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There are different signs that a person may be struggling with addiction. For example, they may have bloodshot eyes, shakes, bloody noses, and increased body weight. They may also have a new social circle and go to different places to obtain their drugs. These are some of the things you need to be aware of about drug addiction.
It is a Chronic Disease
Drug addiction affects the behavior and brain of the person suffering from it and is considered a disease. For those struggling with addiction, there are numerous treatment choices. Behavioral therapies and counseling are the two most often used treatments. Medications are a standard component of therapy regimens. However, these must be tailored to fit the needs of the individual.
Medications can help people overcome addiction by re-establishing normal brain functions and decreasing cravings. You can contact a health care professional if you are concerned about a loved one’s behavior or health. There are existing addiction treatment yorktown heights ny that you could check. In addition, medications are available for nicotine, alcohol, and opioid addiction. . Researchers are also developing medicine to treat stimulant addiction, such as marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Sometimes, a person will need more than one drug treatment program.
Although addiction treatment can be expensive, many insurance plans cover the cost of detoxification, rehab, and associated therapies. It is a chronic disease affecting the body, brain, and behavior, causing daily difficulties, conflicting relationships, and legal and money issues. Drugs alter brain structure and interfere with nerve cell function and communication. Ultimately, it affects a person’s quality of life and can lead to premature death.
It Affects the Brain’s Reward, Motivation, and Memory Functions
The reward pathway is central to addiction. It starts in the ventral tegmental area, located in the midbrain, and sits on top of the brainstem. Dopamine neurons originate in the ventral tegmental region and travel through this area to the limbic system. They also travel through the prefrontal cortex, responsible for cognitive tasks, including memory, attention, and social behavior.
Addiction affects the brain’s reward and motivation systems. The reward system requires a vast amount of neurobiological resources to operate normally. In addition, addiction involves allostatic changes in the reward system. As a result, the brain cannot achieve its normal reward function.
The brain responds to addiction by altering dopamine levels in different areas of the brain. For example, the brain responds to cocaine by altering dopamine receptors in the brain’s reward pathway. This, in turn, causes the brain to react to the drug more strongly than it would to a natural reward. The brain also adapts to drug use by altering regions outside the reward pathway. Consequently, brain regions associated with judgment, decision-making, and learning change when the drug is present.
It Affects Daily Activities
Addiction can significantly disrupt a person’s daily activities. Not only is time wasted trying to obtain the substance, but it can also lead to problems in relationships and fulfilling obligations. Moreover, addiction can cause significant damage to a person’s health. This means that a person addicted to alcohol or drugs must be monitored carefully by their health care provider.
The impact of addiction is felt by everyone in a family affected by the addict. Children with parents addicted to substances tend to have a less supportive environment. Siblings, too, experience significant challenges. The spouses and partners of addicts also suffer a great deal.
It Affects Relationships
Addiction affects relationships in a variety of ways. For one, addiction changes the dynamics of a family and makes a member of the family feel less needed and less respected. It can also erode the trust between two individuals, making them less likely to interact with each other. An addict will also tend to put their needs before the needs of their family and friends. They will often lie, steal, or manipulate others to get what they want. The resulting damage to a relationship can be severe.
Because of their addictive behavior, addicts may lie to cover up their problems. For example, they may lie about where they spend their time or deny their addiction. Repeated untruths will erode trust between two people and cause the relationship to unravel. Eventually, an addict may even isolate themselves from family and friends to get their fix.
A partner amid addiction may feel helpless, angry, or frustrated. Likewise, the substance abuser may feel depressed and have low self-esteem. These feelings can make the addict even more desperate to fix their fix. The addict might even walk away from the relationship in such a situation.
It’s challenging to confess you have a drug and alcohol addiction problem when trying to remain neutral. However, it’s time to look more closely and accept that you may have an addiction if substance abuse produces issues in your life. Making a plan for sobriety is the next stage.
