Snorting cocaine causes long-term emotional damage to users. According to a study, a person's inability to perceive anger and sadness in other people when 'high' in cocaine might develop into a continuing behaviour.
"The fundamental effect of cocaine is the magnification of the intensity of almost all normal pleasures," said Dr. Frank Gawin. These pleasurable effects cause people to develop drug addiction.
Metro UK reports that a research conducted by fellows at Maastricht University in the Netherlands observed the effects of cocaine among 24 volunteers. In fact, 12 of these participants were only given placebo.
Results show that the drug impairs the users' ability to recognize sadness and other negative emotions in other people.
"This might hinder the ability to interact in social situations," said Dr. Kim Kuypers. "But it may also help explain why cocaine users report higher levels of sociability when intoxicated - simply because they can't recognize the negative emotions."
"We know cocaine is a powerful and addictive drug," University College London's Dr. Michael Bloomfield. "An important question remains: does cocaine mess up this process so that when cocaine users are off the drug they feel like other people have more negative emotions?"
According to Mental Health Daily, cocaine usage develops emotional dysfunction among people in the long run due to the weakening of the brain's dopamine and prefrontal activities - leading to extreme emotional disturbances such as aggression, anger, apathy and depression.
Over time, the brain's resilience to stress also continues to decrease. This is why cocaine users become more aggressive and angry.
Severe dopamine deficiency and brain alterations due to heavy cocaine use also trigger anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis - developing hallucinations and/or delusions that mimic symptoms of schizophrenia.
Associated with triggered alterations done to the brain's regional functioning, these mental and emotional disturbances will continue to plague cocaine users unless they abstain from the drug for a "prolonged period of time."
