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The Effect of Addiction on Brain Functioning
Our brain is one of the most incredible and complex substances in the world.
10:17 10 December 2020
This single organ that appears to just be a mass of throbbing flesh, is an insanely intricate system of pathways, neurons, sensors, and every part of the brain plays a role in our lives. The brain is crucial for our survival as it is what helps us to be adaptive and reactive to our surroundings. However, as the common adage goes, with great power comes great responsibility. The same goes for the brain! This incredible property of adapting and reacting is a part of how we get addicted to things. And when we form an addiction, it changes the very way the brain functions. In this article, we will explain how addiction affects the brain’s natural functioning and structure.
How does addiction change the brain?
There are four main ways that addiction changes the brain at a very fundamental level of functioning, and we will go into each one in detail!
Addiction changes the brain’s homeostasis
Homeostasis is the brain’s natural balance. It is a biological process that is key in many different functions of our body, but it is especially important for the brain. All types of biological systems will try to ensure there is a normal balance, and this balance is known as homeostasis. The brain is actually in charge of ensuring this balance for the human body. The brain’s functions are constantly tweaking and adjusting so that the body is in a natural balance. When you develop an addiction, to substances or activities, the balance in the body is thrown off its natural balance. In addiction, there is a chronic overstimulation of the brain, making it hard for the brain to maintain its normal balance. How does the brain adapt to this imbalance? Well, the clever brain makes a new balance! When the set point of balance is shifted to a chronic overstimulation in addiction, the brain will set a new balance point so that the new balance is at the level of overactivity. This creation of a new balance is known as allostasis. It’s pretty ironic that it is the very adaptive feature of the brain that brings about addiction. Allostasis is done to accommodate the new addiction, fundamentally changing the very balance of the brain.
Addiction changes the brain’s chemistry
The brain is responsible for the body’s communication system. The various parts of the brain each have a specific function, such as the part that communicates with the respiratory system or the cardiovascular system. These parts must communicate in order for the body to function normally and properly. This communication system is linked to our five senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, which sense information from our surroundings to be transmitted to the brain. The brain will then analyze the information from the surroundings through a special electrochemical process with the help of a system of neurons. This system is a very wide network of billions of neuron cells, which allow the various parts of the brain to very quickly communicate with each other. These neurons make up the electrochemical communication system. Neurons can both send out and receive communication signals. How a neuron works in the communication system is by sending out an electrical impulse, which triggers the release of chemicals (neurotransmitters and neuromodulators) into the area between two neurons. These chemicals will then signal to the next neuron to repeat the process of sending an electrical impulse. This reaction goes on and forms the whole electrochemical communication process. Additionally, there are two types of neurotransmitters, excitatory and inhibitory. Excitatory neurotransmitters activate the next neurons for action, while inhibitory neurons prevent the next neuron from an action. You might be familiar with some neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. Neurotransmitters can be sensitive to drugs, which can hence change the way that the brain’s electrochemical communication system works. For example, cocaine and meth can alter the way dopamine works, while alcohol changes dopamine and glutamate systems. The changes addictive substances have on these chemicals hence change the chemistry of our brain.
Addiction alters the communication patterns of the brain
You now understand the electrochemical communication system of the brain. Your smart brain begins to realize it prefers certain pathways of communication between the neurons, known as neuron pathways. As we go through life, the brain continually forms both new neurons and new neuron pathways to adapt to our lives and changes in processes. Neurons have the ability to create routes even when the brain is damaged in cases such as a stroke. This is known as neuroplasticity. When addiction forms, the brain will create new neural pathways in response to the chemical changes in the communication system. These new neural pathways will become a standard brain pattern of addiction. When someone undergoes recovery, the initial stages of withdrawal are extremely difficult as the brain will have to rewire its neurons to adjust to a different neural pattern. Neuroplasticity is hence both a benefit and curse because it is the very ability that allows addiction to form but it is also the reason addiction can be recovered from! Recovery from addiction is important, and having a good rehab program will help greatly in making the process of rewiring neural activity easier as you have support. Here are some good rehab programs to check out to aid your journey to recovery.
Addiction alters the brain structure and functions
The brain is made up of different regions with their own structures specific to certain functions. The brain communication system is what allows these different parts to coordinate their activities, allowing for proper systematic functioning. Addiction changes the way these regions function. The most common problems of addiction include 1) impaired decision-making, compulsive, and impulsive behavior due to changes in the cerebral cortex, 2) drug-seeking and craving as a result of alterations in dopamine levels on the brain reward system, 3) formation of habits as a result of the amygdala (a collection of cells which are responsible for emotions), and 4) stress regulation on the hypothalamus which is responsible for controlling our response to stress.
Conclusion
Addiction may seem to affect very tiny parts of the brain, but remember that these tiny parts are all necessary and crucial to the complex functioning systems of the brain. One tiny change can have an impact on the entire body as these systems are interconnected and dependent on each other.