Long-Term Effects of Drugs on your Brain

Addiction is a complex illness that is made so because of the damage drugs do to the brain. Substances create the pleasant effects people seek by making chemical changes in the brain, some of which can result in long-term mental health problems. There is a strong correlation with substance abuse and mental illness and yet many people are unaware of the dangers of long-term substance abuse.

How Drugs Affect the Brain

Drugs work by flooding the brain with dopamine which creates a “feel good” sensation known as a high. Some drugs are sedatives and make the person feel pleasantly drowsy, whereas others are stimulants which creates a sensation of boundless energy. In all instances, the effects created by drugs are the consequence of an interruption in the way the brain communicates to the rest of the body. It makes sense then that abusing substances over a period of time is likely to create mental health problems.

Addiction illness is very much driven by brain activity. When people use substances over time they develop a tolerance to their effects. This is because the brain becomes used to receiving stimulus from drugs and needs progressively more to receive the same effects. When tolerance develops, the individual begins to experience withdrawal symptoms which is the brain’s way of communicating it needs more drugs.

When a person is experiencing withdrawal symptoms and taking more drugs to relieve them, they are very likely to be addicted. This addiction has been driven by a compulsive behavioral pattern that has developed as a consequence of the chemical changes that have taken place in the brain. Once a person has found themselves in an addictive cycle, they are very unlikely to be able to recovery without professional treatment.

Get Help for Addiction near Mission Viejo, CA at Capo Canyon Recovery

Despite the complexities of addiction and its effects on the brain, there is a recovery path available to everyone. At Capo Canyon Recovery near Aliso Viejo, CA, we offer personalized addiction treatment programs that focus on making significant changes to achieve long-term sobriety. If you have found yourself in a negative cycle of substance abuse and want to find a way out of it, contact us today to arrange a confidential consultation.

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