Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences. read more
Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug abuse that marks addiction. Brain areas affected by drug abuse include: The brain stem, which controls basic functions critical to life, such as heart rate, breathing, and sleeping. read more
How Addiction Hijacks the Brain. Addiction involves craving for something intensely, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences. Addiction changes the brain, first by subverting the way it registers pleasure and then by corrupting other normal drives such as learning and motivation. Although breaking an addiction is tough, it can be done. read more
That is, dopamine is also crucial to motivation. The brain changes in dopamine function associated with addiction thus skew motivation, explaining addicts’ over-sized drive to continue drug use despite negative consequences. The Reward System is an ancient part of the brain, pre-dating the evolution of rational brain networks. read more
The brain is made up of many parts that all work together as a team. Different parts of the brain are responsible for coordinating and performing specific functions. Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug abuse that marks addiction. read more