Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Eastmont
What happens to the brain after a person takes drugs? Effect on Your Brain This motivates you to do more of the same.
Many drugs alter the brain's "reward system," which can lead to euphoria, as well as flood it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A well-functioning reward system will motivate a person's behavior to continue to be successful, such as eating healthy and spending time with family members. The reward circuit can produce dopamine, which encourages the reinforcement and repetition of unhealthy behaviours such as drug use.
As long as someone continues to use drugs, their brain adapts by decreasing the cells' ability to respond to it. This reduces the amount of the drug's effects on the brain, a phenomenon known as tolerance. To achieve the same effect, they may take more of the drug. These brain adaptations can lead to a person losing the ability to enjoy pleasure from other things, such as food or social activities.
The long-term use of drugs can cause changes in brain chemical systems and circuits, which may alter learning, judgements, decision-making, stress, memory and behavior. These adverse effects are not known by many drug users, but they continue to consume drugs, which is what constitutes addiction.