Crack Addiction

Crack Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Even with short term use, many individuals experience withdraw symptoms when they sop using the crack. The symptoms are more pronounced in individuals who have been using crack for a long time and in high doses.
Individuals addicted to crack are unable to improve with out medical treatment. The physical and psychological dependence of crack is intense and most find it difficult to get out of the addictive cycle. The withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings, irritability, hunger, anxiety and paranoia. These feelings prevent the individual from stopping use of crack.
Crack cocaine treatment is best done as an inpatient. The treatment is done with a multidisciplinary team that may require the use of behavior, drugs and improvements in the social status of the patient.
Crack cocaine can affect various organ systems and the side effects are numerous. It can cause:
•    Increase blood pressure and heart rate
•    Increase breathing rates
•    Nausea and vomiting
•    Anxiety and hyperactivity
•    Convulsions
•    Decrease appetite
•    Decrease the need for sleep
•    Damage the nasal septum and lungs
•    Cause heart attacks and strokes
Because crack is rapidly absorbed in the body in high levels, the chances of overdosing are also high. Once the intense high subsides a felling of depression then sets in therefore making he user want to use the drug again.  During the crack high, users have decreased concentration and can be irritable. Frequent use of cocaine is associated with a paranoid psychoses, hallucinations and violent behavior.
Because crack cocaine is combined with a number of impure substances, the chances of side effects and toxicity are always present. In addition, the toxicity of crack is always increased because the majority of crack users also abuse other illicit drugs.