Benzodiazepines Detox Treatment Clinic
Addiction can be defined as a persistent condition that is marked by persistent or difficult to control substance seeking and use, despite the adverse effects. For most people, the first decision to use drugs is voluntary. However, repeated drug abuse can lead to brain alterations that affect self-control and ability to resist cravings for acute substances. This brain alteration can last for years, so drug addiction is often called a "relapsing disease". People who have recovered from substance abuse disorders are more likely to relapse even after years of abstinence.
Although relapse is quite common, it does not necessarily mean that treatment is ineffective. Like other chronic diseases such as diabetes, treatment should be ongoing and adapted to the patient's needs. The patient's changing needs should be considered and treatment plans modified to suit their evolving needs.
What are the effects of drug abuse on the brain?
Most drugs have an effect upon the brain's “reward circuit,” which produces pleasure, and the brain is filled with the chemical messenger dopamine. A functioning reward system is essential to motivating people to continue doing the survival activities that they need, such as eating or spending time with loved ones. Dopamine increases in the reward system are responsible for reinforcing pleasurable, but potentially dangerous, behavior like drug usage. Therefore, the behavior is often repeated.
A person who continues to use drugs will adapt to the drug by reducing their reward circuit cell response. This will continue as long the individual continues to take drugs. This process, called tolerance, causes the individual's high to decrease compared with when they first took it. They might then try to recreate the same high with more of the chemical. Due to brain alterations, an individual may not be able to enjoy the same pleasures as they once did, such a eating, sexual activity or social interaction.
