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Drug Addiction and the Brain

Addiction is not just a simple collection of urges and behaviors. Rather, it is a full-fledged brain disorder that can adversely affect how the brain works and is structured. These physical changes can make addicted individuals more prone to cravings, erratic behaviors, depression, anxiety, and more. This is why fighting addiction can be so hard – addicts fight their brains every time they crave a given substance. The connection between drug addiction and the brain is a complicated one. While many drugs can cause damage to the brain, various treatments can help addicts cope with addiction’s symptoms and give them a chance at reversing the damage through sustained abstinence. Learning how these changes to the brain occur and how they manifest psychologically and physically can be the first step to combating them and overcoming addiction.

Addiction and the Brain’s Reward System

drug addiction and the brain Addictive drugs stimulate what scientists call the brain’s “reward center,” a collection of areas that stimulate feelings of achievement and motivation. Harvard Health notes that addictive drugs “provide a shortcut” to activating the brain’s pleasure center. Then, the authors note, “the hippocampus lays down memories of this rapid sense of satisfaction, and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to certain stimuli.” This conditioned response to the drugs one uses can develop into cravings with continued drug use. Soon, a tolerance can develop whereby the brain’s reward system is “much less sensitive to stimulation by both drug-related and non–drug-related rewards” than before. This reduces a person’s overall motivation and feelings of drug-related euphoria, driving individuals to use more of the substance to achieve the same effects as before.

Neurons, Neurotransmitters, and Addiction

The mechanisms by which addictive drugs affect these changes differ with the substance. All drugs “interfere with how neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters.” Some “lead to abnormal messages being sent through the [neuronal] network,” while others “can cause the neurons to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals.” DrugAbuse.gov notes that these processes produce visible changes in brain areas as varied as the basal ganglia, the extended amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. These brain areas play important roles in regulating motivation, stress, and cognition.

Medical Imaging and Addiction’s Damage to the Brain

drug addiction and the brain Imaging techniques can show the physical degradation caused by addiction. The brains of addicts show differences in metabolic activity, neurotransmitter receptor availability, the presence of important enzymes, and the amount of stimulation in key brain areas compared to non-addicts. Grey matter in the brain is responsible for muscle movement and sensory perception. Methamphetamine notably reduces grey matter. Abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, such as a reduced size in the prefrontal lobe compared to non-drug users, are common among addicts. An enlarged basal ganglia is commonly found in cocaine and meth-dependent subjects, which may be “involved in the psychoses that occur in schizophrenia and psychostimulant abuse.” Similarly, smaller hippocampi were found in meth users, which correlates with memory issues. However, many studies show that partial or even full recovery of these structural damages is possible with sustained abstinence.

The Role of Professional Treatment

Addiction damages numerous parts of the brain, affecting a person’s motivation, emotional regulation, mood, and impulse control. Fighting addiction is about far more than willpower. Real recovery requires using every tool to learn how to recognize and combat cravings, avoid or disempower triggers, and find newer, healthier coping mechanisms and emotional outlets other than substance abuse.

Lasting abstinence from addictive substances can repair damage to the brain. However, it isn’t easy to achieve sustained recovery without a plan, the proper tools, a safe environment, and a supportive community. This is why professional addiction treatment centers can be so helpful. Granite Recovery Centers provides a full continuum of drug rehab treatment in New Hampshire, implementing a unique blend of 12-step work with proven clinical modalities in its inpatient recovery programs. We will help you or your loved one develop healthy strategies and techniques to fight addiction through therapy, community, step work, relapse prevention planning, and numerous forms of active recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling with drug addiction, please call our Admissions Specialists at (855) 712-7784 or message us.