Drug addiction has social, physical and psychological repercussions that destroy lives and place a burden on society. Given the well-known consequences of drug abuse, it's sometimes difficult to comprehend the persistent nature of addiction and why something so damaging can also be so hard to give up.
An understanding of addiction's side effects on the brain can provide insight into the mechanisms by which drug abuse instills in the abuser a desire to continue self-destructive practices.
Decreased Dopamine Production
The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that chronic drug use teaches the brain to decrease dopamine production. The neurotransmitter dopamine is normally present in the brain's pleasure centers. Drug use stimulates a dopamine surge that provides a feeling of euphoria. As a side effect of this phenomenon, the brain adapts to prolonged drug use by producing lower amounts of dopamine, as well as lower number of receptors that respond to it, thus decreasing the euphoric effect of the drug.
This alteration in brain structure results in a vicious cycle of diminishing returns. As the user develops a tolerance, she consumes more drugs to attain less of an effect.
Altered Brain Structure
Imaging studies of the brain have revealed that drug addiction alters the structure of the brain. These side effects of drug addiction are visible in areas of the brain that control behaviors such as decision-making and judgment. As a result of these alterations in brain structure, drug addicts compulsively seek out and consume drugs, regardless of their knowledge and experiences of the devastating effects of drug abuse, according to HelpGuide.org.
Brain Cell Death
Certain drugs are known to kill brain cells. For example, the side effects of methamphetamine on the brain are comparable to the effects of a traumatic head injury, according to Firas Kobeissy of the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. Ecstasy is reported to have a similar brain-damaging effect.
The damaging effects of drugs on the brain continue even after the pleasurable effects have worn off. Dr. Mark Gold, chief of the division of addiction medicine at the University of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute, has stated that changes to the brain caused by use of these drugs may be irreversible. Stem cell applications may provide some hope of regenerating cells when brain damage has occurred, but Gold notes that continuing studies are necessary to advance this line of research.
