Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in White Center
Over time, your brain adapts to the extra dopamine. You might need to take more dopamine to get the same effect. You might find it less fun to do the things you used to love, like eating or spending time with your family.
Long-term drug use can cause brain chemical pathways and systems to be altered. They can affect your ability to learn, judgement, decision-making, memory and ability to learn. All of these mental changes can lead to you seeking out and using drugs in ways you cannot control.
Which Person Has the Most Chance of Addiction Each person's brain and body are different. Different people also experience different effects from drugs. Some people love the feeling of first experiencing it, and want more. Some people hate it and give up.
What happens when someone takes drugs? What Effect Does Drug Use Have on the Brain? Your brain is wired to want to repeat situations that make your feel good. Your brain is motivated to repeat the things you love.
Most drugs cause the brain to "reward circuit" and flood it in dopamine, which causes euphoria. A functioning reward system can motivate people to perform the behaviors that will help them thrive. Dopamine spikes in the reward system encourage people to continue engaging in harmful, but fun, behaviors like drug abuse.
As the person continues to use drugs, the brain adjusts by decreasing the neurons' ability to react to the stimulant. This causes the person to feel less high than they did when they first started taking the drug. This effect is called tolerance. To try to get the same high they might take more. These brain adaptations often result in the person losing their ability to experience pleasure from other things such as food, sex, and social activities.
Long-term addiction can also lead to changes in brain chemical systems or circuits. These can alter activities like learning, judgement and decision-making. Even though they are aware of the negative effects, many people who use drugs continue using them. This is the essence addiction.