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Where I come from a low SES community, phrases like “your mom is a crack head,”
or “shut up crack baby” are said jokingly to make fun of someone during what we
call a “rip session.” Although said as a joke, some are very offended by the
comments. Why? Because for some, crack addiction hits too close to home for
comfort. Seeing as how it is easily obtainable in low SES areas, many find
themselves falling victim to the powerful substance, crack cocaine. Low SES is
just one of the many factors that can lead to the use, and addiction of crack
cocaine, others include movies, music, peer pressure, and alcohol and cigarette
ads. In this report I will discuss the effects, consequences, and possible
treatment for crack cocaine addiction.
“The first time cocaine is used it may make the heart beat faster leading to a
feeling of excitement and fear” (qtd. in Carroll, 1994, p.24). Followed by
euphoria, these feelings can peak within five seconds. The user then begins to
feel more energetic and becomes more sociable (Carroll, 1994). “Psychological
effects include feelings of well-being and a grandiose sense of power and
ability mixed with anxiety and restlessness” (qtd. in Narconon, 2001). One
inhalation will produce a high usually lasting 10-15 minutes. After this zenith
of intense sensation, “…the drug wears off, these temporary sensations of
mastery are replaced by an intense depression, and the drug abuser will then
"crash", becoming lethargic and typically sleeping for several days”
(qtd. in Narconon, 2001).
There are several different ways to use crack. It can be snorted, smoked, or
taken intravenously. It can also be taken orally (chewed), but this method is
not preferred because of the low intensity of the high. The two most popular
ways of using crack are smoking and IV usage. These two methods are most
favored because they give the most intense sensations.
There are three different stages to addiction, the first being the adaptive
stage. In this stage, the user is on top of his/her game. They feel as if they
can function better while on the drug and are able to handle larger amounts.
This is the person that can smoke crack before they go to work and will
probably be more productive then most.
“Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, an
individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which he
or she will continue to use the drug” (qtd. in Narconon, 2001). In other words,
it may only take one dose to become addicted to the drug. Because the first
high is so pleasurable, many continue taking the drug in search of the first
high they experienced. They try taking larger and larger doses to recapture a
high that can never be obtained again. Pretty soon they’ll find themselves
having to use crack just to feel “normal” again. This is the physical
dependency stage. It occurs when the user has built up such a high tolerance
from frequent usage, that their body basically forgets what is normal so they
have to maintain a continuum of the drug to ward of the withdraw effects.
As a result of usage, anxiety and depression can last for weeks. “Attempts to
stop using the drugs can fail simply because the resulting depression can be
overwhelming, causing the addict to use more cocaine in an attempt to overcome
his depression. This overpowering addiction can cause the addict to do anything
to get cocaine” (qtd. in Narconon, 2001). This is the point in which you get
the more stereotypical crack addict. They begin to steal from their family and
friends, miss work/school, prostitute, and do just about anything they can to
get the money to support their habit. They begin to short or try to get over on
the person who is selling them drugs, which can result in violence. Some even
become drug dealers themselves so that they can pay for the drugs that they
use.
The final stage of addiction is the deteriorative stage. This is basically the
stage in which the user has nothing left. They may be homeless because they’ve
spent all their money on crack so they were unable to keep up with the
rent/mortgage or any of their other bills. Their family is probably unwilling
to allow them to stay with them because they’ve stolen from, and cheated them
one too many times. To top it all off, their health is rapidly declining. One
may have contracted HIV by having unprotected sex to get the money for their
drug of choice, and/or contracted Hepatitis C by sharing needles. There are a
host of short-term, long-term, and medical consequences that include:
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
ü Increased energy
ü Decreased appetite
ü Mental alertness
ü Increased heart rate
ü Increased blood pressure
ü Constricted blood vessels
ü Increased temperature
ü Dilated pupils
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
ü Irritability
ü Mood disturbances
ü Restlessness
ü Paranoia
ü Auditory hallucinations
MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES
Cardiovascular Effects
ü Disturbances in heart
ü Rhythm heart attacks
Respiratory Effects
ü Chest pain
ü Respiratory failure
Neurological Effects
ü Strokes
ü Seizures
ü Headaches
Gastrointestinal Effects
ü Abdominal pain
ü Nausea
(qtd. in Narconon, 2001)
Another consequence of being addicted to crack, is the possibility of passing
the addiction and any other disease they may have on to their unborn child.
