The figures on drug and alcohol addiction are sobering. For one thing, 21 million Americans suffer from drug or alcohol addiction and 1 in 7 Americans are expected to suffer from substance addiction in their lifetime. Even worse are the figures on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse. One American dies from opioid or heroin overdose every 19 minutes. The goal of noting these figures is not to alarm but to put the scale of the drug and addiction problem into perspective.
Despite how dire the problems associated with drug and alcohol addiction are, only 10% of people who are suffering from addiction get treatment, with even less getting help from a professional recovery center. This is due to several factors including poverty, lack of access to treatment facilities, shame-culture associated with mental health issues and the inability to recognize the direness of the addiction.
The last factor listed occurs very commonly among people with alcohol and drug addiction because some are unable to recognize the addiction as a problem. This usually occurs as a result of the alteration in how they perceive the world because of their drug addiction. But this is not the only effect of drugs and alcohol abuse on the brain.
The Brain
The brain is a complex organ that controls how every other part functions. You can think of it as the central processing unit of your body. It controls emotions, thought, movement, sleeping and even breathing. The brain also functions as an interpreter – receiving the impulses from other parts of the body and interpreting them into information that can be understood and “advising” them on what to do. It’s an understatement to say that the brain is a vital organ and must function at its best to ensure that every other organ is able to do the same.
Chasing Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasurable sensations. When a person takes drugs, there is an increase in dopamine in their brain, causing them to feel a rush of pleasure. Every time they abuse drugs to experience this high, their threshold increases, making it difficult for them to reproduce the same result with the same dose of substance. The effect is that the drug user has to use more drugs to produce the same results.
In addition to this, regular drug usage makes it difficult to produce dopamine naturally. This increases drug reliance as drug abusers become unable to be able to experience pleasure without drug use.
The Impact
Drugs are capable of altering the functioning of crucial parts of the brain including the prefrontal cortex, brainstem and the extended amygdala. In the case of the prefrontal cortex which is the part of the brain responsible for critical thinking, decision-making and planning, continuous drug and alcohol abuse make it impossible for the prefrontal cortex to perform inhibitive functions. This is as a result of an overexposure to dopamine. Among young people, the development of the prefrontal cortex is completely halted, making them prone to impulsivity and unable to turn down the very substance responsible for their addiction.
The brainstem, which is responsible for important actions such as breathing, heartbeat, sleeping and blood pressure, is also adversely affected by drugs. Opioids, for example, can disrupt its functions and result in death in extreme cases.
Substance abuse also affects the extended amygdala, the portion of the brain responsible for feelings of stress, anxiety and irritability. The functioning of the part of the brain of a drug addict is heightened when they stay off the substance they are addicted to. This manifests as withdrawal symptoms that compel them to get high again.
Alcohol and drugs could have these effects either temporarily or permanently, depending on the quantity or frequency of usage. In some cases, it is dependent on the person abusing the drug or alcohol.
Winning
The impact of drugs and alcohol addiction make it clear that they are designed to keep the person addicted from ever quitting the substance they are addicted to. Many who are even willing to quit feel stuck. But many people have managed to overcome their addictions and lead normal lives.
The relationship between a person suffering from an addiction and the substance they are addicted to is extremely complex. It is, therefore, crucial that anyone suffering from an addiction does not try to “fix” it” themselves but engages a certified mental health practitioner to guide them on the steps that need to be taken in order to overcome the addiction.
There exist several approaches towards treating a person with an addiction. They include medication, therapy and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues. There are also care programs delivered by professional recovery centers that structure dedicated programs for each patient suffering from addiction, depending on who they are and the extent of their struggle with the substance they are addicted to.
The journey towards recovery cannot be expected to be an easy one. It will be filled with hard and easy days. What is important is having people who are keen on cheering you on and staying with you throughout your recovery period.