What are the Cocaine Addiction Symptoms?

If you believe someone you love is addicted to cocaine, you should become familiar with the cocaine addiction symptoms. Although withdrawal symptoms vary by individual, for the most part, there are some telltale signs that should signal cocaine use.

Signs of Cocaine Addiction

Paraphernalia is a dead giveaway that someone is using a specific kind of drug. Have you noticed small pipes and baggies laying around? Signs of cocaine addiction include rubber tubing (to help aide in shooting up), glass vials with little spoons, rolled up dollars (to snort coke with), and little glass mirrors (to snort off of), and razor blades (to cut the coke with).

Cocaine Addiction Symptoms

Cocaine use causes the brain to release dopamine, which is a chemical involved with thinking and mood. It is important to note that these symptoms may be the same if the individual is abusing crack cocaine.

If you are wondering what the symptoms of cocaine use are, read below.

Heart:

• Cardiac arrest
• Elevated heart rate
• Heart attacks
• Enlarged heart
• Constricted blood vessels
• Increased blood pressure

Appearance:

• Burned lips and/or fingers (from smoking crack out of a pipe)
• Runny nose
• Bloody nose (from snorting the cocaine)
• Track marks (from injecting the cocaine)
• Dilated pupils

After a binge or prolonged use:

• Long periods of sleeping
• Depression
• Cravings
• Tolerance
• Apathy
• Exhaustion
• Agitation

Mental State:

• Overconfidence
• Euphoria
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Poor judgment
• Delusions
• Paranoia
• Unusual excitement

If you notice the cocaine addiction symptoms, you may want to try and help the individual seek treatment. Overdoses are not uncommon among cocaine users. Overdose by cocaine is known as cocaine intoxication which manifests in the following ways:

• Tremors
• Enlarged pupils
• Confusion
• Sweating
• Sudden death

Some cocaine addiction symptoms are worse than others. When an individual has developed a tolerance, and becomes addicted, they will experience withdrawal symptoms once they attempt to stop use. Some withdrawal symptoms include (but are not limited to):

• Mood swings
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Inability to concentrate
• Headaches
• Increased appetite
• Sleeping problems

Further, symptoms of cocaine use include loss of gray matter in the brain. When people use cocaine on the regular, they will often experience early cognitive decline and atrophy of the brain. This fact is quite disturbing. While we all lose gray matter as we age, those who routinely participate in cocaine abuse will lose the gray matter in their brain significantly faster and could be a sign of premature aging.

You can help save someone's life by looking out for the cocaine addiction symptoms. If you notice the following, you may want to help the individual seek help because, clearly, something is wrong:

Memory loss: If the memory cannot be explained by stress or depression (or something of the sort) then something may be amiss. Ask them questions, because if you combine memory loss with other items on this list, they may be suffering from a drug addiction.

Missing items: When someone has a drug problem, they will constantly have to have money to support their habit. Once they run out, they may ask for money or, just steal it (or steal items they can sell for money).

Drastic change in appearance: Sudden weight change and lack of hygiene is a red flag. If someone always had a sharp, professional look to them and now, all of a sudden, they look disheveled - there is a big problem. Ask this individual how everything is going, because odds are, things are not good.

It is easier to intervene early on in the addiction. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. Listen to the individual, ask them questions, and talk to them. Maybe they will confide in you and ask for help.