Cocaine Anxiety: (A Complete Guide)
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OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
Anxiety is one of the most commonly known mental health disorders and it is also the most prevalent one.
It includes rumination as continuous over thinking of the same thoughts over and over again.
Most of the time these thoughts are not even logical and not backed up by evidence.
Moreover, you just can’t diffuse the anxiety by rumination by reasoning. Cocaine is sometimes linked with anxiety.
Cocaine being the one of the most widely used recreational drugs is associated with anxiety in two ways.
It is either used to lessen the effects of anxiety or sometimes it is the other way around as cocaine usage can cause anxiety too.
Some people also use cocaine to boost up their self-esteem because it combats negative thoughts.
However, at times the use of cocaine can cause negative thoughts.
We’ll discuss cocaine anxiety in the article given below.
Anxiety
Anxiety has become a household name, thanks to the increasing stress levels around the world.
According to an estimate, in the 50s the anxiety levels of mental health patients were the same as anxiety levels of high school students nowadays.
People tend to treat anxiety by going to health care providers but some people go for self-medications and try to treat anxiety with recreational drugs like cocaine.
Cocaine
It is sometimes referred to as coke and it is a schedule II drug.
It is known to be one of the strongest stimulants which are mostly used for recreational purposes.
It is commonly used by inhaling as smoke, snorting or it can even be dissolved and injected intravenously.
The user feels loss of touch with reality and feels an intense sense of agitation and happiness.
Coca leaves are the main source of cocaine and people have been using it for recreational purposes for decades.
Despite being illegal, it is used frequently and it is often abused to decrease negative feelings and thoughts.
Cocaine and Anxiety
Cocaine and anxiety are interlinked for many reasons.
Cocaine is a stimulant and it increases brain activity and chemicals produced by using cocaine causes an increased sense of self-esteem and higher energy levels.
People who use cocaine often feel least worried about how people perceive them and that’s why they tend to be comfortable during public interactions which can cause anxiety normally.
These effects are not for long terms and hence provide short term relief from the specific anxiety disorder (SAD), such as social anxiety (SA) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). According to health care providers, most of the people turn to anti anxiety medication or even anti-depression medications.
However, there are a few people who turn to recreational drugs like cocaine to reduce the effects so they can get immediate short term relief from the symptoms and effects of anxiety like stress or rumination.
Cocaine addiction and anxiety are two commonly occurring conditions and they go hand in hand.
These two have a widely studied connection and one of the most interesting ones.
Sometimes, cocaine is used to combat anxiety and at times cocaine abuse can lead to anxiety attacks.
These two are co-occurring conditions and sometimes it is even hard to tell which causes which.
Cocaine as Self-Medication for Anxiety
Even though there are drugs with proven advantages for anxiety and people should always go to health care providers before self-medicating.
However, some people go for anxiety reducing drugs like cocaine as a way of self-medication.
In this case, the cocaine is not the one which causes the anxiety disorder but it can increase the symptoms and make the anxiety will eventually become worse.
However, cocaine anxiety is even dangerous because the brain forgets to cope without the use of cocaine which affirms the habit of addiction and it is formed in a pattern.
The individual will go to take cocaine if there is even a minor inconvenience occurring in his life which leads to increased stress levels.
This pattern is highly dangerous for both symptoms of anxiety disorder and cocaine addiction, hence known as cocaine anxiety.
Cocaine Anxiety due to Cocaine Abuse
Now this is interesting to study because in this case, over use of cocaine can cause anxiety.
This is probably not known by most of the cocaine abusers because most of them use cocaine to counter the effects of anxiety.
However, it is true and somewhat interesting to find out how cocaine anxiety is caused by cocaine abuse.
Cocaine abusers should keep this in mind while doing cocaine abuse.
Cocaine anxiety can occur due to a number of reasons and some of them are given below.
- Cocaine as Stimulant
A stimulant, as the name represents, is a drug which causes the neurotransmitters found in the brain to cause feelings of anxiety.
This is the reason why people using cocaine develop feelings of anxiety or full-fledged anxiety disorder.
- Due to Cocaine Withdrawal
Cocaine addiction can be spanned upon years and your mind and body becomes dependent on cocaine for functioning.
According to an estimate, prolonged use of cocaine can produce alterations in the brain.
Therefore, when the body goes through withdrawal of cocaine it leaves effects by increasing or developing anxiety.
When a person comes down from stimulants, neurotransmitters in the brain drop drastically.
It can lead to the development of depression and anxiety as the brain is trying to live normally without the use of cocaine.
- Cocaine Anxiety as a Side Effect
Drug abuse has its own side effects and almost everyone is aware of it.
For instance, insomnia can be one of the side effects of cocaine abuse. Similarly, anxiety can occur as a side effect of cocaine addiction.
It can also be the result of not taking enough sleep due to insomnia which is due to cocaine addiction.
It can get worse with prolonged use of cocaine which can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Physical Stress
Cocaine addiction and abuse can lead to physical stress on the human body which can resultantly cause mental stress and it will lead to anxiety, eventually.
- Cocaine Behaviors
Cocaine abusers have behavioral patterns which can also be the reason for increased cocaine anxiety.
For instance, prolonged use of cocaine causes changes in sleep and appetite which in turn can be a factor for development of cocaine anxiety.
It is one of the reasons which play an important role in the development of anxiety.
- Life Style
The altered lifestyle due to the prolonged and abusive usage of cocaine can also be one of the causes of cocaine anxiety.
Cocaine is illegal, highly expensive and has massive addictive powers and all of these factors contribute to the development of cocaine anxiety.
It can be really expensive and addictive that it can have serious personal consequences.
Exacerbation of anxiety in the form dehydration, pain, nausea, palpitation, psychomotor agitation and what not can worsen cocaine anxiety.
A person with cocaine addiction will not be able to handle his routine matters with the same efficiency and it will affect his life in the long run.
The worsening condition of deepening addiction can also put people in situations which are only additions to their stress and anxiety.
Some of those conditions include the following:
- Trouble keeping a job
- Relationship difficulties
- Doing embarrassing things which a sober person won’t do
- Trying to buy drugs while on the streets
Is cocaine a cause of cocaine anxiety?
Cocaine works by increasing neurotransmitters activity in the brain and this interaction increases the mental and physical energy in people.
Brain activity increase can cause racing, uncontrollable thoughts in the brain and some of these thought are negative as well as paranoid.
Reliance on the drug causes cocaine anxiety which is ironic because people take it to avoid anxious thoughts.
Cocaine anxiety can also be one of the withdrawal symptoms of anxiety because our brain and body go through withdrawal symptoms when the person tries to avoid cocaine.
Other symptoms also include.
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Restlessness
- Dizziness and Nausea
- Stress for the opinions of peers
- Over thinking
- Worry about the future
Cocaine Anxiety Attacks
Cocaine anxiety is a serious issue nowadays and it is found in most people who are cocaine abusers.
The feeling of anxiety manifests itself in the form of mental effects of the drug or even during withdrawal stage.
Cocaine anxiety attacks can occur if the person abuses cocaine more than the routine dosages.
How to treat Cocaine Anxiety
Most of the countries had it wrong while making the recreational drugs illegal which is alright but they need to address the problem at a grass root level.
People turn to these drugs to get rid of stressors of life so the focus should be on mental health and the rest will fall into place.
Cocaine anxiety is developed by using cocaine but it can be treated using different treatment options as well.
These treatment options are available for anyone who struggled with addiction of any type of stimulant drug.
It is highly recommended to take treatment for both conditions including cocaine dependence and anxiety if a person is suffering from both conditions.
Anxiety can lead you towards cocaine addiction, similarly if you don’t take mental health seriously and anxiety issues are not addressed in rehab then there are chances of setback even after a successful treatment.
Treatment plans are devised to tackle the issues and reduce cocaine anxiety as well as cocaine addiction.
You will have to learn coping strategies to manage feelings of anxiety in a healthy way rather than going to be dependent on stimulant drugs.
Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.
What we recommend for curbing Anxiety
Below are some of the services and products we recommend for anxiety
Online Therapy
- Online therapy is another thing we should all try. We highly recommend Online therapy with a provider who not only provides therapy but a complete mental health toolbox to help your wellness.
Anxiety Weighted Blankets
- Anxiety Weighted Blankets are by far the number 1 thing every person who suffers from anxiety should at least try. Anxiety Blankets may improve your sleep, allow you to fall asleep faster and you can even carry them around when chilling at home.
Light Therapy
- Amber light therapy from Amber lights could increase the melatonin production in your body and help you sleep better at night. An Amber light lamp helps reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and increases overall sleep quality.
FAQs about Cocaine Anxiety
Does cocaine anxiety cause by overdose of cocaine?
No, it is caused by prolonged uses of cocaine.
What does cocaine overdose do?
Cocaine overdose is highly dangerous as it can cause serious health issues like tremors and even death.
Should I take treatment for addiction or anxiety if I’m suffering from cocaine anxiety?
You should go to the best rehab facility and let them know your problems; they will devise a mental health plan for you.
What if I’m facing anxiety disorder?
Consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
References
headspace.org.au/young-people/understanding-cocaine-for-young-people/
calmclinic.com/anxiety/causes/cocaine
therecoveryvillage.com/cocaine-addiction/cocaine-anxiety-cocaine-cause-anxiety/
footprintsbeachside.com/blog/cocaine-addiction-anxiety-connection/
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