Cocaine and Alcohol Abuse
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The Risks of Mixing Alcohol and Cocaine and How to Get Help
The combination of cocaine and alcohol can be tremendously dangerous. Falling into a pattern of substance abuse with just one of these two can be harmful enough. When both are in play, a long list of negative outcomes suddenly becomes possible.
We will take a closer look on this page at the realities of mixing cocaine with alcohol addiction. Whether you have just started experimenting with cocaine use along with an existing habit of alcohol consumption, or you have been using both substances for some time and are concerned about your health, this page should provide some valuable information.
To get personalized, professional help for these issues, call Purpose Healing Center right away.
We have experience serving cocaine users, those with alcohol addiction, and individuals facing both challenges at the same time. Your phone call will be answered by a friendly, understanding professional who is ready to get you started with cocaine and alcohol addiction treatment immediately.
Why Cocaine and Alcohol Are a Common Mix
On the surface, alcohol and cocaine might seem quite different. One is legal and commonly consumed in social settings, whereas the other is illegal and would be considered taboo in plenty of places. With that said, mixing alcohol and cocaine is quite common, and the risks of this habit are very real. Just about any type of outcome is on the table when cocaine and alcohol and alcohol are used together, including sudden death.
The reason that people will choose to use these two together is the powerful high that they can produce. While it doesn’t last long, there euphoric effects from using simultaneous alcohol and cocaine, and that high is strong enough for people to keep trying this time after time.
The Real Dangers of Combining Alcohol and Cocaine Together
If combining alcohol and cocaine doesn’t cause any serious health problems the first few times, people might fall into a false sense of security thinking that this habit isn’t as dangerous as it is.
Any drug combination has the potential to go very wrong, and that’s certainly true with a cocaine high that is boosted by alcohol use.
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Understanding the Effects of Each Drug On its Own
To understand what happens when you use both cocaine and alcohol, it is helpful to look closer and what each of these substances do to the body on their own.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that impacts the central nervous system. When cocaine is used, it produces feelings of euphoria and offers a dramatic increase in energy.
The brain is flooded with dopamine, and for a short time, the user feels a powerful high. That high usually lasts less than a half hour, leading many people to turn right back to the drug for another high.
Using cocaine also causes blood pressure to go up, along with heart rate and body temperature. Side effects of cocaine use over time can also include paranoia, irritability, and restlessness.
Alcohol
In many ways, alcohol works on the body in the opposite manner from cocaine. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that slows down brain activity. It lowers inhibitions, impairs coordination, and provides feelings of general relaxation.
Small doses of alcohol can seem harmless, but alcohol use disorder can gradually develop over time and lead to a long list of potential harms. When drinking alcohol, mixing cocaine compounds these harms, as you will find out more about in the coming section on cocaine and alcohol combining to produce cocaethylene.
There are many unwanted acute and chronic effects of using alcohol regularly. Those include mental health harms, risky behavior, powerful alcohol withdrawal symptoms, other drug use, and more.
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The Real Danger is Cocaethylene
It’s important to understand that both cocaine and alcohol have the potential to be very harmful on their own. These substances can be life changing and trying to treat mental health problems through the use of cocaine or alcohol is a path that no one should go down.
However, bringing these two together in the form of polysubstance abuse and dependence is even more dangerous. That’s because of a compound called cocaethylene that is produced in the body when these two substances are used at the same time. Once created in the body, cocaethylene sticks around longer than either of the parent drugs thanks to a longer half life.
While in the body, it elevates the risk of many life threatening conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Using alcohol concurrently with cocaine is so dangerous in large part because of the toxic effects of cocaethylene and what it can do to your body.
How Dual Substance Abuse Starts
You might not start out with the intention of concurrent use of cocaine and alcohol. Many people find themselves in a situation where they have a few drinks at a party and then cocaine comes into the picture. The stimulant effects of cocaine can counter the depressant effects of alcohol, so the two seem to balance out.
Of course, the adverse effects are far too serious for this to be a good idea, but the pattern can start in this way. Then, once the powerful high is experienced, the combined effects of alcohol and cocaine may be pursued more and more often.
Why It’s So Hard to Quit Without Help
As this habit develops, higher doses will be needed to achieve the same impact. This will naturally put you at an increased risk of negative outcomes, with particular strain being placed on your cardiovascular system. Drug users who wind up addicted to both alcohol and cocaine typically find it nearly impossible to quit on their own.
The difficulty in quitting comes from the powerful withdrawal symptoms in the aftermath of mixing cocaine and alcohol. After experiencing the psychological effects that this combination provides, you’ll have trouble walking away by yourself.
Getting Proven Support to Put Down Cocaine and Alcohol
There will always be a pull to come back and try this mix again. Even if it leads to high blood pressure and many other scary problems for vital organs, your brain will simply be seeking out that euphoria.
Fortunately, getting professional help can turn things around. The psychoactive effects will still hold an appeal, but you can trust in your treatment plan and the experienced professionals on your side to get through the detox process and avoid relapse later on.
It’s never easy to quit using any psychoactive substance, but doing so in a proper treatment facility will stack the odds in your favor.
Put a Stop to Cocaine Addiction and Alcohol Dependence
Fighting one addiction battle can be overwhelming. Fighting two at the same time can feel impossible. If you continue to fight the battle against both cocaine and alcohol use alone, finding lasting recovery may be out of reach.
But there’s no reason that you have to be alone. Purpose Healing Center would love to be a trusted partner in your corner for this fight. We create and execute custom treatment options for individuals dealing with drug abuse and alcohol consumption issues.
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No matter how long you’ve been taking cocaine, or how much you are drinking on a regular basis, our team is here to help.
We’d love to receive your phone call today. Let’s talk about the situation openly and honestly so we can get on the same page. You can absolutely work your way toward a life that is free from substance abuse and our treatment programs are ready to be a part of that journey.
Please call confidentially to get started on the path to a brighter tomorrow, right now!
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