Throughout the underground drug scene, there are numerous terms and slang used to describe certain drugs and drug-related activities. Cocaine is often called “Girl” and heroin is called “Boy”. Why they’re called these is not totally understood but the names have stuck and are used in many places around the world. These slang terms and nicknames are used to be discreet when on the phone and when users don’t want to directly say the name of a said substance or activity. A common term in the world of cocaine users specifically crack cocaine users is the “Bell Ringer”.
What Is A “Bell Ringer”?
A “Bell Ringer” refers to taking an extremely large and powerful hit of crack cocaine that is so intense it causes the user to have ringing in the ears, auditory hallucinations, and visual distortions. The “Bell Ringer” is considered the ultimate crack cocaine hit. This type of hit is what users constantly chase during their addiction. Users report the “Bell Ringer” feeling more often when using crack cocaine or injecting cocaine vs snorting cocaine. When cocaine is smoked or injected it is a substantially faster and more powerful method of use that causes a more intense and shorter-lived high for the users.
I would describe a “Bell Ringer” similar to the sound of a jet passing over your head. When you first take the hit it’s a build-up. You see the jet in the distance and it’s getting louder as it comes closer. 15-20 seconds later the Jet is going over your head and the sound is at its peak. After another 20-30 seconds the sound starts to fade as the jet passes by. During this 1-2 minute period, along with the auditory hallucinations, there is an unbelievably intense and euphoric high. When all this is put together it’s a “Bell Ringer”.
Example 1 – “Joey I’m putting everything I have left into this hit to get a “Bell Ringer“ don’t say anything for a few minutes.”
Example 2 – “Dude that hit was huge talk about getting a “Bell Ringer.“
Why Causes A “Bell Ringer”?
When a person uses cocaine it floods the brain with the chemical “dopamine”. We naturally release dopamine in small amounts during pleasurable activities. During a crack hit or intense cocaine hit the user is flooding their brain with unnatural levels of dopamine. This is what creates the “high” and euphoric feeling. This intense and unnatural release of dopamine is what causes the effects which contribute and create a “Bell ringer”.
Effects of Cocaine Use
Click here for more info on cocaine and crack cocaine addiction and its effects.
The Cocaine/Crack Comedown
When a user takes a hit of crack and gets a “Bell Ringer” it is always followed by an intense crash. This is referred to as the “coke crash, coke comedown, crack crash”. After the drugs wear off the user’s brain doesn’t return to a normal state. The flood of dopamine triggers the brain to not only stop making dopamine at its natural levels but it creates a higher threshold that users need to feel basic pleasure. Symptoms of a cocaine comedown/crash are:
- Extreme depression
- Anxiety
- Intense cravings for more
- irritability
- Desperation for more
- Trouble feeling pleasure from normal activities like sex, food, sunshine.
Constantly Chasing The High
The longer and more often a person uses crack cocaine the harder it is for them to achieve this “Bell ringer” high. Repeated cocaine use can cause long-term damage to the user’s brain, specifically the reward system. It’s often said that a crack user will spend their entire addiction trying to chase that initial “Bell Ringer”. Users will often pack more into a crack pipe in an attempt to get a “Bell ringer” hit. As their addiction progresses they will need larger amounts more often in an attempt to achieve their desired effect. Their tolerance is building along with continued damage to their brain.
“Crack addiction is 2 minutes of pleasure followed by 2 hours of complete and utter misery. Nothing absolutely nothing can fill that void during the crash except more crack. Yet using more crack will only lead to a more intense and longer comedown, it truly is a vicious and miserable cycle.”
– Kyle Ruggeri – Description of Crack Addiction
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