Addiction is a chronic brain disease. Its symptoms are compulsive substance seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Addiction has been placed in the category of brain diseases because drug use changes the brain structure and how it works. The changes among drug users can be long lasting and can result in the harmful behaviors displayed by people who are involved in repeated drug use.
Brain Chemistry Of Addiction
The initial decision to start using drugs is usually voluntary. Over time and with continued use, the person’s ability to have a choice about whether they want to use drugs becomes impaired. Physical changes take place in the areas of the brain that are critical to making judgments, decisions, memory and learning. These changes have an effect on the way the brain works and may explain the compulsion to use that addicts experience.
Brain’s Stage Of Development
The brain goes through a number of changes during adolescence. One of the areas that is not yet mature is the prefrontal cortex; this is the part that helps us to make good decisions and keep our emotions and wants under control. Teenagers are more likely than adults to try new experiences and take risks, and part of the reason is that their brains are not yet developed enough to think through the consequences of their actions. Introducing drugs to a brain that has not fully matured can have extreme and long-lasting consequences.
Using drugs during this stage of development can disrupt brain function in the following areas:
- Behavior control
- Judgment
- Learning
- Memory
- Motivation
Consequences Of Addiction On Behavior
Once the addiction is established, it creates a compulsion that the addict is virtually unable to control to seek out and use his or her substance of choice. The use interferes with, and has the potential to destroy relationships with a person’s family, friends and coworkers. It’s a serious medical condition that requires professional treatment.
No amount of willpower is enough to properly deal with an addiction, and it’s not possible to talk or shame a person into getting well. The changes that are made in the person’s brain last long after he or she has stopped using. For this reason, professional treatment is needed to help a person get free from the influence of chemicals and to learn how to live a sober lifestyle going forward.
Personalized & Professional Addiction Treatment From The Dunes East Hampton
Here at The Dunes East Hampton we recognize that addiction is a brain disease and we start our intake process by having all of our clients examined by a medical doctor and a psychologist. We want to get a complete understanding of our clients’ needs in order to develop a personalized treatment plan that will address their unique circumstances.
We treat each of our clients professionally, with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
To Learn More, Call Us Now For Customized And Top-Notch Addiction Treatment!