Cocaine has many short term effects that can cause a person to be severely addicted and afflicted by this drug. However, there are also many different long term effects that the user suffers from as they are drawn deeper into the addiction. These long term effects carry lifelong problems that can be a part of your entire life. Cocaine addiction is a lifelong struggle with health, emotional, and even financial problems.
For the recreational cocaine user, there is a very dangerous long term effect of becoming addicted so heavily that you cannot escape it. This addiction is caused by the sensation in the brain that needs to be continually fed with the euphoric feelings that are associated with the cocaine. This addiction, over the long term, can ruin families, jobs, and cause serious health problems that are not reversible.
Cocaine use also changes the person who is addicted to it. After prolonged use, the addict's character will change and they will be easily irritated, go through very wide mood swings, and have severe bouts of depression and mental anguish. This can lead to years of psychological counseling that the addict never really gets over.
One of the other long term effects of cocaine use has to do with a loss of responsibility and a separation from reality. They begin to hear sounds, see things, and live their life according to different hallucinations. These psychotic episodes can even prompt the cocaine addict to do things they would not normally do when not under the influence of the drug.
Medical problems are another long term effect of the cocaine addiction. When used long enough, addicts will suffer from lung problems, heart disease, and an increased chance of stroke or blood clots. These problems, if allowed to continue for many years are irreversible and lead to death.
