Learn of the Effects of Drug and Alcohol Use on the Brain
When it comes to addiction, this has today been considered to be a disorder. Therapists and psychiatrists all agree to the fact that this is a problem that ought to be referred to as a substance use disorder, SUD. An addiction is generally to be considered as a brain disease and certainly this is a befitting one. The reason for this is looking at the fact that drug use and addiction gets to affect the brain and this is the center that does command and control the other bodily functions and responses. Read on and learn more on how this happens.
First and foremost, one thing that needs to be well appreciated is the fact that these drugs and substances are all but chemical substances. As such, the moment that you have them consumed, the brain is definitely exposed to these particular substances. There will follow an interaction of the drugs and alcohol so consumed with the chemicals found and released by the brain. As a result of this interaction, there will be a change in the manner that the brain works and the chemical substances that will be released by the brain as well will change.
By and large, the use of drugs and substances like alcohol will in most cases result in a spike in the production of the hormone, Dopamine. Dopamine by and large is a neurotransmitter that will in most cases affect the person’s mood. Due to this, in the event that there is an overproduction of dopamine, there is often followed this by a feeling of euphoria. Now with an increasing use of the substance or drug of a kind, over time there enters tolerance, which is where we see the effect of the substance or drug on the production of the hormone dopamine, lowering by and by. In a bid to compensate for the drop in the effects of the drug in the brain, most users will automatically increase the amounts of the drug that they use and the frequency of their use of the same. Now, as we can see, after the entrance of tolerance there will follow the entrance of dependence as one continually and steadily increases their dosage of the substance or drug of choice. With them having graduated so steadily from tolerance to dependence, the next thing to follow is an addiction and this is where one cannot sustain without the use of the drug or substance in question.
In the event that you happen to be faced with these kinds of issues of drug abuse and misuse, then you need to consider rehab programs and facilities to help you combat them safely and effectively.