worst. Heroin causes rapid tissue dependance, but has little to no brain reorganization. Cocaine on the other hand causes massive brain reorganization which can eventually lead the user to death.

I've got a step brother that is constantly in and out of rehab for heroin abuse. I've spoke with him and many other addicts and they say by far the worst are the cocaine addicts. Part of my degree involves Rehab Studies so I've read the science behind addiction. Heres what I know and what concerns me most:

Cocaine inflates the ego. The user feels like they can do anything. They overflow with sexual charisma and confidence, due to some of the sexual side effects (won't mention specifics here). I hope for the Hall family that Max did not indulge in those sexual urges.

Probably the scariest part of cocaine use is that it has the potential to flip an "addiction switch" in the pleasure centers of the brain. Its a FOS B protein that is activated and causes overpowering addiction by activating the pituitary gland. The addict can no longer think about anything other than how to score their next hit. This destroys families, partly because the addict will do anything to meet their habit (steal, prostitution, deal, gamble) anything to score a hit. When they tested the activation of FOS B in rats, most of the rats would end up dying of starvation, exhaustion, or heart attacks when they were not given cocaine.