Effects Of Drug Addiction On The Brain
All drugsnicotine, cocaine, marijuana and othersaffect the brains reward circuit, which is part of the limbic system. This area of the brain affects instinct and mood. Drugs target this system, which causes large amounts of dopaminea brain chemical that helps regulate emotions and feelings of pleasureto flood the brain. This flood of dopamine is what causes a high. Its one of the main causes of drug addiction.
Although initial drug use may be voluntary, drugs can alter brain chemistry. This can actually change how the brain performs and interfere with a persons ability to make choices. It can lead to intense cravings and compulsive drug use. Over time, this behavior can turn into a substance dependency or drug and .
Alcohol can have short- and long-term and disrupts the brains communication pathways. These can influence mood, behavior and other cognitive function.
Brain damage may also occur through alcohol-induced nutrition deficiencies, alcohol-induced seizures and liver disease. In pregnant women, alcohol exposure can impact the brains of unborn babies, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
It is reported that alcohol-induced brain problems can often be corrected with proper treatment. Abstinence from alcohol for months or years can help partially repair thinking abilities, like memory skills.
Can Addiction Be Treated Successfully
Yes. Addiction is a treatable, chronic disorder that can be managed successfully. Research shows that combining behavioral therapy with medications, if available, is the best way to ensure success for most patients. The combination of medications and behavioral interventions to treat a substance use disorder is known as medication-assisted treatment. Treatment approaches must be tailored to address each patients drug use patterns and drug-related medical, psychiatric, environmental, and social problems.
What Is The Best Treatment For Drug Addiction
Integrated treatment Is key to treating drug addiction. Integrated treatment is comprehensive programming that offers all the therapeutic resources necessary to help the individual heal physically, mentally, and spiritually.
There is no one cause of addiction, though living with a mental health disorder may increase the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder and vice versa. Everyone is different. In some cases, a mental health disorder predates the development of drug abuse. In other cases, mental health symptoms are not apparent until after addiction has taken hold sometimes, these conditions are exacerbated or worsened by drug use.
You May Like: What Is The Disease Concept Of Addiction
Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service
The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.
The Other Side Of The Addiction Concept
Putting a theme on the agenda is not the same as successfully resolving the problem. The addiction concept can be used for other purposes than simple awareness raising. For instance, patients may use the addiction concept to distance their own use of a substance from others use, and therefore in fact make light of their use.
Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Brooks Addiction Shoes
What Is The Treatment For Drug Addiction
An unfortunate fact about the treatment of drug addiction is that it remains largely underutilized by most sufferers. Facts about the use of drug addiction treatment include that less than 10% of people with a milder substance-use disorder and less than 40% of those with a more entrenched substance-use disorder seek professional help. Those statistics do not seem to be associated with socioeconomic or other demographic traits but do seem to be associated with the presence of other mental health problems .
The primary goals of drug-use disorder treatment are abstinence, relapse prevention, and rehabilitation. During the initial stage of abstinence, an individual who suffers from chemical dependency may need help avoiding or decreasing the effects of withdrawal. That process is detoxification or “detox.” Medical professionals primarily perform that part of drug addiction treatment in a hospital or other inpatient setting, where medications used to lessen withdrawal symptoms and close medical monitoring can be performed. The medications used for detox depend on the drug the person is dependent upon. For example, people with alcohol use disorder might receive medications like sedatives or blood pressure medications to decrease palpitations and blood pressure, or seizure medications to prevent seizures during the detoxification process.
Examples Of Drug Addiction In A Sentence
Boy, have I come a long ways, i was a scared little girl who knew that there was more to life outside of crime, drug addiction, lower income, alcoholism, being under educated — all of which I grew up being familiar with.
And Kate Delaney, sports commentator and author strongly credits drugs and steroids for the loss of wrestlers through the years. Sadly its steroids fueled with alcohol addiction and sometimes completing the trifecta of abuse drugs, chyna had a drug addiction many others do and Marc Siegel couple that with steroid abuse it’s a lethal cocktail.
Don’t Miss: Why Is Addiction So Hard To Overcome
If You Think You Might Have An Addiction
It is common, if not normal, to go through a stage of engaging in substance use or an addictive behavior without believing you are addicted. This is so common, in fact, that it has a name, the pre-contemplation stage.
If you are starting to think you might have an addiction, you have probably moved into the contemplation stage. This is a great time to find out more about the substance or behavior that you have been engaging in and to reflect honestly on whether you are experiencing any signs or symptoms of addiction.
Many people then decide to make changes. For some people, this is easy and manageable. For many others, quitting can lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, even with behaviors, and can open up uncomfortable feelings that were being soothed or suppressed by the addictive behavior.
If this happens, or if you have been drinking or using drugs, such as opioidsillicit or prescribed, other prescription medications, stimulants, cocaine, or methyou should seek medical help immediately.
Stopping some drugs then relapsing can heighten your risk of overdose, mental health problems, or other life-threatening medical complications, and should be done under medical supervision.
Can Addiction Come Back
Substance use disorder is a relapsing disease. People who are in recovery from this disease have a higher chance of using drugs again. Recurrence can happen even years after you last took drugs.
Because of the possibility of relapse, you need ongoing treatment. Your healthcare provider should review your treatment plan with you and change it based on your changing needs. If you have a problem with prescription drugs, including opioids, inform your healthcare providers. They can help you find other options to manage pain.
Read Also: Can You Recover From Heroin Addiction
Learning And The Environment
The complexity of environmental influences on drug and alcohol use suggests that cultural and psychological mechanisms must be taken into account. Cultural and psychological mechanisms have been suggested by symbolic interactionism and social learning theory. In a classical article, Becoming a marijuana user, Howard Becker presented a model for learning the correct way to interpret the effects of cannabis through social interaction with other users. His point of view was that cannabis did not give euphoria until the user learns to recognize the effects and connect them with drug use and learns to enjoy the sensations he perceives.
Several developments have been made in this area of theory, and Becker’s radical view is now generally considered obsolete. Social learning theory has suggested several potentially important mechanisms . For instance, expectations about drug effects can have an impact on both the effects of drug use and consumptive behaviour . The environmental factors that influence substance use in humans are in summary more cultural than socio-economic. The right to drink alcohol has in Western societies been a symbol of independence and power that has been associated with the Caucasian adult male . It is the symbolic meaning of substance use and its variations across cultures, times and groups that defines the environmental influences on substance use in humans .
Understanding Drug Use And Addiction Drugfacts
Many people don’t understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives.
Recommended Reading: How To Help Someone With Addiction Problems
Addictions Vs Substance Use Disorders
The term addiction is used to describe compulsive drug-seeking behaviors that continue in spite of negative outcomes, but it is important to note that addiction is not considered an official diagnosis in the DSM-5.
Rather than using the term “addiction,” the DSM-5 classifies substance use disorders. While the diagnostic criteria vary for each type, the DSM-5 describes these disorders as a problematic pattern of use of intoxicating substances that leads to significant impairment and distress. These symptoms can result in impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and tolerance/withdrawal.
While these conditions might be informally referred to as addictions, your doctor will officially diagnose you with some form of substance use disorder or one of the two behavioral addiction disorders that are officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association .
What Is Drug Use Disorder
Formerly separately called substance or drug abuse and addiction, drug use disorder, also called substance use or chemical use disorder, is an illness characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress, including tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause for the sufferer, either socially or in terms of their work or school performance. The effects of drug use disorders on society are substantial. The economic cost, including everything from lost wages to medical, legal, and mental health implications is about $215 billion. The cultivation of and production of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine has negative impact on soil and water supplies. Drug law infractions are a highly common reason for arrest in the United States, with more than 1.5 million occurring in 2016.
Teens are increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics, also called opioids and stimulant medications, which treat conditions like attention-deficit disorder and narcolepsy.
The term dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a drug use disorder and a serious mental health problem in a person. Substance use disorders, unfortunately, occur quite commonly in people who also have severe mental illness. Individuals with dual diagnosis are also at higher risk of being noncompliant with treatment.
Also Check: How To Control Your Addiction
Is Treatment For Drug Addiction Inpatient Or Outpatient
Both inpatient and outpatient treatment plans are available, depending on your needs. Treatment typically involves group therapy sessions that occur weekly for three months to a year.
Inpatient therapy can include:
- Hospitalization.
- Therapeutic communities or sober houses, which are tightly controlled, drug-free environments.
Self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can help you on the path to recovery. Self-help groups are also available for family members, including Al-Anon and Nar-Anon Family Groups. Participation in 12-step based recovery work has been proven to improve outcomes.
Addiction Vs Abuse And Tolerance
Drug abuse is when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldnt. You might take more than the regular dose of pills or use someone elses prescription. You may abuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or avoid reality. But usually, youre able to change your unhealthy habits or stop using altogether.
