How can you tell if someone is on crack vs. cocaine? My bf is a recovering heroin addict but he came home high on "coke" last week. He only did it for a couple days but it was constantly for 3 days and started pawning tv's etc when he ran out of money. He has done coke before in the past but never had an addiction and he never acted like this. He was like this with H but is on an opiate blocker so I know that's not it, plus the high was much different. He's been fine since then but I'm just curious because I think his behavior was pretty excessive for someone on coke for 3 days only.
Hey,
I am a recovering addict, and have been off coke for 5 yrs. You mentioned your boyfriend is off of H. It sounds as if he may have switched addictions. There is a saying that states a person can quit using for a time, but once s/he starts using again, they will pick up where they left off. It is important that you take care of yourself!
I am a recovering addict, and have been off coke for 5 yrs. You mentioned your boyfriend is off of H. It sounds as if he may have switched addictions. There is a saying that states a person can quit using for a time, but once s/he starts using again, they will pick up where they left off. It is important that you take care of yourself!
My personal experience is that my behavior did not become "extreme" as you described it until I started smoking crack. When I did powder, yeah, I would blow a bit of money I didn't have, but usually the binge would last for an evening or a day and it would be over.
Crack is a completely different story. From the very first hit, my mind began to obsess about running out of it, and getting more of it. I would binge for several days, staying up the entire time, and buying continuously over that period. I would spend rent money, take loans out, spend bill money, and basically do whatever I had to do to continue using. The ONLY thing that would make me stop would be running completely and totally out of money.
The physical symptoms are different also. If someone is using powder, you will notice that their sinuses are all screwed up and they may even bleed from the nose. They will do a lot of sniffing and rubbing their nose. If someone is using crack, you will notice a deep cough, including coughing up flem constantly. You will not notice the sinus problems associated with sniffing if someone is smoking crack. Also, because you strike a lighter 50,000 times while on a crack binge, take a look at his thumb. If you notice a calous or evidence that he has been striking a lighter repeatedly (which causes damage to the skin), and/or blackness/soot on the hands, crack is a possibility.
Crack is a completely different story. From the very first hit, my mind began to obsess about running out of it, and getting more of it. I would binge for several days, staying up the entire time, and buying continuously over that period. I would spend rent money, take loans out, spend bill money, and basically do whatever I had to do to continue using. The ONLY thing that would make me stop would be running completely and totally out of money.
The physical symptoms are different also. If someone is using powder, you will notice that their sinuses are all screwed up and they may even bleed from the nose. They will do a lot of sniffing and rubbing their nose. If someone is using crack, you will notice a deep cough, including coughing up flem constantly. You will not notice the sinus problems associated with sniffing if someone is smoking crack. Also, because you strike a lighter 50,000 times while on a crack binge, take a look at his thumb. If you notice a calous or evidence that he has been striking a lighter repeatedly (which causes damage to the skin), and/or blackness/soot on the hands, crack is a possibility.
Another thought, because of the repeated inhalation and baking soda involved in freebasing coke, if someone is using crack excessively you may notice bloating and problems with gas.