Too many people think of drugs as little more than a lifestyle choice. They see people in the throes of addiction and wonder why they don’t simply stop using drugs, as if it’s a simple on-off switch. But drugs have an insidious effect on addicts, due to the way illicit substances can change and alter brain chemistry.
To truly understand addiction and substance abuse, it is important to work on understanding the science of addiction and how drugs affect the brain.
Drugs essentially work by changing th e behavior of neurons in the human brain. Neurons are the cells within the brain that direct behavior and actions, sending messages between the brain and other parts of the body by emitting chemical neurotransmitters through the brain’s synapses. The neurotransmitter cross the gap between cells via synapses and attaches to another neuron, carrying a directive that will cause a person to do a certain thing.
Drugs affect neurons in various ways, attacking different parts of the brain depending on the type of drug and its nature. Some drugs move into the basal ganglia, which directs behaviors and positive acts. When drugs flow into the basal ganglia, it can cause feelings of happiness and euphoria. But repeated use can create a tolerance, making it more and more difficult for the addict to feel pleasure from anything other than the drug.
Another part of the brain affected by drugs is the extended amygdala, which regulates stress. Drug use can create a sensitivity within this region of the brain, meaning that if the addict does not continue to use drugs, they begin feeling poorly, creating the symptoms of withdrawal. This forces addicts to continue with substance abuse simply to avoid this sensation of sickness.
Finally, there is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thought and decision making. Drug use literally can warp this area of the brain, making you less likely to make good decisions or avoid risky or negative actions due to impaired judgment.
Together, these effects create the condition we call addiction, pushing the addict into a repeated cycle of seeking out drugs to feel the pleasurable sensations of drug use and avoid the painful withdrawal symptoms. The very chemistry of the brain is altered to engender a growing dependence on the drug, making it ever more difficult for the addict to cut drugs out of their life.
Knowing how drugs affect the brain won’t be enough to help end addiction, but it is a good place to start. With the knowledge of substance abuse patterns and the science of addiction in mind, and with help from a rehab program, the addict can begin the important process of ridding themselves of addiction and starting on the path to recovery.
At Good Landing Recovery, patients can learn about the science of addiction and how drugs affect the brain as they work to end their addiction and rediscover their sobriety in the recovery process. Doctors will work with patients to help them understand what their substance abuse is and how it works, helping them, in turn, to fight back and leave it behind.
It won’t always be easy. The chemical effects of addiction are long-lasting and in some cases will never entirely go away. But with the proper treatment and will, the addict can nonetheless reach a stage where they are no longer in an active state of substance abuse and can resist cravings to prevent relapse and avoid a new plunge into the throes of addiction.
By understanding the science of addiction, the recovering addict can know how drugs affect the brain and, therefore, how to resist them in turn. With help from Good Landing, they can find a greater recovery from drugs and addiction.