Once upon a time, I got a chance to see a presentation at Brookhaven National Laboratory about the effects of cocaine use on the brain. They talked about how they were able to synthesize a cocaine molecule with a radioactive isotope to trace it throughout the body. They really loved their particle accelerator and medical nuclear reactor! They showed how it bound to the pleasure center in the brain. This accounted for its very high addiction rate. That part was very interesting, but not the main course.
They then showed the PET scans of long-time addicts. They showed how the drug constricts the blood vessels in the brain. They showed how this constriction was sufficient to kill off areas of the brain with long-term use.
At that time, I had had experience with coke. I had tried it a few times and knew it to be incredibly fun. Joints laced with it were always a treat. At one point, a girl I dated had gotten wrapped up in it. She had withdrawn the last $700 from her savings to keep the fun time rolling one weekend even though that money was for her car payment due in a couple of weeks.
All those things you hear and read about how drugs can mess with your life seem intangible until you start to see yourself in the story. This girl was together when I knew her and she still got wrapped around the axle. She did manage to keep her car, but it was tight for a few months. Seeing the actual, measurable loss of brain tissue scared the hell out of me. It’s what I think about today as I hear stories about people using it. To be honest, I don’t hear mention of this outside of that talk I saw.
To anyone who’s staying clean, KEEP IT UP! I pray for your comfort, peace and strength when the urges get intense.
