is this part of the brain which gets stimulated with pleasurable feelings once it is consumed by a person. This is the same portion of the brain that is stimulated due to a variety of other things like sex, social activities, food, drink and shelter. When a person uses cocaine, this portion of the brain gets stimulated much more actively and faster than by any other activity. Since the stimulation is very intense and sudden, it becomes very addictive. An addict finds himself unable to resist the drug as a way to get those feelings of pleasure. The brain of a normal person produces dopamine. It is the neurons which release it which is then binded to the receptors of the brain which are known as dopamine receptors. A special protein known as the dopamine transporter then recycles the dopamine, which creates the feelings of normal pleasure a person feels. When a person takes in cocaine this normal pleasure process gets blocked off. This builds the amount of dopamine in the brain, which again causes the huge intensity of pleasurable feelings.
What research has found out about cocaine addiction
When a pleasurable event occurs, for instance, sexual activity, the brain produces a large amount of dopamine naturally. This is normal. When cocaine is consumed, the natural process doesn’t happen anymore. When cocaine gets abused, the buildup of dopamine that occurs between synapses makes the neurons of the brain get constantly stimulated. This is what causes the euphoric state that addicts find so pleasurable. The constant bombardment with dopamine in the brain tissues makes cocaine so physically and psychologically addictive.
Long term effects of cocaine
When cocaine is used for a long period of time, a tolerance to it develops quickly. When this happens, the addict finds that he has to take more and more of the drug in higher amounts than before to feel the high. When an addict stops taking the drug for a certain period of time, the memories of the pleasurable euphoric state he felt when he took the drug are enough to cause massive cravings. This is what causes relapse.
When cocaine addiction happens, it usually requires outside help to treat it.
