When it comes to the drug addiction, it’s a chronic brain disease in which you compulsively seek out drugs, even knowing the harmful effects it causes. At the beginning, it’s voluntary to take drugs. But, once you start taking drugs for some time, you got addicted and can’t refuse drugs without proper treatment. Here, in this article, I’m discussing the connection between the brain and drug addiction and why is it hard to quit?
When you start taking drugs, it causes your brain to function differently. Drugs manipulate your brain in a way that you can’t resist drugs anymore. You constantly feel that you need them. So, this is the major reason why people can’t quit taking drugs with seeking professional advice.
How Drugs Work In Your Brain?
Drugs contain chemicals that enter into the brain and alters its chemical make-up. These chemicals are disastrous in a way that they disrupt the communication process, meaning that your nerve cells would not be able to receive, process or send information the way it should be.
Drugs can affect the brain in two ways; Firstly, when a person takes drugs, it emulates the natural chemicals in the brain that will hoax the body into reacting in a different way. For example, if the drug imitates serotonin, then the body might retort with euphoria. Secondly, drugs will eventually overstimulate part of the brain that feels it was satisfied; meaning when you take the drug, you will feel relaxed and excited. With the passage of time, you’ll start feeling good about it and that’s how you addicted to drugs.
Here the important thing to remember is that, every drug works differently. Let’s take an example of marijuana; it imitates the neurotransmitters and mimic the brain into sending abnormal signals to the body of the drug user. Typically, these signals can excite the user’s body and he will feel good about it. On the other hand, the use of cocaine causes brain to discharge huge amounts of neurotransmitters and thwart them from being reabsorbed. If the drug contains the chemical like serotonin or dopamine, you the drug user will feel happy and relaxed at the time of chemical release. In contrast, if the drug contains the chemical such as adrenaline, the user will likely feel anxious and paranoid.
Delayed Reflexes:
In fact, during the drug abuse, the brain experiences long-term changes. If the brain of the user has to pay for the alteration or loss of glutamate (a chemical that helps you to concentrate), he/she have impaired cognitive function. In such situation, the user will have a tough time understanding and reasoning the particular situation and have delayed reflexes. The user might have behavioral issues as well.
Moreover, the drugs alter the brain areas that control important things such as decision making, judgement, behavior control, learning abilities or memory. When all these brain parts got changed, the user can quit using the drugs although it is dangerous.