Author: James Anderson
What Makes Someone a Crackhead?
The safest approach is to avoid crack cocaine and seek addiction treatment if needed. After treatment, a client will likely be linked to an aftercare program or a peer-led recovery group. A crack addiction detoxification procedure typically lasts a week. After the client no longer has physical cravings for the drug, the addiction’s mental damage must still be addressed. Depending on its severity and other factors, inpatient or outpatient programs are available for treating crack addiction.
Crack rocks are a potent form of cocaine and the rocks are smoked, rather than snorted or injected. Someone addicted to crack cocaine will exhibit extreme levels of energy and stimulation that far exceed any average level of excitement. A drug user under the influence might act in a manic manner, eating food at an extreme rate (or perhaps not eating at all, despite being deprived of sustenance) or being otherwise hyperactive. Users experience extreme fatigue as the drug wears off, sometimes falling asleep wherever they are and remaining asleep for days. In this article, we will cover the meaning of the word crackhead, the signs of crack cocaine addiction, the dangers of using crack cocaine, and treatment options for addicts. The only way to stay safe and avoid an overdose is to avoid use of crack cocaine.
These rocks may have been adulterated with caffeine, sugar, lactose, or levamisole, among other substances. These can be mixed to add potency, replicate effects, or simply bulk up the weight or appearance so drug dealers can sell them for a higher price. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than half the people seeking cocaine addiction treatment use multiple substances. This is known as polydrug abuse and increases the risk of long-term health problems and overdose. Crack cocaine, a highly addictive stimulant drug, looks like small white or off-white rock crystals of varying shapes and sizes.
Crack cocaine smoking may involve crack pipes, lighters, or homemade equipment made of aluminum foil or light bulbs. Crack cocaine looks like small irregularly shaped chunks of white, off-white, or yellowish rocks. Additives, like levamisole or powdered milk, may contribute to differences in color of separate batches of crack cocaine. This creates a drug that is widely abused in the United States and in Ohio specifically, despite cocaine’s highly addictive properties and the severe long-term health issues it is known to cause. Crack increases dopamine in a user’s brain, this increase of dopamine makes a user feel more energized, happier and more confident. However, when the drug is out of a user’s system, their dopamine will be depleted, which will result in depression.
These rocks numb the tongue or mouth on contact and likely have a bitter or salty taste, as well as an artificial, burnt, or chemical smell. A person abusing crack can have blood shot eyes, or they may experience swollen eyes. If a person’s eyes are red and their pupils are dilated, along with increased activity, they are most likely abusing crack. Since crack is a stimulant, a person on the drug will be more hyper and will have surplus of energy.
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When handling it, the substance will not easily break apart or crumble under pressure. In other words, its texture is distinctively harder than other forms of cocaine.
However, this effect is short-lived and usually lasts no longer than 15 minutes. We are dedicated to transforming the despair of addiction into a purposeful life of confidence, self-respect and happiness. We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. Crack creates a quick high to develop in a user’s body when smoked, but this high that a crack user gets from the drug is short-lived.
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Crack cocaine can appear shiny or dull, depending on how it’s processed. Smoking crack cocaine can cause a brief rush of euphoria, increased energy, and alertness. Crack cocaine makes a crackling sound when it is smoked, which is where it gets its name.
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- Since crack is a stimulant, a person on the drug will be more hyper and will have surplus of energy.
- Glass pipes or bongs (water pipes) are preferred as glass does not get too hot, thereby making it easier to smoke the substance.
- When powder cocaine is combined with baking soda, it frees the base form of cocaine from the salt (hydrochloride) element.
We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. Since crack affects the nervous system, the nerves that impact a person’s iris and pupils in their eyes will be affected. This means that a person on crack will have dilated pupils since their eyes will not adjust to light as they normally do. Torch lighters or butane burners produce more intense flames compared to standard lighters, allowing for faster and more efficient heating of the drug.
The Stigma of Crackheads
So when a user gets high from the drug they may feel extremely happy and have a surplus of energy, but when the high wears off they will be extremely fatigued and sad. This willl results in a user have extreme highs and lows, which results in rapid mood swings. Each substance abuse problem is confronted directly at Knoxville Recovery Center to assist patients in overcoming their illnesses and living as contributing members of society.
Spotting Evidence of Drug Use
Detox, residential treatment, and aftercare programs can help you develop the skills necessary to maintain long-term recovery. Cocaine is a schedule II controlled substance in the United States, which means it has a high risk of abuse. Long-term crack cocaine use can change the structure and function of the brain, which increases the risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD).