Is Cocaine A Narcotic?

Cocaine is considered a narcotic in the United States. However, it is important to note there is a difference between a medical and legal narcotic. Below is an explanation of the differences between a legal and medical narcotic:

What Is A Medical Narcotic?

Cocaine is not classified as a medical narcotic. Medical narcotics work by changing the way pain is perceived by the brain. Narcotics are typically reserved for people who suffer from severe pain. They block feelings of pain. Narcotics are typically only used for three to four months. They most also be used under the supervision of a physician.

What Is A Legal Narcotic?

The legal definition of a narcotic is a drug that dulls the senses. Drugs that cannot be sold, transported or possessed without a dentist or physician's prescription are also classified as narcotics.

Cocaine has a Schedule II drug classification under the Controlled Substances Act. This means cocaine has limited medical usage and a high potential for abuse. Most people who abuse cocaine end up developing an addiction.

Can Cocaine Be Used For Medical Purposes?

In the past, cocaine was used as a local anesthetic and a medicine. However, medical usage of cocaine decreased once health care professionals realized it was very addictive. Some physicians still use cocaine to help stop patients' nosebleeds. It can also be used to control pain before minor nose surgery.

Additionally, cocaine can be used to numb the lining of the throat, mouth and nose. It typically numbs the area within one or two minutes after it is applied. However, because better products have been developed, cocaine is rarely used for medical purposes in the United States.

Dangers Of Cocaine Use

There are a number of dangers associated with cocaine use. Cocaine abusers are more likely to develop mental disorders. They are also at a higher risk for stroke. In fact, cocaine is the drug seen most often in patients who suffer a drug-related stroke.

Classification of Cocaine

Cocaine fits the legal definition of a narcotic, but it is not considered a medical narcotic. Cocaine abuse can also be dangerous, which is why it is seldom used for medicinal purposes.

The Effects Of The Abuse of Alcohol and Drugs

 

Sometimes it is very difficult for a person who drinks alcohol to determine if their consumption is beyond the social drinking stage and crossing over into a problem area. If a person drinks in order to "feel better" and the drinking is frequent, they may already be in trouble.

The alcoholic has difficulty in always knowing whether or not he or she is getting into a problem with their drinking, and in most cases they will deny the fact that they are having an issue with their drinking. A person who is drinking too much will seldom decide to quit if they have a problem. They think that they are better off by drinking.

The same scenario is true with drug abuse, where a person tries a drug, then wants more, and before they know it, they are addicted and in real trouble. A person who is addicted to alcohol or drugs, is usually not capable of making the decision to look for help on their own.

It is usually family or friends who will intervene for a person who is drinking too much, or who has problems with drug abuse. Even with family help, it is very difficult for a person to decide to get treatment, and then to stay with it.

A true alcohol or drug abuser will focus on their habit and little else. It becomes a fetish with them, and they will neglect family, employment, their health, any relationships that they have, and all else, just in order to pursue their addiction.

People who are that deeply addicted to alcohol or drugs will probably need to be admitted to a facility that specializes in the treatment of the affliction. It requires a length of time of several months, and then close supervision once they are released. It is a big commitment, and many revert back to their old ways, even after treatment.

Drug and Alcohol Intervention Services and Substance Abuse Treatment Options:

Cocaine Abuse And How You Can Stop

 

Getting help with cocaine abuse is important if you want to get healthy again. This type of an addiction can really do a number on your life. If you'd like to know how to get started with finding help, the following tips will get you started.

Cocaine is something that a lot of people do because they have no support system and don't really feel like there is a lot they can do to get better. Know that if you're using this drug, it's going to just get better and better the longer you quit using it. Generally you will feel like something is missing at first from your life, but that's just the drug's addictive effects leaving your body. Once you realize you're not powerless over this, you can start to really rebuild the life you live without drugs in it.

When you need to quit because you're having a hard time with a drug, you may want to check into some kind of a rehab facility to get the help that you need. So many times people will try to quit at home, but then they realize that going cold turkey is just too hard and they start to use again. When you check into a facility, they will take care of your needs and will wean you off of the cocaine using medications. This makes it a lot easier to stop because you'll be able to relax a lot more.

Cocaine abuse does not have to be something you deal with all by yourself. You should now have an idea of what can be done so you can get the help you need. When you're done, you will live a much happier and healthier lifestyle that's free from the grips of cocaine addiction.

The Truth About Meth, Crystal, Crank, Methamphetamines

Unlike other classes of abused drugs, methamphetamines is actually approved for medical use for treating ADHD and obesity in adults and children. In small doses, it is available over the counter in nasal decongestants.  Despite being a regulated drug, however, meth still finds its way into the black market to addicts.

There are many reasons why people would try out meth (or crystal or crank as it is also known). Probably the biggest reason why any would try this drug, or any other addictive drug, is the psychological effect. Methamphetamine users report an increase in their self-esteem, alertness, concentration, libido and euphoria. On the downside, however, it can also cause you to be very aggressive, experience hallucinations, experience psychosomatic disorders, hair pulling and skin picking. To demonstrate how powerful and dangerous this drug can be, if you search for methamphetamine on Google Images, you will see pictures of addicts with peeled off skin.

Meth users usually lose their teeth very quickly, prompting people to dub this condition as meth mouth. The American Dental Association, however, think it is not just the meth, but it is the combination of poor oral hygiene, having a dry mouth plus a host of other factors which cause meth mouth. 

Meths are highly addictive, however, it is believed that you can decrease the drug's toxicity to the brain by taking Vitamin C before taking them. However, it still can not stop people from doing what they do when they are high on the drug. Meth comes in crystal form and users addicts smoke the burned meth.

Addiction to methamphetamines is one of the most difficult forms of addiction to treat. To treat post-withdrawal cravings, doctors usually prescribe baclofen, aripiprazole and bupropion but the success rate is really, really low.

 If You Or Someone You Know Is Abusing Drugs, or Has Become Addicted To Drugs and Alcohol, There Is Help!

The Dunes is an Alcohol and Drug Rehab in New York That Can Break The Cycle of Addiction, and Offer Hope to Those Suffering from the Throes of Addiction:

The Dunes East Hampton
201 Fort Pond Blvd., Suite 1
East Hampton, NY 11937
(888) 963-9234