Substance Use And The Brain

[Manuel Tavares]

Substance Use And The Brain
https://rayviolet.blogspot.com/2022/07/substance-use-and-brain.html

Drug addiction is a disease characterized by compulsively seeking and using drugs despite adverse consequences1. Addiction also includes a loss of control in limiting the intake of a drug and the onset of a negative emotional state when the addicted individual cannot access the drug2.

Addiction is considered a brain disorder, as it changes the brain circuits related to reward, stress, and self-control. These changes can last long after the drug use stops. Addiction is just like other diseases, such as heart disease.

Like any other disease, it disrupts how bodily organs function and has severe health effects that are preventable and treatable in most cases. Untreated addiction can last a lifetime and can even lead to death1.

How Does the Brain Work?

The brain contains billions of cells, called neurons, each of which controls the flow of information in the brain. Neurons are connected to each other in the brain in circuits and networks, and if one neuron receives enough signals from other neurons, it fires and sends signals to other neurons in a circuit3.

There are many interconnected circuits in the brain that work together for various functions. Neuron networks send signals back and forth in different parts of the brain, the spinal cord, and other body parts. This system is called the peripheral nervous system3...+
https://rayviolet.blogspot.com/2022/07/substance-use-and-brain.html