The document above is a scientific paper on the neuroanatomy of dopamine. Please read this document for it contains important material about why people take drugs and become addicted to them.
|
What is addiction?From psychology today.com, addiction is "a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health" (psychology today.com).
Many experts debate on kinds of addiction one may be talking about. One way is physical addiction in which our bodies adapt to the changes when we have an addiction and therefore can feel that same "high "as we felt when we did it the first time. When the body adapts to these changes, this is called tolerance. Another form of addiction for discussion is psychological addiction. Whenever we feel stressed, highly emotional, or even reacting to something, even if there is no physical addiction, it can explain why we perform these addictive behaviors. Please look at this article about how now substance abuse is now fully defined as one thing in the DSM-V. https://rogershospital.org/blog/dsm-5-now-categorizes-substance-use-disorders-single-continuum |
How do the drugs referenced in Water by the Spoonful impact our brain? |
Don't know how crack cocaine impacts your brain system? Check out this short ASAPscience video on it!
As the video suggested, crack can cause agitation, violent behavior, and adrenaline. While the pleasure leaves, there's a sense of "nostalgia" or memory. This means that your brain remembers this feeling (dopamine "overload) in order for users to gain another high. In other words, there is a binging period with crack cocaine.
|
Why is it hard to quit? |
There are many factors that make it hard for someone to quit drugs. By using drugs such as crack cocaine, it changes many different brain pathways that allow that intrinsic value of pleasure. This manipulation of the brain can lead to abuse.
|