DRUGS! What is it?

What is drug addiction?


Addiction a chronic, often rezidivierende illness of the brain is caused, the compulsive search for drugs and the use in spite of the injurious results for the individual which is dependent and this round them. Drug addiction is an illness of the brain because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is right that for most people the original decision, drugs is voluntary to take, in the course of the time changes in the brain by repeated drug consumption are caused, are able to do to a person self-control and the ability, sound decisions would be able to do to hit and to send at the same time intensive impulses to take drugs.

It is on account of these changes in the brain, that it so difficultly for a person to stop addicted after drugs abused. Fortunately, there are treatments which help the people to counteract to a dependence mighty annoying effects and again the control. The research shows that the combination of addiction treatment of drugs, if available, with behaviour therapy the best way is to be guaranteed to the success for most patients. The therapy attempts which are cut on every drug patients abuse pattern and every cooperation to seeming medical, psychic and social problems are able to do lasting rest and a life without drugs to lead.

Like other chronic, rezidivierende illnesses, like diabetes, asthma or heart deseases, can be led to the drug addiction successfully. And as with other chronic illnesses it is not unusual, that to abuse a person a relapse and begin drugs again. Relapse, however, not signal failure right, means this that the treatment are taken up again, are adapted, or that alternative treatment is necessary around which single again the control and recover.

What happens with your brain if you take drugs?

Drugs are chemicals, to open in communication system of the brain and to disturb the way nerve cells ordinarily send, conceive and to process. There are at least two possibilities which are drugs of the situation to do this: (1) by the imitation of the brain natural chemical messenger, and / or (2) by Überstimulation of the "wage circuit" of the brain.

Some drugs, like marihuana and heroin, have called a similar structure like chemical messenger's materials, Neurotransmitter which are produced of course by the brain. Because of this resemblance, these substances, "fool" of the brain receptors are able and activate nerve cells unusual news to send.

Other drugs like cocaine or Methamphetamin, can lead to prevent the nerve cells unusually large amounts in natural Neurotransmittern, or the normal utilisation of these chemicals in the brain which is necessary for switching off of the signal between neurons place. This disturbance generates very much increasingly news, in the end, normal communication disturbs pattern.

Almost all drugs, directly or indirectly, the aim of the brain reward system by floods the circuit with Dopamin. Dopamin is a Neurotransmitter, which in regions of the brain, for movement, emotion, motivation and feelings of the desire. The Überstimulation this system, this corresponds as a rule the natural behaviour patterns which are connected for the survival (Eat, time with beloved people, etc.) spends, produces euphoric effects as a reaction to the drugs. This reaction gets going, a pattern, this "teaches" people to repeat the behaviour of drugs abused.

As a person furthermore drug abuse, the brain fits itself the overpowering Überspannungen of Dopamin less Dopamin or by reduction of the number of Dopamin receptors produce in the wage circuit. As a result Dopamin the influence on the wage circuit is reduced by which the culprits in the situation to enjoy the drugs and the things, before brought joy. This decline makes that hold addicted to drugs drugs abuse to try, her Dopamin function again is normal. And now they can need in larger quantities when she the drug has confessed first the Dopamin high effect to reach as a tolerance.

Long-term abuse leads to changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well as. Glutamate is a Neurotransmitter, the wage circuit and the ability influences to learn. If the optimum concentration is changed by glutamate by drug abuse, the brain which can affect cognitive function tries to compensate. Drugs make easier non-consciousness (conditioned) Learn which connect the user to uncontrollable ravenous hunger experience if they see a place or a person, which them with the drug experience, even if the drug itself is not available, leads. Brain Imaging studies of people addicted to drugs show changes in the areas of the brain which are critical for decisions, decision-making, learning and memory, and his behaviour steer. Together these changes are able to do a culprit's disk drive to look and to take to drugs to become addicted to drugs compulsive in spite of the disadvantageous results, in other words.