Perhaps you knew all along that your chosen profession included a great deal of pressure, or maybe you discovered this fact in your first year of law school. Either way, you undoubtedly found ways to cope with the stress of long hours, late nights and the very demanding expectations of becoming an attorney and practicing law.
For many, those coping mechanisms include lots of coffee, intense hours at the gym or nights on the town with friends. However, you may be among the growing number of people who rely on cocaine to get you through the day. You realize now that your career and your very life may be in danger.
What makes cocaine so attractive to professionals?
You may have heard that cocaine was once the drug of choice on the party scene in the 70s and 80s. Its use declined in popularity over the decades, making way for a new generation of party drugs. However, after two years of steady decline, cocaine use is on the rise again, and it’s not in California night clubs and discos. More workplace drug testing is finding cocaine in the systems of employees.
Like other users of cocaine, you may find it has many alluring qualities, such as:
- Allowing you to work faster
- Making boring work seem more interesting
- Keeping you energized through long hours on the job
- Feeling pleasurable because it raises your dopamine levels
- Numbing you to disagreeable things
However, there are decidedly negative effects of using cocaine on the job, for example:
- A short high requiring frequent redosing
- A distorted sense of accomplishment
- A preoccupation with getting your next hit
- Difficulty controlling your emotions, especially your temper
- An inability to notice when others are displaying negative emotions
For a while, you may have been able to fool your coworkers, clients and even judges in whose courtrooms you appeared. Your colleagues may even have expressed concern for your health, and rightly so. Cocaine plays havoc on your body, placing vital systems in danger. Ironically, though you may use cocaine to relieve stress, the drug places an enormous stress on your heart, and many otherwise healthy people have died suddenly from cocaine-induced heart attacks and strokes.
When the signs of habitual cocaine use became obvious to observers, you were suddenly facing serious consequences. Your license to practice law may be in jeopardy, and you may even be facing criminal charges. You may find comfort in knowing you are not alone. Many attorneys and other professionals suffer from substance abuse and its devastating effects. Fortunately, you have access to compassionate legal advocacy.