Will dopamine releasing drugs slowdown my recovery?

Please don't do cocaine bro. That is a nasty road to be going down!

The simple answer, I believe, is yes. Although cocaine could be classed as a separate addiction, if you're giving in to one addiction you would be more likely to give in to another. From allowing yourself to take cocaine, you would be re-enforcing relapse associated neural pathways in your brain. Don't quote me on this, I'm not a neuro-scientist, but that would be my understanding of the situation.

 

Also, the answer is in the title alone. Anything that boosts your dopamine significantly will affect your recovery.

 

All things in moderation? I really don't know though, I've wondered about this kind of thing too!

 

My concern would be far more about your state of mind when on coke. I got pretty intense with it for about 6 months (where I would consume it 4-5 times a week) and my mind always went straight to the gutter.

Maybe its not as bad if you're out in public at a club or something, but I know sitting at home alone on that stuff was super bad juju for me. Not to mention the utter destruction it wreaks on your body.

 

The use of cocaine maintains the addictive pathways that are sustained by DeltaFosB. DeltaFosB collects in the mesoaccumbens pathway and sits around for months. It acts in the brain as a kind of addiction memory substrate.

Whilst sensitisation to porn images may lessen, the potential for cross addiction remains as the brain is being kept in an addictive pattern as the pathway between the amygdala and the Nucleus accumbens remains intact. Whenever you get any emotion or feeling you don't want (and this won't be conscious), the impulse will be there to escape it through dopamine inducing behaviours. This is known as type 2 craving and is maintained by an aversive and chronic stress response in the brain known as Allostasis. This happens as a function of homeostatic systems if they detect any form of imbalance: cortisol and adrenaline change the brain and make you feel shitty in a subtle way that you want to escape from.

Basically you are not allowing your brain to return to a non addicted state whereby dopamine spikes are not the norm. Upregulation of D2 dopamine receptors is being prevented as the brain is still getting dopamine spikes. This means your capacity to feel pleasure in normal circumstances is being prevented. You will get craving to use drugs or act out so that you can feel some pleasure. This is type 1 craving.

You are strengthening the addicted part of you (which is like a monster under the surface that dictates everything you do) whilst deluding yourself that you are still in control: All addicts believe they are not addicted until the problem progresses to the extent that they can no longer deny it. Just because you only take it 15 times a year does not mean you are not addicted.

Have you every experienced a state of mind where you just feel happy to be as you are? Where no social anxiety arises and therefore no desire to enhance your experience? If not then I suggest trying complete abstinence and finding out what it feels like. It is way better than drugs or porn -as I am beginning to find out.

I speak as a recovered alcoholic, ex serial coke user and recovering porn addict.