personality changes and cocaine use

[Miss Maya Blue]

so i recently discovered a good friend of mine has been hiding a coke habit.
he knows i wouldn't approve, so he has kept it from me.

i have noticed him acting strangely lately, though i wonder if it has to do with coke use or if it is circumstantial (we have had other disagreements recently)

as far as i know, its occasionally use. if i had to guess, once or twice a week at most, for the last month, and before that, maybe once or twice a month...

does casual use like his typically cause noticeable changes in personality?
anyone lived through something similar with a friend?

thanks in advance...
maya

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I hope your friend does not get addicted or something.
Next thing you know cops can raid his/her home and get arrested.

Mabey it's not coke but something else?

 

[Back Burner]

Is there a such thing as "casual use" of cocaine? I mean, I burn every now and again but I don't find it addictive.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I use to have co workers who did the same shit while on the job.
I'd rather smoke a nice blunt or cheap weed then to touch that.


What if you got tested at a lab which will show positive use?

 

[shakenbake]

Yes, it does change your personality, for the worse. Even with moderate use. I have had friends who destroyed their lives on that shit.

About confronting him about it, I can't advise you. Each situation is different. However, try to be a supportive and encouraging friend as much as possible. That is the best you can do, for now.

 

[notanerd]

Horrible habit that I seriously hope your friend has not picked up. It can and will ruin their life.

 

[T.O.tourist]

as far as i know, its occasionally use. if i had to guess, once or twice a week at most, for the last month, and before that, maybe once or twice a month...

If your friends use has escalated from once a month, to several times a week IMO that has stepped beyond the boundaries of "occasional or casual" use.

YES!! Cocaine can cause major personality changes, even with casual or "recreational" use.

 

[girlyboy]

I've had no major problems and I recently switched to diet pepsi oh sorry just read your title that's a different topic.

 

[Aardvark154]

Is there a such thing as "casual use" of cocaine? I mean, I burn every now and again but I don't find it addictive.

I don't like being the bearer of bad news - but from everything I've read and heard it is psychologically the single most addictive drug of abuse.

 

[The Cunning Linguist]

I don't like being the bearer of bad news - but from everything I've read and heard it is psychologically the single most addictive drug of abuse.

I thought the most addictive drug was crack ( I know, cocaine derivitive) or crytal meth?

then of course there's the legal drug....nicotine...

 

[Hangman]

I think the answer is "Yes, it can." I think people underestimate the addictive power of that drug. Some people can try it and leave it, but I think the majority get hooked very easily, and that can definitely lead to mood changes.

I don't know your friend or your relationship, but I think the answer is in your original post. It seems that the addictive side of coke use is manifesting, based on the increasing frequency.

So there's likely the actual physical addiction affecting him, feeling irritable and jumpy when not high, etc. Then, there's the whole psychological effect - does he feel guilty about it, does he wish he could stop, but is having trouble? It's a complicated Gordian knot.

Left unchecked, the more he does it the more he'll want to do it, leaving him feeling awful, broke, and possibly friendless.

Does he know you know? This is a tough position to be in, as the friend...do you attempt to help, knowing it's for the best but that the help may well be rejected and the friendship over, or do you say "He's a grown up" and let him make his own decisions? I've had to do both with friends who got addicted (one to coke, one to other drugs).

 

[phail]

c'mon are you kidding me. casual use of cocaine? wtf. does that imply you use infrequently enough to avoid its deleterious effects?
not even close. if you use, you got a problem. period. commit to getting help.

 

[snowleopard]

I thought the most addictive drug was crack ( I know, cocaine derivitive) or crytal meth?

then of course there's the legal drug....nicotine...

Ranks right up there with this hobby

I only tried coke once, and I knew immediately that it could be deadly addictive, especially to those who tend to be prone to addiction. As for altering one's personality, I suppose only those who know the person intimately would really know for sure.

 

[Cycleguy007]

Never touched the stuff...

MJ and all its forms... Now THAT's another story entirely!

 

[toughb]

Ranks right up there with this hobby

I only tried coke once, and I knew immediately that it could be deadly addictive, especially to those who tend to be prone to addiction. As for altering one's personality, I suppose only those who know the person intimately would really know for sure.

***

Huummm. Weren't you human once???...

 

[Aardvark154]

I thought the most addictive drug was crack ( I know, cocaine derivitive) or crytal meth?

then of course there's the legal drug....nicotine...

Nicotine to the best of my knowledge is a physical addiction, the problem with Cocaine and I defer to anyone with an M.D. or PhD in the field, is that apparently it ends up suppressing the "happy" chemicals in our brains, and so while you started out "flying" pretty soon you have to have it just to not feel depressed. That is different than the physical addiction process.

 

[a 1 player]

To answer the question...

Yes, cocaine can change ones personality dramatically, drastically, and very quickly. It is also a drug that many (if not most) people have a hard time using recreationally after they have been using a while.

I speak from experience.

 

[stroker888]

what type of personality changes are you seeing?

Cocaine is very addictive, I think Heroine has been shown to be the most addictive.

 

[Davy.Biggie]

your friend is an addict.
recreational use doesn't last long in the world of peruvian marching powdr.
cocaine makes men paranoid and impotent. if those 2 side effects don't deter you then I guess you know what you want.
paranoia is the one that comes through as the most visible change in character.
any usage over once every 2 months is no longer recreational.

 

[Hard Idle]

You can't really be sure how long it's been.

Some people are able to somewhat keep it casual for months or even years, while others go down the tubes rapidly. Either way, it leads tot he same place, just a matter of when.

Also, if he's already been using for a long time it may be harder to tell. Some people can become hooked to such an extent that they don't seem high when they're using - because there are no more real highs, they need to be on it all the time just appear together and functional.