Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Artondale
What happens to the brain after someone takes drugs?
The brain's reward circuit is affected by most drugs. These drugs can cause euphoria and flood it with dopamine. A functioning reward system encourages people to do the things that are necessary to prosper, such as eating well and spending time with their loved ones. Dopamine surges in the reward circuit encourage people to continue engaging in unhealthy, but pleasurable behaviors such as taking drugs.
The brain adapts to drugs by decreasing the ability of reward circuit cells to respond to them. This decreases the feeling of high compared to when they first took the drug. This is known as tolerance. To achieve the same high, they might use more of the drug. This brain adaptation often leads to the person being less able or unable to enjoy other pleasures, such as food and sex.