Why addictions occur

It does this by switching on brain circuits that make you feel wonderful, which then motivates you to repeat those behaviors. At this stage, people often use drugs or alcohol to keep from feeling bad rather than for their pleasurable effects. To add to that, repeated use of drugs can damage the essential decision-making center at the front of the brain. This area, known as the prefrontal cortex, is the very region that should help you recognize the harms of using addictive substances.

Nonetheless, they take it. Addiction tends to run in families, and certain types of genes Stretches of DNA, a substance you inherit from your parents, that define characteristics such as your risk for certain disorders, such as addiction.

But not all members of an affected family are necessarily prone to addiction. Other factors can also raise your chances of addiction. Teens are especially vulnerable to possible addiction because their brains are not yet fully developed—particularly the frontal regions that help with impulse control and assessing risk. Pleasure circuits in adolescent brains also operate in overdrive, making drug and alcohol use even more rewarding and enticing.

NIH is launching a new nationwide study to learn more about how teen brains are altered by alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. Researchers will use brain scans and other tools to assess more than 10, youth over a year span. The study will track the links between substance use and brain changes, academic achievement, IQ, thinking skills, and mental health over time.

To treat addiction, scientists have identified several medications and behavioral therapies—especially when used in combination—that can help people stop using specific substances and prevent relapse. Treatment Center Locator. Don't See Your Insurance? With just 30 days at a rehab center, you can get clean and sober, start therapy, join a support group, and learn ways to manage your cravings. Addiction impacts the brain on many levels. The chemical compounds in Stimulants , Nicotine , Opioids , alcohol , and Sedatives enter the brain and bloodstream upon use.

Once a chemical enters the brain, it can cause people to lose control of their impulses or crave a harmful substance. When someone develops an addiction, the brain craves the reward of the substance. In response, many users continue use of the substance; this can lead to a host of euphoric feelings and strange behavioral traits.

Long-term addiction can have severe outcomes, such as brain damage, and can even result in death. The brain responds to addiction based on a number of factors, such as the type and number of drugs used, the frequency of use, and the stage of addiction that has developed.

If someone uses Cocaine , for example, they will notice a feeling of euphoria. This occurs because Cocaine is Psychoactive and impacts the area of the brain that controls pleasure and motivation. There is a short and powerful burst of dopamine, the chemical that causes many to feel euphoric. This feeling can be so intense that a strong desire to continue using may form. The more someone abuses a drug, the more they may continue using it unless they get help overcoming a life-threatening addiction.

Once the chemical has affected the brain, individuals can feel physical symptoms as well as the impact of the chemical throughout their nervous system.

Symptoms can include a rapid heartbeat, paranoia, nausea, hallucinations, and other disturbing sensations the individual has little control over. He or she may become consumed with abusing the substance to maintain their habit no matter the cost. As a result of this powerful grip of substance abuse, individuals can begin acting in unrecognizable ways; this may concern friends and family. The brain regulates temperature, emotion, decision-making, breathing, and coordination.

This major organ of the body also impacts physical sensations in the body, cravings, compulsions, and habits. Under the influence of a powerful and harmful chemical, individuals abusing substances like Benzodiazepines or Heroin can alter the function of their brain. Individuals continue taking drugs to support the intense feel-good emotions the brain releases; this creates a cycle of drug use and intense highs.

Eventually, they take the drug just to feel normal. As a consequence of drug addiction, the brain rewards the harmful behavior. Once someone suddenly stops using, there are harsh mental, physical, and emotional results. Individuals may experience distressing symptoms they cannot ignore for some substances; withdrawal symptoms are generally stronger for some substances than others.

At the point of withdrawal, someone who stops using Heroin experiences intense cravings, depression , anxiety , and sweating. Much of this is due to the rewiring of the brain after extended Heroin use. In this stage, the individual may not have a full-blown addiction; a tolerance or dependency may have developed, however. Further research is necessary to support these claims. Some people, for example, do not require much alcohol to reach the point of intoxication.

Others can seemingly drink vast quantities without feeling intoxicated. This often relates to a combination of age, gender, body weight , and other factors. As part of regularly consuming large amounts of a substance, the body may become accustomed to its effects and metabolize it more efficiently. The person may require increased amounts of the substance to achieve the same effect that smaller amounts of the substance used to create.

When tolerance increases alongside the need to take a substance to avoid withdrawal symptoms, it often indicates the onset of an addictive disorder. If a person does not receive treatment, it can lead to dangerous consequences. Addiction develops when the urge to take a substance hijacks parts of the brain that reward behavior and provides benefits for the body. Substance-related disorders also impact the area of the brain responsible for emotions and decision-making.

These can combine with existing risk factors, such as extreme stress, to produce the behaviors and physical effects of addiction. Alcoholism, now called alcohol use disorder AUD , refers to an addiction to alcohol. A person with this condition can no longer control their…. Addiction is a harmful, ongoing disorder that only gets worse over time without treatment.

A range of interventions and rehabilitation programs is…. Addiction is a condition in which a person is unable to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior. Read on to learn more. Addiction is a chronic condition in which a person is unable to stop taking a substance or engaging in an activity despite negative effects on their….