This is mostly due to the effects parts of the brain involved in reward and and motivation,

learning and memory, and control over behavior. Addiction is disease that effects both the brain and
behavior

Many people don’t understanding why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may
mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower that they could stop
their drug use simple by choosing to.

In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good
intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those
who want to.

Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs effect the brain and have found
treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives.

Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or
difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs voluntary for
most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug
addiction is considered a ‘relapsing’ disease-people in recovery from drug use disorder are at
increased risk for returning to drug use ever after years of not taking the drugs.

It’s common for a person to replace, but relapse doesn’t mean that treatment doesn’t work. As
with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be adjusted base on how the patient responds.
Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.

Most drugs effects the brain’s ‘reward circuit,’ causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the
chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat
behaviors needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with love one’s.
 Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy
behaviors like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again. Change in other
brain chemical systems and circuits as well, affecting functions that include.

As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cell in the reward
circuit to respond ti it. This reduce the high that the person feels compared to high they felt when first
taking the drug- an effect known as tolerance.

They might take more of the drug to try and achieve the same high. These brain adaptations often
lead to person becoming other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities.

No one factor can predict if a person will become addiction to drugs. A combination of factors
influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking
drugs can lead to addiction.

As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for
drug addiction generally isn’t a cure.

Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, early exposure to drugs, stress,

parental guidance can greatly affect a person’s likelihood of drug use and addiction. Although taking
drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it will progress
to addiction

This is particularly problematic for teens. Because areas in their brains that control decisions-
making, judgement, and self-control are still developing, teens may be especially prone to risky
behaviors, including trying drugs.

Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensure
the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patient’s drug use
patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead continued recovery.
 Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situation, and, for
some people, the drug use becomes more frequent. For others particularly with drugs addiction begins
with exposure to prescribed medication, or receiving medications from a friend or relative who has
been prescribe the medication.

The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug. Some drugs, such as
have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others As time passes, you may need larger
doses of the drug to get high.

Soon you may need the drug just to feel good. As your drug use increases, you may find that it’s
increasingly difficult to go without the drug. Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense craving and
make you feel physically ill [withdrawal symptoms].

You may need help from your doctor, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment
program to over come you drug addiction and stay drug-free. Feeling that you have drug regularly-
daily or even several times a day.

Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts, over time, needing more of
the drug to get the same effect. Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug.

Exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or being secretive
about where he or she goes with friends or drastic changes in behavior and in relationship with family
and friends.

Sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation or your discovery that money is
missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from your home, indicating maybe they’re
being sold to support drug use.
 Sometimes its difficult to distinguish normal teenage moodiness or angst from signs of drug use.
Possible indications that your teenager or other family member is using drugs include. Lack of energy
and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes.

While it can be temping to try a drug or addictive activity for the first time, it’s all too easy for
things to go south - especially in the case of drug and alcohol abuse. When a person consumes a
substance repeatedly over time, they begin building a tolerance. A tolerance occurs when you need to
use larger amounts of drugs addictive or alcohol to achieve the same effects as when you started.

An addiction heavily impacts the way a person thinks, feels and acts. Many individuals with
addictive disorder are aware of their problem, but have difficulty stopping on their own.
Understanding how a substance abuse problem develops helps to shed light on why they are so hard to
beat.

Club drugs are commonly use at clubs, concerts and parties. Examples include ecstasy or molly
[MDMA], gamma hydroxybutyric acid [GHB], flunitrazepam [Rohypnol - a brand used outside the
U.S. - also called roofie] and ketamine. These drugs are not all in the some similar effects and
dangers, including long-term harmful effects.

No one ever plans to become addicted. There are countless reasons why someone would try a
substance or behavior. Some are driven by curiosity and peer pressure, while others are looking for
away to relieve stress. Children who grow up in environments where drugs and alcohol are present
have a greater risk of developing a substance abuse disorder down the road. Other factors that might
steer a person toward harmful substance use behavior include.

Research estimate that genetics account for 40 to 60 percent of s person’s likelihood of

developing a substance use problem the teens and adults with mental disorders are more likely to
develop substance abuse patterns that the general population.
 Excessive substance abuse effects many parts of the body, but the organ most impacted is the
brain. When a person consumes a substance such as drugs or alcohol, their brain produces larger
amounts of dopamine, which triggers the brain’s reward system. After repeated drug use, the brain is
unable to produce normal amounts of dopamine on its own.

Sudden request for money without a reasonable explanation, or your discovery that money is
messing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from from your home, indicating maybe
they’re being sold to support drug use.

Identifying a substance abuse problem can be a complicated process. While some signs of
addictive behaviors are more difficult to recognize. Many people who realize they have a problem
will try to hide it from family and friends, making it harder to tell whether someone a drug addictive.

Drug addiction is, also called substance use disorder disease that effects a person brain and behaviors
and leads to an inability to control the use of legal or illegal or medication.
 Department of Education
Region .
Division of .
National High School
.

Drug Addiction

By:

Raymar N.
.
February 6, 2020

Ms. .
Subject Teacher