Is cocaine addictive ? defining the nature of cocaine / crack addiction

[FemFoison]

Hey there.



I've been lurking for a while here, and I usually find if I wait long enough someone else asks whatever I'd been wanting to. What can I say? I'm shy.



Despite that, I have two linked questions.



1) If coke is / is one of your primary drugs of choice, how much do you do per day? Or even, how often? I've read studies that said cocaine "abusers" will snort 2-3 lines per day, and from my own experience that seems like a ridiculously small amount to be considered abuse/addiction. For me there is a marked distinction between weekend and weekday use, but it is consistent enough to quantify.



2) I'm writing an article for a University science magazine analyzing the question of addiction - whether there is a chemical process that can be identified and, if so, how it varies from drug to drug (e.g. stopping use of cocaine does not lead to withdrawl as stopping use of heroin does, an opium "addiction" creates a far different cycle of chemical responses than a meth "addiction, etc). At any rate, I'm not planning on coming down on one side or the other - it is meant to be objective. I have my personal opinion, but nevertheless I wanted to know how you all felt about it, especially with cocaine - does a habit constitute an addiction? Have you ever been addicted to one drug, but not another, and noticed a difference in your use of one or the other? Also, I have a ton of sources I'm busy pouring through, but if any of you have suggestions on particular books or articles (more specific than just websites or journals) I can never have enough information.



As a matter of introduction, since it seems polite, I'm a 22 year old, female student of linguistics, biology, english literature, neuropsychology, philosophy, and film. That ought to suffice for now, I hope.



(: