What Does Addiction Do to the Brain?

What Does Addiction Do to the Brain? It is well-known that addiction and substance abuse is bad for your body. Health can quickly deteriorate, behaviors change and your brain goes through a lot of abuse and chemical changes. But, what exactly are these damages and what does addiction do to the brain? When learning the answer to “what does addiction do to the brain?”, it is first and foremost important to understand the reward circuit. This is the part of your brain that lets you know that what you are doing is pleasurable and enjoyable, and something that should be repeated to keep feeling this euphoria. Many things can activate this part of the brain, such as eating delicious food, winning a sports game or seeing a cute puppy. However, drugs hijack this part of the brain to the point that very little is enjoyable other than substances. So, when this reward circuit becomes overactive due to drugs, what exactly happens? Parts of the Brain Affected by Addiction The Brain Stem According to Medicinenet, the brain stem controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body, and it also controls basic body functions such as breathing, swallowing, heart rate, blood pressure, consciousness, and whether one is awake or sleepy. The brain stem consists of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and is connected to the spinal cord. Not all drugs work the same, but many drugs can cause the brain stem to over or underperform. For instance, some drugs can cause the b...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Addiction Addiction Recovery addiction recovery programs addiction treatment addiction treatment center addiction treatment facility addictionologist addicts alcohol detox drug detox medical detox medicated-assisted detox Source Type: blogs