After lunch, we were sent back to the streets, until supper. After breakfast, we were thrown out, regardless of the weather, until lunch. I tried living in a shelter, but the conditions were unacceptable. Within 2 years, I was bankrupt and living on welfare. My girlfriend introduced me to crack cocaine and that was the beginning of my downfall. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, WebMD Connect to Care Advisors are standing by to help.A man spends ten years on the street but never loses his entrepreneurial spirit A 2020 study published in scientific journal PLoS ONE found that the rate of suicide attempts and deaths from suicide are higher in crack cocaine users. You may also find yourself failing to fulfill major responsibilities in your personal or professional life. The effects of long-term crack cocaine use may lead you to distance yourself from others. In addition to physically damaging your brain, drug abuse can prevent your brain from performing some of its most basic functions, leading to difficulty with memory, learning, judgment and making decisions. Other psychiatric effects of crack cocaine use can include: “Cocaine can directly cause changes in brain function, leading to strokes,” Harshal Kirane, MD, medical director of Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research, tells WebMD Connect to Care. Crack cocaine use can have significant long-term effects on your heart, including: The most significant form of organ damage that can occur with crack cocaine use is heart damage. Jenna Liphart Rhoads, PhD, nurse educator, tells WebMD Connect to Care, “Crack cocaine can cause lung damage and worsening of respiratory diseases, such as asthma, from smoke inhalation.” Rhoads says crack cocaine can also cause upper airway inflammation that can lead to hoarseness and difficulty swallowing. “Organ damage is a major concern, as crack cocaine use over time can cause both lung and kidney function to deteriorate.” “Prolonged use of crack cocaine can have severe long-term consequences,” Lukasz Junger, assistant medical director at alcohol and drug addiction treatment center Mountainside, tells WebMD Connect to Care. And here’s what you need to know about crack cocaine’s effects on your body and your health. This causes the drug to be more concentrated and, therefore, more likely to lead to addiction. Crack cocaine is a form of powdered cocaine mixed with other substances, like water and baking soda, and cooked to a solid form.

How to correctly make crack cocaine