Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in West Richland
Most medications work by sending a lot of the chemical messenger dopamine to the brain's reward circuit. The surges of dopamine in the reward circuit are what keep people doing things that are fun but bad for them. As a result, people tend to participate in these actions again.
Over time, the brain gets used to the extra dopamine, which makes the person feel less high than they did when they first took the drug. This is called tolerance. They might take more of the medicine in an effort to get the same pleasure from the dopamine it provides.
There is no one element that can consistently identify whether or not a person will develop a reliance on drugs. There are many things that can affect whether or not someone will become addicted, such as their genes, their environment, and how they develop. The more risk factors a person has, the more likely it is that using drugs will cause them to become addicted to those drugs.
What changes are there in the brain after someone uses drugs Most drugs cause the brain to change because they elicit pleasure. When the reward system is functioning well, an individual is motivated to perform survival-related actions, such as eating or spending time with family and friends. The reward circuit can stimulate dopamine rushes that encourage addictive but healthy behaviours like drug usage, which in turn encourages users and others to continue doing the same thing.
By decreasing the response capacity of the reward circuit cells, the brain adapts to drug use. Individuals experience a lower feeling of high when they use drugs. This phenomenon is called tolerance. To achieve the same high, people can consume more of the substance. People often find their ability to enjoy once enjoyable activities like eating, drinking, or social interaction diminishing over time.