Extracted from cocoa plant leaves in the form of white powder, cocaine is a drug which can be consumed in a number of ways. Rarely ingested in its purest form, it is often combined with other substances to increase its profitability. There are three main ways cocaine can be ingested. The most popular and preferred way is snorting the drug through the nasal passage while it is in powder form. A more direct route is to inject cocaine directly into a vein. Finally, just as quick is the inhalation of it when it is in the form of smoke. However, smoking cocaine carries the greater risk of addiction because more of the drug enters the bloodstream.

How Does Cocaine Make You Feel?

While individuals can react differently when ingesting the drug, there are several primary effects.

1. Euphoria

Cocaine is so invigorating and addictive because of its ability to give the user a strong feeling of euphoria. When you experience euphoria, you feel the pleasure of intense satisfaction and rewarding accomplishment.

2. Self Confidence

When high, cocaine users have an increased level of self-confidence. They experience grandiosity, the illusion they are superior to others. People with low self-esteem often are addicted to the drug as it gives them a false sense of confidence.

3. Sociability

Cocaine can make people more energetic and gregarious, allowing a shy person to come out of their shell and become more sociable. On the negative side, it can also make someone hyperactive, restless and bring on anxiety.

4. The Cocaine High

How does cocaine make you feel? Users explain it as the most intense high you can achieve from any drug. The high generally consists of two phases.

The early phase of a cocaine high is more psychological than physical. Users feel increased sexual desire, more focus, increased alertness, loss of appetite, increased energy and improved performance.

In the late phase of cocaine use, users face addiction, depression, agitation, insomnia and nervousness. Physiologically, late stage user experience picking, itching and intense scratching of the skin.

Taken at higher doses, users experience confusion, hallucinations, fear, aggressiveness and paranoia. Physically, individuals on cocaine experience dilated pupils, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, rapid speech, nausea and high body temperature.

How Long Does a Cocaine High Last?

Now that you know how cocaine makes you feel, you may be wondering how long the high lasts. The duration of the drug’s effect is dependent on how it was ingested. If snorted, the high typically lasts up to 30 minutes and is less intense than other methods of ingestion. When users inject or smoke cocaine, the high duration is shorter but much more intense. The average period of this type of high is 10 minutes or less. The length of the high will come crashing down and that’s why the user will gradually crave it in larger quantity and more often.

What Does It Do to Your Body?

Effects of Cocaine

The intense and pleasurable feelings a cocaine user experiences while high is due to the effects the drug has on the brain.

• Cocaine stimulates the user’s body because it traps large amounts of dopamine within the brain. When this happens, the drug triggers an increased sense of health and well-being.
• It also increases the user’s body temperature, breathing rate, blood pressure and heart rate. It causes dilated pupils and blood vessels to restrict.
• Cocaine also gives users more mental clarity, a surge of energy and reduced fatigue.

Physically it is detrimental to your health. Using cocaine for a long time can cause severe damage to your nervous system and your brain. Users increase their chances of heart attack and stroke. Memory and ability to reason can be negatively affected. The drug has other effects like constipation, headaches and nose bleeds.

Risks

From the very first time you take it, you run the risk of an overdose. If you are taking an anti-depressant, your chances of experiencing respiratory arrest are even higher. Your lungs are damaged each time you smoke the drug. Users that inject cocaine run a risk of hepatitis and HIV infection as they tend to share needles. If a woman uses the drug while pregnant, she can have a miscarriage and the baby can experience birth defects.

Addiction

Considered a highly addictive drug, cocaine use is dangerous because users can become dependent from the initial use. People can build a tolerance to cocaine, making it very dangerous indeed. This leads to addiction, as it takes more often and higher doses to get the same effect as initial using. Feelings of agitation and depression can occur between doses, which is another reason why it is so hard to quit. It is so addictive that users stop worrying about their overall well-being, including health and finances.

Cocaine Withdrawal

How does cocaine make you feel when you attempt to quit? The intensity of cocaine’s withdrawal symptoms is as strong as the feelings of euphoria it induces. Individuals attempting to quit can go through feeling of restlessness, fatigue, body aches, bad dreams, suicidal thoughts and depression. The longer someone has been using cocaine, the longer the symptoms can last.

What to Consider When Seeking for Treatment

If someone is using cocaine and is experiencing feelings of withdrawal in between doses, it is the time to quit. Once this has been determined, then it is time to see help from professionals.

There are several ways to determine what type of treatment and/or facility is best. Several facilities and methods of treatment can be found online. Individuals can visit the centers or inquire about services on the phone. A good way to figure out whether a program is right or not is to speak with recovered cocaine addicts who used their system. Doctors can refer individuals to state-sponsored or privately-owned facilities.

Stay away from facilities that tout “one program works for everyone.” A person trying to kick a cocaine addiction needs treatment that can be catered to their individual needs from a program that has experience working with cocaine addicts.

There are other important aspects of a program one should look out for:

• State accreditation
• Success rate data
• Follow-up/continued care after program completion
• Licensed and accredited staff
• Accepts insurance or financial assistance
• Continuum of care
• Accessibility to location