Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Hazel Dell
What happens when someone takes drugs to their brain?
Most drugs cause the brain to "reward circuit" and trigger euphoria. Dopamine also floods the brain with chemical messengers. If the reward system is functioning properly, it motivates people to perform vital behaviors such as eating or spending time with loved ones. In the reward circuit, dopamine spikes can reinforce unhealthy and pleasurable behaviors like using drugs. This encourages people to keep repeating the same behavior.
As the person continues to use drugs, their brain adapts and reduces the ability of reward circuit cells that can respond to it. This results in a decrease in the amount of the drug's effects on the brain, also known as tolerance. To attain the same high, they may use more of it. These brain adaptations often result in the person becoming less able to experience pleasure from other activities, such food or sex.