Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in East Wenatchee
Addiction is a condition whereby a person becomes obsessed with or unable to stop using drugs. Most people will not make a decision to use drugs. But repeated use of drugs can cause brain alterations. This can affect a person's ability to control their impulses and to resist the urge to take more. The brain alterations that can result from drug addiction can last a long time. People in recovery from substance abuse disorders have a greater chance of relapsing, even after years.
Relapses are common but do not mean that treatment is ineffective. Therapy should be continued and adjusted to the patient's responses, just as with other chronic conditions. It is important to evaluate treatment plans frequently and adapt them to changing patient needs.
What effect does drug abuse have on the brain
The brain's reward circuit is a way to induce pleasure and flood it in dopamine. A healthy reward system encourages the person to continue life-sustaining activities, such as eating well and spending time with family members. Dopamine spikes in the reward circuit encourage harmful, but fun, behaviours like drug abuse. This causes individuals to engage in these behaviors repeatedly.