When it comes to illicit substances, few are more dangerous than cocaine. Yet millions of Americans from Los Angeles to the East Coast use this drug, despite its potentially deadly effects and the fact that many require the assistance of drug rehab in order to overcome their cocaine addiction.

One area where cocaine has a particularly powerful effect is the brain. Like other illegal drugs, cocaine use has powerful mind-altering effects that create the “high” experienced by users. However, this “high” can produce dangerous effects in the mind, as users frequently experience hallucinations, depression and paranoia.

When cocaine abuse continues over an extended period of time, these conditions can become even more severe, developing into psychosis, increased irritability and apathy or disorientation even when the drug is not being used.

A study by Harvard found that cocaine use narrows the blood vessels inside the brain, slowing the flow of blood and potentially causing several other severe side effects. The slowing of blood flow in the brain can lead to the development of attention deficit disorders, memory loss and learning disabilities. Strokes are another possibility.

It is clear that cocaine can have a truly devastating effect on the brain and the mind. Individuals in Los Angeles or elsewhere who struggle with cocaine dependency should seek drug rehab before this debilitating drug takes an even more severe toll in their lives.