Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in East Wenatchee
Addiction is a chronic illness characterised by compulsive drug seeking and use notwithstanding the negative health repercussions of this behaviour. Addiction can be hard to control. The first decision to take drugs is made willingly by the great majority of people; nevertheless, persistent drug consumption can result in brain alterations that make it difficult to exercise self-control and reduce a person's ability to resist strong cravings to use drugs. Due to the permanency of these brain changes, drug addiction is referred to be a "relapsing" disease. This suggests that individuals in recovery from substance use disorders have a greater likelihood of reverting to drug use, even after a period of abstinence.
Relapses are common, but they do not indicate that the treatment was failed. The treatment of a chronic health problem should be ongoing and depending on the patient's response. This also applies to other chronic health conditions. It is vital to often evaluate treatment programmes and make modifications to ensure that they continue to satisfy the growing needs of the patient.
What changes occur in the brain of an individual who consumes drugs?
The vast majority of drugs act by flooding the brain's reward circuit with the chemical messenger dopamine. The dopamine spikes that occur in the reward circuit are what drive the reinforcing of pleasant but dangerous behaviours. As a result, people are prone to repeating similar behaviours.
The brain adjusts to the additional dopamine over time, reducing the high relative to the high experienced when first taking the drug—a phenomenon called as tolerance. They may take more of the medication in an attempt to get the same pleasure from the dopamine it delivers.
There is no single factor that can predict whether or not a person will develop a drug addiction. A variety of factors, including genetic, environmental, and developmental factors, increase the likelihood of developing an addiction. The more predisposing qualities a person exhibits, the more likely it is that consuming drugs will end in drug addiction.
Drug addiction is a treatable disorder that may be efficiently treated.