Signs of Flakka Abuse
Time to get informed: Determining the signs of flakka abuse may help save a life.
Flakka is a fairly new synthetic drug, which has been gaining notoriety for the "crazed behavior" it triggers when consumed. It is also called flocka or gravel - was thought to be a powerful combination of crack and methamphetamines; in reality, it's obtained from an Alpha-PVP compound, close related to the cathinone found in bath salts. Signs of flakka abuse are obvious, so worry not.
The craze surrounding the description of sings of abuse, have everything to do with the extreme euphoria, paranoia, aberrant behavior and psychotic symptoms that the user shows after taking the drug.
Flakka appears in crystal-like chunks that can later be pulverized to be smoked, snorted, swallowed or injected. Many studies have shown that although the crazy effects produced can last a few hours, in some cases can linger for several days.
The erratic behavior has often been compared to that resulting from bath salts consumption, although experts believe it is up to 10 times more powerful. The effects range from medium to fatal, making it one of the most dangerous synthetic drugs of the last decade.
In addition to the typical euphoria and alertness an abuser shows, flakka effects present themselves in numerous ways. These include:
- Sky-high body temperatures (up to 106 degrees)
- Heavy sweating
- Accelerated heart rate
- Agitation
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
Other symptoms
In addition to these signs of abuse, other symptoms can be far more severe, to both the consumer and anyone around them. Dangers of flakka are high because they take the abuser to an "alternate reality" where they lose touch with what is really happening.
An abuser may start believing someone is trying to hurt them and, in return, they may try to either hurt themselves or the "attacker". Cases of extreme violence have been reported caused by the consumption of flakka - one of the most known incidents included murder and cannibalism due to the psychotic behavior that affected the user.
In addition to this, other important dangers of flakka is the potential that it has to cause severe harm to internal organs. Because of the high fit of excitement and delirium that are part of the effects package, internal muscle tissue breaks down releasing muscle fiber into the bloodstream, which causes kidney malfunction.
Furthermore, there is a much higher risk of stroke or heart attack due to the elevated heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
Signs of abuse that may appear at the beginning of the abuse cycle, and severe dangers of flakka may develop in long-term conditions for the abuser or even life-threatening issues. Those signs may be:
- Brain damage
- Internal bleeding
- Renal failure
- Multiple organ failure
- Psychosis
- Suicide
To be able to recover from a flakka abuse cycle or an addiction, detoxification and treatment is necessary. Detoxifying from flakka, because of its strength and potency, can be an extremely painful and uncomfortable process.
Withdrawal symptoms are likely to appear a few hours after the effect of the drug pass leading to extreme anxiety, tremors, changes in body temperature, etc.
After completing a proper detoxification, an inpatient treatment at a rehabilitation center is recommended. While a person may opt for outpatient treatment, for this particular addiction, and for the way it manifests, it is not recommended until proper medical discharge.
Therapy and counseling will follow to be able to address the underlying issues that may have prompted the addict to use the drug in the first place. Often, with a flakka addiction, an abuser may have co-occurring disorders, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
In some strong cases, the addict may need pharmacological treatment (medication) to treat the mental disorder while rehabilitating from the drug addiction.
Whatever the case may be, an addiction to flakka is a serious matter that could have fatal consequences. If you believe someone close to you has shown signs of flakka abuse, the time to get them help is now. Call Drug Treatment Centers Orlando today at (877) 804-1531 to get help finding rehab facilities.
Sources:
http://www.medicinenet.com/flakka/article.htm
http://drugabuse.com/library/flakka-abuse/