Addiction is when you cant stop. Not when it puts your health in danger. Not when it causes financial, emotional, and other problems for you or your loved ones. That urge to get and use drugs can fill up every minute of the day, even if you want to quit.
Addiction also is different from physical dependence or tolerance. In cases of physical dependence, withdrawal symptoms happen when you suddenly stop a substance. Tolerance happens when a dose of a substance becomes less effective over time.
When you use opioids for pain for a long time, for example, you may develop tolerance and even physical dependence. This doesnt mean youre addicted. In general, when narcotics are used under proper medical supervision, addiction happens in only a small percentage of people.
Continued
Don’t Miss: What Does Rehab Do For Drug Addicts
Why Do People With Substance Use Disorder Need More And More Drugs Over Time
People feel intoxicated after using drugs of abuse. Over time, the brain is changed by drugs of abuse. The brain becomes desensitized to the drug of abuse so that more of the drug must be used to produce the same effect.
As the person consumes more, drugs start to take over the persons life. One may stop enjoying other aspects of life. For many people, social, family and work obligations fall to the side. The person with SUD starts to feel like somethings wrong if he or she isnt under the influence of the substance. They may become consumed with the need to recapture that original feeling.
Do People Choose To Keep Using Drugs
The initial decision to take drugs is typically voluntary. But with continued use, a person’s ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired. This impairment in self-control is the hallmark of addiction.
Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control.12 These changes help explain the compulsive nature of addiction.
Recommended Reading: How To Let Go Of An Addict You Love
The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual 4th Revision
According to the DSM-IV, two kinds of addiction can be diagnosed: substance abuse and substance dependence . Abuse is a pattern of alcohol use, leading to social, occupational, or medical impairment. A diagnosis of abuse can only be given in the absence of a diagnosis of dependence.
A diagnosis of alcohol dependence requires at least three or more of the following: Tolerance Withdrawal symptoms, or drinking to avoid symptoms Loss of control A persistent desire or efforts to cut down or control drinking A great deal of time spent drinking, or recovering from drinking Social, occupational, or recreational activities given up because of alcohol use Drinking continues despite having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been worsened by alcohol.
The withdrawal symptoms can differ by substance taken. Some substances, such as cannabis or hallucinogens, do not produce a characteristic withdrawal syndrome, and withdrawal is not listed as a criterion for these substances.
Symptoms Of Drug Addiction
People who have developed an addiction to drugs or alcohol tend to be affected by tolerance to the substance. Tolerance occurs when a person is no longer affected by the same amount of a drug and needs to take more of it to feel the same effects. Tolerance is one of the major signs of addiction, as is physical dependence. Other signs include:
- When a person feels that he or she needs to use the drug on a regular basis, whether daily or several times throughout the day
- Experiencing strong urges to use a drug
- Maintaining a steady supply of the drug
- Falling short in school or work responsibilities due to substance abuse
- Engaging in risky behavior to obtain the drug
- Wanting to stop using the drug, but being unable to successfully quit
- Undergoing withdrawal when a person tries to quit
When trying to recognize drug addiction symptoms in those around you, behavioral changes may be the biggest clue. For example, people who are newly affected by drug addiction may begin falling behind in school or work performance, or may no longer have interest in activities they used to love.
They may also no longer pay much attention to their appearance, or may neglect their health. People with developing addictions may also become secretive in an effort to hide their addictions, especially if they are not ready to face their disorder yet.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of An Addiction To Video Games
The International Classification Of Diseases 10th Revision
The International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision includes diagnoses of harmful use for alcohol or substance dependence, for any substance, including alcohol. Harmful alcohol use is defined as heavy alcohol use , and that overuse of alcohol has caused physical harm , psychological harm or has led to harmful social consequences .
Substance dependence is defined by either current use or a current persistent and strong desire to use the substance, plus two or more of the following: continued substance use despite harm, difficulty controlling use, tolerance, and withdrawal.
How Addictions Can Affect You
The strain of managing an addiction can seriously damage your work life and relationships. In the case of substance misuse , an addiction can have serious psychological and physical effects.
Some studies suggest a person’s risk of becoming addicted is partly genetic, but environmental factors, such as being around other people with addictions, are also thought to increase the risk.
Behaviours such as substance misuse can be a way of blocking out difficult issues. Unemployment and poverty can trigger addiction, along with stress and emotional or professional pressure.
Read Also: How To Control Video Game Addiction
