The Hidden Dangers of Cocaine: How It Affects Your Brain and Heart
- Sophie Horn
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Cocaine is often glamorised as a party drug, associated with intense euphoria, energy and confidence. With 10.3% of people in England and Wales aged between 16 and 59 having used cocaine at least once during their lifetime (Statistica, 2025), this "recreational" party drug is readily available and widely used.
However, beneath the surface there are devastating consequences. In this article, we interview our Psychiatrist, Dr. Dominic Strezynski who reveals why cocaine is so addictive, the hidden dangers, and the lasting damage it can inflict on both your brain and heart.
SH: Introduce yourself and your role at Montrose
D.S: “My role is to see our clients and our guests explore the things that they've gone through and the experiences that they've had and try and get a wider scale picture of that along with thinking about what they would like to achieve”
SH: What are the effects of using cocaine?
D.S: When cocaine is used, it causes feelings of intense euphoria, or another way of just saying pleasure. There are many activities that we do within our lives that cause pleasure or feelings of euphoria. And these feelings often we create memories with, and those are very important in our lives. This is why we repeat certain activities because of the sensations of pleasure that we have.
SH: What are the effects on your heart when using cocaine?
D.S: And this is what cocaine does. Using cocaine induces those feelings of pleasure in a lot more intense way than the normal activities of our lives. Initially, cocaine can also cause increase in heart rate and constriction of your blood vessels and increase of your body temperature. The long-term effects of cocaine on the heart can be quite detrimental and dangerous. And that includes heart attacks, muscle death of the heart, and clots that can form.
SH: Why does cocaine become addictive?
D.S: As cocaine is used more and more, the reason why it becomes so addictive, or one of the reasons why it becomes so addictive, is because of the memories that we form around it.
SH: And how does this effect the brain?
D.S: In regard to the brain, it has a several faceted impact and on the structure in itself. It could cause your brain to shrink due to the construction of the blood vessels, which reduces the amount of oxygen going to the tissue, along with changes in the actual shape that the brain has and how the nerve endings and nerve cells interact with one another.
So, where cocaine affects the brain is the areas of pleasure seeking and decision making. With time, those relationships and interactions in the brain become stronger and stronger. Hence why people, even after several months to years of sobriety, can experience intense cravings, especially when they are reminded about things and memories where they have used cocaine. Some of the ways that we can treat cocaine addiction is introduction of a detox period where someone is removed from their natural environment and put in a place where they can be supported, especially when those feelings of wanting to use cocaine are most intense and strong. nerve endings and nerve cells interact with one another.
SH: What are the treatment options?
D.S: Some of the ways that we can treat cocaine addiction is introduction of a detox period where someone is removed from their natural environment and put in a place where they can be supported, especially when those feelings of wanting to use cocaine are most intense and strong. This is then coupled with therapy to help that person understand their behaviours and why they experience cravings and maybe why they started using cocaine in the first place, hoping to achieve strengths and skills in order to make healthier decisions for themselves in the future.
Dr. Dominic Strezynski is a medical doctor of 12 years, specializing in psychiatry, due to a passion for improving the lives of patients who struggle with mental health. His vocation has propelled him to work in areas of substance misuse, perinatal services, crisis services and general adult services. He is also an experienced Psychotherapist with a special interest in CBT and psychodynamic therapy. His current role has enabled him to bridge mental health support with those in physical need. Psychiatry is his vocation, and the positive feedback from patients reflects his dedication to improving mental health.
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