It’s not just women who can pass the addiction to her child, “cocaine can
attach itself to sperm, ‘hitch-hike’ its way into the zygote, and cause birth
defects” (qtd. in Berk, 1999, p. 112). Meaning men can also be the cause of
their child being born crack addicted. “In some states pregnant cocaine users
are held in jail until their babies are born, to protect the unborn child from
cocaine exposure” (qtd. in Carroll, 1994, p. 48).
Children born addicted to crack may suffer from “a wide variety of problems,
including prematurity, low birth weight, physical defects, breathing
difficulties, and death around the time of birth” (qtd. in Berk, 1999, p. 111).
Because they are basically born crack addicts themselves, once born they suffer
from withdraw symptoms. They may be irritable, have trouble sleeping, and they
have a abnormal, shrill-like, cry that is so distinctive, that the cry alone
can give away that the child maybe addicted. Because many users often use other
drugs (cigarettes, alcohol, heroin, etc…) in addiction to crack, in attempts to
heighten their high, doctors are unable to pin point those side effects that
are exclusively due to the use of crack.
As with any type of addiction, one must first admit that they have a problem
and be willing to seek treatment for it. Often times addicts are forced into
some type of treatment by the law, family, or friends. However, for most types
of treatment to be effective, one must determine for them self that it is
necessary. Therefore being forced into treatment, with a closed mind isn’t very
helpful (Sarason and Sarason, 1999).
Treatment varies depending on the stage and severity of the addiction. There
are groups like Cocaine Anonymous who “encourage their members to confide in
others who have the same problem, to share their feelings, to make a resolution
to overcome dependency, and to support the resolutions of other members” (qtd.
in Sarason and Sarason, 1999, p. 451). On the Cocaine Anonymous World Services
website, they offer a questionnaire (see attachment) to help one determine if
they have a cocaine problem and need help for it. The website also offers a lot
of literature on addiction and tells you how a 12 step program is set up.
There is also a treatment called Cue Exposure, which is a treatment that
recognizes that it is impossible to avoid drug related cues in real life
situations. Therefore, treatment includes exposing a cocaine abuser to things
like white powder, hypodermic needles, and movies in which people use drugs.
The goal is to stimulate the cravings and urges until the abusers desire for
crack decreases. This method also gives the abuser a chance to learn how to
cope and deal with these situations when they happen outside of
therapy/treatment.
Other treatments include psychotherapy and supportive therapy. Many times drug
abusers were originally lead to drugs because some sort of dramatic event in
their life. They may have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused, or
perhaps even going through a divorce. Whatever the case may be, psychotherapy
and supportive therapy can help an individual deal with the certain aspects in
their lives that may have lead them to use drugs in the first place. The hope
is that they may be able to resolve their issues and successfully stay away
from drugs once they have completed one of the programs that focus on the
actual addiction (Sarason and Sarason, 1999).
In conclusion, while acknowledging that there are many institutions in place to
help individuals after they have acquired an addiction, it seems as if the
institutions that are in place to prevent addiction aren’t reaching enough of
the population. There are commercials and billboards with slogans like “music
is my anti-drug”, but how much information can one acquire, and how effective
can a thirty second commercial be to an adult or youth who may have endured a
lifetime of pain. There are a lot of youth and adults crying out for help and
instead of receiving the proper treatment they want or need they resort to a
drug that ultimately subjects them to cruel and unusual punishment. I think
that educating the youth on the effects of crack, and teaching them life coping
skills can be the most effective way to cut down on the number of those who use
crack. The D.A.R.E. organization does this, but they are only one organization and
naturally cannot be in every school or school district. If there were more
aspiring organizations such as D.A.R.E., I believe there would be a dramatic
decrease in the number of addicts and in turn a decrease in violence. In
addition, I also believe that parents have to talk to their children and play a
more active role in their lives. Everything begins at home, so if a child is
taught about drugs at home, when they enter “the real world” they’re already a
step ahead.
Works Cited
Berk, L. E. (1999). Infants, children, and adolescents. Third Edition. Boston:
Allyn and
Bacon.
Carroll, M. (1994). Cocaine and crack. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, INC.
Cocaine Anonymous World Service. (2001). A self-test for addiction. Available:
http://www.ca.org/catest.html [2001, December 5].
Narconon. (2000). Cocaine addiction. Available:
http://www.cocaineaddiction.com/cocaine_addiction.html [2001, December 5].
Sarason, I. G., & Sarason, B. R. (1999). Abnormal psychology the problem of
maladaptive behavior. Tenth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall