While similar to cocaine, crack cocaine is a drug mixed with baking soda or ammonia and water which then forms into rocks; crack cocaine is often less expensive than cocaine, and is usually smoked in pipes. It is an extremely addictive substance, causing a particular type of euphoria-like high to the user. This high doesn’t last long, and the user craves that experience again, causing the addict to chase after the drug, sometimes leading to criminal behavior as money and lives waste away.

The effects of crack cocaine don’t simply produce a euphoria; addictive use of crack cocaine can lead to paranoia, depression, anxiety, and a variety of mood swings. A regular user of the drug may begin living in a paranoid state; in worst cases, users experience intense cravings for the drug which can’t be satisfied; and once a person has become dependent on the drug, he’s unable to function well without it. These negative effects, though, are simply the first things a person might experience. With long term effects, a person may find him or herself having problems with bodily functions, hallucinations, delirium, and depression. Long term use may also lead to heart attacks and fatal respiratory problems.

Stopping the use of crack cocaine is not easy because of the withdrawal effects. These include intense cravings, anxiety, irritability, hunger, and paranoia. These effects are some of the reasons crack cocaine addicts quit trying to quit and return to the pipe. For this reason, addicts need help in order to stop their drug abuse. The best way in which to do this would be for the addict to receive help from an addiction specialist, the first step of which would be medical detox, freeing them from the physiological addictions. The addiction specialist also helps with the psychological addictions, with the hope of allowing addicts to either stay clean or at least stay in recovery longer.

Find a Treatment Facility Near You: