Drug Addictions Are More Than Just Chemical Issues

When a friend, family member, or someone else has a problem with drugs

, alcohol or another addiction, getting them to seek out and accept help is almost impossible. Addictions are driven more often by emotional issues in combination with physical desires than just the cravings of a body. If addictions were just chemical in nature, getting the chemicals to change in the body would be easier than undergoing a full recovery program for healing broken hearts and damaged minds. Sometimes an individual seeks escape in drugs or alcohol from a situation in their life that is difficult or impossible to handle without additional assistance from a trained professional.

There are many different types of rehabilitation programs for alcohol and drug treatment, but some are more effective and lasting than others. Some people go to detox over and over again because the issues that are driving their chemical dependency are not resolved and they go back to their old patterns and friends when they are released from drug rehabilitation. This lack of resolution long term is why many celebrities seem to be constantly going into and coming out of rehab and detox.

Different drugs require different approaches to withdrawal. One of the most serious drugs that is often overlooked is alcohol. Abrupt withdrawal from alcohol can sometimes be fatal, much more so than with some illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Methamphetamine is even less likely to be fatal in an abrupt withdrawal than alcohol. Many drugs work on the effect of releasing and causing prolonged action of serotonin and dopamine in the brain's so-called reward circuit. The reward circuit is a term for the interaction of several parts of the human brain including the ventral tegmental area, the forebrain, the nucleus accubans, the mesolimbic pathway, the prefrontal cortex, and the basolateral amygdala.

The hippocampus may also play an important part in drug addiction issues because of its role in learning and remembering behaviors. Most addictive drugs flood the reward circuit with dopamine. As the brain adjusts to the increased levels of dopamine, the chemical impact is reduced, requiring more or different drugs to be used to achieve the same effect. When a body develops dopamine tolerance, it can lead to serious changes in the neurons and brain circuits as well as compromise the long term health of the brain. Modern antipsycotics can block the dopamine function, but cause relapses in depression, possibly increasing addictive behaviors.

by: Art Gib

POST COMMENT

Retail price of essential medicines for pharmaceutical companies introduced dose of reassurance - to essential medicines - pharmaceutical industries Medical Space Houston A Wood Medicine Cabinet Is Good For Storing Different Items The Future Of Retail Centers - Churches, Colleges, Medical Facts about Drug Rehab Center Medical Assistant Career Opportunities Patient May Have A Lawsuit For Medical Malpractice As A Consequence Of Physician's Delay In Diagnosi Back And Neck Pain Drug Effects Air Ambulance USA :: International Air Ambulance - Global medical repatriation by air ambulance 24x7x365 alternative medicine is better than alopathic medicine Chiropractic - Discover The Science Of Healing Without Medicines Why Is Capa So Often Cited In Medical Device Inspections - Webinar By Globalcompliancepanel New Drug for Medical Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia or Male Pattern Hair Loss