Drug Overdose During the Holidays – Why the Time to Get Cocaine Addiction Treatment is Now
Of all the illicit drugs on the market, cocaine acts as one of the most powerfully addictive substances in existence. Cocaine produces an intense “high,” giving users a feeling of confidence, excitement and seemingly boundless energy.
Unfortunately, these effects only last for so long before cocaine’s presence in the brain and body start to cause problems. During the holiday season, a cocaine addiction can quickly spin out of control considering the added pressures and obligations that come with this time of year.
As far as drug overdoses go, cocaine ranks high in its ability to overpower the body’s systems. For these reasons, a cocaine abuse problem may well warrant treatment help sooner rather than later.
The Potential for Overdose during the Holidays
According to the U. S. National Library of Medicine, the number of hospital admissions for alcohol and drug overdoses increases considerably during the holiday season. Friend and family obligations coupled with the financial costs involved can easily send stress levels through the roof for many.
For someone living with cocaine addiction, these factors create prime conditions for drug-using behaviors to escalate. Considering cocaine’s potency level compared to other drugs, cocaine addiction carries an especially high risk for overdose during this time of year.
The Cocaine Abuse Cycle
Holiday stress can make you tempted to abuse cocaine.
As exhilarating as cocaine “highs” may be, the withdrawal effects that come when the drug wears off can be equally excruciating. Withdrawal effects commonly take the form of:
- Feelings of anxiety
- Restlessness
- Severe depression
- Insomnia
- Agitation
- Irritability
According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, the brain develops a growing tolerance for cocaine’s desirable effects as withdrawal symptoms become more and more severe. In effect, withdrawal episodes drive continued drug use which only works to make withdrawal symptoms worse. The potential for increased drug use during the holidays only aggravates this cycle of drug abuse.
Overdose Risk Factors
Stress
Stress and drug abuse tend to go hand-in-hand regardless of the time of year. When the holidays roll around, this relationship becomes a vicious cycle of its own. Without needed cocaine addiction treatment help, cocaine abuse can take a turn for the worse with users playing Russian roulette with each successive dose of the drug.
Route of Administration
While cocaine’s effects are powerful in their own right, the method of use most often used can make a difference in terms of the degree of damage caused, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Cocaine can be smoked, snorted or injected, with injection routes posing the greatest risk for overdose.
Bingeing
Cocaine works by triggering the release of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain while speeding up the body’s major systems. In general, this drug produces a short-lived “high” leaving users wanting more.
The brain quickly develops a tolerance to cocaine’s effects, which drives users to keep increasing dosage amounts. Before long, increasing tolerance levels and short-lived “highs” see users engaging in bingeing behaviors, which entails ingesting multiple drug doses within short periods of time.
These developments place a tremendous strain on the body, most especially the heart and circulatory system. With each bingeing session, the risk for heart attack and stroke increases considerably as cocaine addiction effects overpower the body’s functional capacity.
If you or someone you know struggles with cocaine addiction during this time of year, putting off getting needed treatment help can be risky to say the least. If you have any questions about cocaine addiction or need information on treatment programs in your area, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 800-934-3781(Who Answers?) to speak with one of our phone counselors.