Cocaine

Consequences: depression and paranoia

Depression
The exact consequences of the long-term use of cocaine are still unclear. Depression often occurs in long-time users who stop taking cocaine. Their neurons have become numb to dopamine, as it were, and can no longer respond to the normal amounts of it.

Paranoia
Dopamine can also overstimulate the fright centre in the brain, inducing paranoia. The fright centre is a survival mechanism that warns us of danger. Overstimulation can trigger excessive anxiety. A mere shadow or loud voice can come across as a terrible threat.