Learn How Drugs Affect the Brain

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world suffer from drug-related problems each year. Whether it’s straight-up addiction or the consequences of long-term drug abuse, drug use can lead to devastation and ruin lives. Seeking professional assistance is always the best way to help combat such scourge. A drug rehab in Austin offers the kind of professional assistance that helps people beat such unwanted habits.

Despite numerous sensitization campaigns about the consequences of drug use, the problem seems to continue to grow. The problem is particularly notorious among young people, many of whom are experimenting with illicit drugs for the first time. For adults and vulnerable groups, the pressures of everyday life tend to push them to the edge. It’s at such low points in their lives that they resort to drugs as a way of dealing with their problems.

An Overview of Brain Function

Most drugs target the brain. That’s why understanding how the brain works is key to helping victims of drug addictions.

Just like most other organs, the human brain consists of billions of cells. However, most of its cells are specialized. As part of the central nervous system, the brain acts as the central control center of the whole body. It contains specialized areas that are concerned with cognition, memory, controlling specific body functions, etc.

There are specific pathways through which the brain sends and receives information from distant tissues. The sensory pathways are responsible for bringing information from other organs to the brain for interpretation. The motor pathways then send information from the brain to appropriate tissues to act accordingly. Most of these signals are transmitted in the form of electrical and chemical signals.

The brain produces several kinds of chemicals. Some of these chemicals act on both brain tissues and other organs to produce a particular effect. Some of these chemicals include:

i)Hormones: These are chemicals that may cause growth or an alteration of a tissue’s chemical activities.

ii)Neurotransmitters: These chemicals help in the sending of messages between different tissues, both within the brain and outside.

iii)Neuromodulators: These are chemical messengers produced by nerve cells (neurons). They help to regulate neurotransmitter levels.

How Drugs Affect the Brain

Most drugs that affect the brain have different ways through which they produce their effects. Many of them produce their effects by altering the normal levels of chemicals like neurotransmitters. Examples of neurotransmitters in the brain include:

i)Acetylcholine

ii) Serotonin

iii) Dopamine

iv) Glutamic acid

iv) Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

V) Norepinephrine

Many of these neurotransmitters have specific functions. For example, glutamic acid is considered an excitatory neurotransmitter. This means it facilitates the transmission of chemical signals. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter; it halts the chemical transmission of signals.

When the levels of such critical neurotransmitters are altered, brain function is affected. When such effects are prolonged– as in prolonged drug abuse– the brain begins to lose some of its normal functionality. In extreme cases like alcoholism, it may begin to shrink in size (atrophy). 

The human brain has a remarkable ability to heal itself. When substance abuse is practiced for a long time, the brain rewires its pathways to crave more substance abuse. This creates a vicious cycle. However, its pathways can reorganize themselves and adapt if substance abuse is ceased (neuroplasticity).

The effects of drugs on brain chemicals are largely responsible for addictions. For example, dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced naturally in the brain. Its release during pleasurable activities helps to regulate mood. Using drugs leads to excessive amounts of dopamine being released. Continued drug use leads to a situation where the natural levels of dopamine released by the brain are no longer enough to keep an individual motivated for daily tasks. Taking the drug in increasing amounts becomes the only way to achieve “normalcy” for such individuals. Such mind-altering capabilities explain why most drugs lead to addictions and dependency.

Commonly Abused Drugs

There are several substances responsible for altering the brain’s chemical activities and ultimately leading to addictions. These include:

i) Cocaine: This is an illegal drug that is mostly snorted. It gives a transient pleasurable feeling that lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

ii) Opiates: The most known drug in this category is heroin. They target the brain’s pleasure centers to induce unusual pleasure. Abuse can lead to some of the brain’s functionalities, like controlling breathing, becoming compromised.

iii) Methamphetamine: Much like cocaine, methamphetamine can speed up the heart’s beating and cause high body temperatures in addition to other problems like sleeplessness.

iv) Alcohol: While moderate consumption is usually safe, the problem arises with excessive consumption. It can lead to brain atrophy and other health issues like pancreatitis.

It’s crucial to remember that drug abuse also involves pharmaceutical drugs given by prescription. For example, opiates like morphine are very effective painkillers. However, their abuse can be just as dangerous as that of heroin.

All in all, drug abuse is a consequence of misusing substances that affect the brain’s normal chemical functions.