Addicted? Try cocaine.
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That might be the most insane thing I have ever read.
Cocaine is not like opiates in that it is only addictive while you are actually using it. Once it leaves your body the craving goes away. As soon as the first rush subsides you instantly crave more cocaine. Because the rush from freebasing is much more intense than snorting it, the craving is more intense as well.
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The physiology of it is quite interesting as well.
Dopamine is released by the nerve ending, and the "high" is the result of dopamine interacting with the post-synaptic site. Dopamine is then removed from the inter synaptic cleft and taken back up into the nerve that released it.
What cocaine does is prevent the reuptake, keeping dopamine floating around longer, giving that rush.
The problem is that there are other methods (slower) of removing dopamine from the inter synaptic cleft, and eventually the dopamine goes away. But...the nerve that secreted the dopamine is somewhat depleted, so it can't release as much as it did the first time. So, in an attempt to get that really great rush, you want MORE coke to keep that smaller amount of dopamine hanging around longer. But, THAT eventually gets metabolized as well, and the nerve is even more depleted.
It's a vicious cycle, and that's why the first hit is always the best. There's more dopamine to be released that first time.
Link to video
