Cocaine dependence is a more severe case of cocaine abuse, and the cocaine user usually spends large amounts of money to buy cocaine in a short period of time. Money is a scarce commodity, and to support the cocaine habit, the cocaine user may become involved in drug dealing, theft, or prostitution.

The cocaine user may grossly neglect work or childcare. On the behavioral/psychological level, the cocaine user may experience paranoid ideation, anxiety, depression, or aggressive behavior.