How alcohol influences cocaine addiction

Most people who use an illicit drug do not go on to develop addiction. A Columbia study in rats helps explain why an early exposure to alcohol can tip the balance and increase a person's vulnerability to developing addiction to cocaine.

[yankees]

I had to stop drinking alcohol in order to stop using cocaine. The minute I get a few drinks in me I’m on a never ending hunt for cocaine.

[VICTORERIKA]

And people call marijuana a gateway drug. Bull shit the biggest gateway drug is alcohol

[unassistedsuicide]

The booze is slowing things down? Better do a couple of rails to get rolling again. Too jacked up on coke? Take the edge off with a couple of beers. Next thing you know it’s 5:00 am, you didn’t eat dinner/shower/sleep/change clothes/buy groceries or gas, and all those sirens outside MUST have something to do with you

[MiguelAngel-irck]

What helped me stop was getting obsessed with self improvement, watching videos, reading books and having goals both personal and financial. I keep a journal and write my future goals and my daily goals that will help me accomplish the person i want to be in life. It all starts with thought and implementing these thoughts on paper which eventually evolve into action. Self healing is the only cure, self reflection and analyzing your weaknesses so you do not make the same mistakes. God bless all im 3 yeArs sober and i can say its been a hell of a journey so far but life is great!

[taylorjohnson]

I was a iv coke user. Its BEYOND addicting and I almost cried whenever I ran out. But alcohol I think is 100% a gateway drug for coke. I always used when I drank.

[markisabell]

Alcohol is the gateway drug. A six pack in me and b4 I know it I’m calling my dealer. Weed does not have the sane effect. It usually motivates me to clean or get a few things done (usually don’t finish). But I wind up eating then crashing. Harmless. Big difference

[marisajackson]

Left a man after 14 years of him using cocaine and drinking alcohol… I always wondered why he had to do both. I didn’t want him to die on my watch 😢 god help me

[cyanidechrist]

Currently on 36 hour booze and blow binge. Fuckin disgusting. The pain out weighs the pleasure now. Hurts hard.

[Greeny]

As somebody who recently overdosed, its not worth it guys. I say this fully knowing I'm still addicted and I will probably end up doing it again soon, but I hope I can stop, and I hope you can too. We can do this!

[strawlessberryg]

Im only 21 and I’ve seen the lowest point of my life . I just want to be myself again . I’m trying I really am but it’s so hard

[SuperDaz]

Mine was a vicious cycle, I'd drink in an attempt to numb the cravings of cocaine. It would result in getting drunk enough not to care anymore and use cocaine.

[cleanfreak]

What I found is frequent cocaine use leads a person to justify his usage by succeeding in life and these are professionals with degrees put that in your book and read it

[justentertainment]

Once I get drunk it's a non stop hunt for cocaine

[xXHighRyzeXx]

Yeah alcohol is the problem. I had the same plug for 2 years, always sold snow but I never bought. Until I broke my alcohol sobriety and decided to try it. Now it seems alcohol is terrible without it 🤦🏾‍♂️

[justentertainment]

I dont know why I can't explain it but when I drink I want to use cocaine how do I stop drinking please help me

[CODYj]

Nicotine users use nicotine. Before during and after cocaine use.

Does alcohol have a disinhibition effect in the rats? If so, although hard to isolate that effect and control for it, that might be worth exploring.

Many cocaine addicts, and those in recovery joke that they were more likely to use cocaine when drinking, supposedly due the lower inhibitions, higher impulsively, and impaired judgment.

[macintoshimann]

This relationship is very strange. Even though alcohol use rarely mixed with cocaine for me (too not hungry to drink lol), I found alcohol would make my cravings for blow maybe 3-5x worse after just 1-2 drinks when I got clean and I was so muscular that was nothing. Even without concurrent use or a prior problem with abuse, it was like drinking activated my cocaine addiction.

[Litigation-Queen]

Nicotine and alcohol are way much worse in terms of long term damage, physically and socially, cocaine might kill you anytime if you took an OD, while the gateways suggested will make you suffer before your death !

[baldersn]

Stopped weekend cocaine binges for 2 months now...Still drink though..But even thsts calmed down..Just learnt to stop bring a peopke pleaser and say no...Distsnced myself certaon people as well and stop listening yo my head...its everywhere in thd UK its the norm..Finally broke the hellish cycle, tried recovery grouos, tried total abstinance from everything etc..None of thst worked, st end of the day you got to want to quit...My life is sp much bettet now though, edp my bank balance and my deoression and fear has lifted..

[KennySanchez-ev]

I am 25 years old and a bartender, been in the yay game for 5-6 years almost every weekend type thing , it’s getting tiring cause of the hangover lastes like 2-3 days while I’m trying to run a business but it’s definitely hard especially when buzzed, I tell anyone who has never done it to not try it wish I never did smh