So one year to this day I made a commitment to facing my addiction to cocaine, seeking help, and never again putting that shit up my nose. It’s been a rough years mostly of downs but with a few ups one being what sobriety has granted me…such as being able to separate my true friends from the rest, being able to focus on my school, art and career more seriously, and confront my demons and no longer run from them.
To this day I’ve had one friend die from drug use and another friend whos drug use most defintally contributed to her eventual suicide. I’ve had multiple friends overdose and almost die.
Despite being off cocaine for a year I still have to deal with medical and mental issues that stem mostly from my usage. I lost a year to my life. The year I was addicted to cocaine I barely did anything except party or get high.
To my loved ones, my friends, strangers who read this blog, who still put this drug up your nose[or ass, or inject or smoke it] I ask that you take a serious look at what you’re doing.
“With chronic cocaine intake, brain cells functionally adapt (respond) to strong imbalances of transmitter levels in order to compensate extremes. So receptors disappear from or reappear on the cell surface, resulting more or less in an “off” or “working mode” respectively, or they change their susceptibility for binding partners (ligands) – mechanisms called down-/upregulation. Chronic cocaine use leads to a DAT upregulation, further contributing to depressed mood states. Finally, a loss of vesicular monoamine transporters, neurofilament proteins, and other morphological changes appear to indicate a long term damage of dopamine neurons.
All these effects contribute to the rise in an abuser’s tolerance thus requiring a larger dosage to achieve the same effect. The lack of normal amounts of serotonin and dopamine in the brain is the cause of the dysphoria and depression felt after the initial high. The diagnostic criteria for cocaine withdrawal is characterized by a dysphoric mood, fatigue, unpleasant dreams, insomnia or hypersomnia, E.D., increased appetite, psychomotor retardation or agitation, and anxiety.
Cocaine abuse also has multiple physical health consequences. It is associated with a lifetime risk of heart attack that is seven times that of non-users. During the hour after cocaine is used, heart attack risk rises 24-fold.
Side effects from chronic smoking of cocaine include chest pain, lung trauma, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, dyspnea, and an aching, flu-like syndrome. A common misconception is that the smoking of cocaine chemically breaks down tooth enamel and causes tooth decay. However, cocaine does often cause involuntary tooth grinding, known as bruxism, which can deteriorate tooth enamel and lead to gingivitis[citation needed].
Chronic intranasal usage can degrade the cartilage separating the nostrils (the septum nasi), leading eventually to its complete disappearance. Due to the absorption of the cocaine from cocaine hydrochloride, the remaining hydrochloride forms a dilute hydrochloric acid.[1]
Cocaine may also greatly increase this risk of developing rare autoimmune or connective tissue diseases such as lupus, Goodpasture’s disease, vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and other diseases.[12][13][14][15] It can also cause a wide array of kidney diseases and renal failure.[16][17] While these conditions are normally found in chronic use they can also be caused by short term exposure in susceptible individuals.
There have been published studies[citation needed] reporting that cocaine causes changes in the frontal lobe of the brain. The full extent of possible brain deterioration from cocaine use is not known.”
Seriously people…why are you still doing cocaine? Why can’t we party without it?
Doesn’t it seem a bit pathetic to only be able to party with addictive illegal substance?
Also keep in mind by supporting your local drug dealer your supporting more than just some asshole who divides up coke and baby aspirin into baggies for a living…you’re supporting addictions, illegal activity, violence, wars that are responsible for the deaths of innocent men and women…
PS I’ve been crying a lot of happy tears since last night.
Baby Sinead on February 5th, 2008 | File Under Uncategorized, Nightlife, Sad Face, NYC, pop culture bitch, wtf | 11 Comments -
I have bronchitis. Got an inhaler and antibiotics from the dr and am feeling better already.
