The Science Behind Addiction
The Science Behind Addiction
The science behind addiction involves a condition where something that was once pleasurable becomes indispensable to your daily life. Drug addiction is an overwhelming desire, uncontrollable use, and then compulsive use. Addiction also includes continuing to use a drug despite any repeated or harmful consequences. People use drugs for many reasons. Some individuals may enjoy the freedom from their thoughts or feelings while others use drugs to handle chronic pain.
Addiction wields an extensive and powerful influence on your brain, one that expresses itself in three distinctive ways. The first is craving the object of your addiction. The second is losing control of how you use the addictive substance. The third is to continue using said substance in spite of negative consequences. It is possible to overcome addiction. However, the process is long, slow, and complicated. Seek help at a Kemah, TX, addiction treatment center.
Science Behind Addiction and An Unwanted Consequence
No one starts out intending to develop an addiction. There are millions of people in America, 12 years old or older, dealing with a substance use disorder. The top three drugs that result in addiction are cocaine, pain relievers, and marijuana. While genetics play a role, behavior has a more prominent role. The behavior-genetics dichotomy is especially true in reinforcing the habit.
Your brain registers pleasure in the same way regardless of where it comes from. Inside your brain, pleasure features a distinct signature, which is the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Addictive drugs offer a shortcut to the pleasure center of the brain. The hippocampus holds onto a memory of the shortcut to satisfaction. Thusly, the brain creates a conditioned response to certain kinds of stimuli.
The longer you use something pleasurable, the more likely your brain will be to adapt to it. Tolerance makes using it less pleasurable. When tolerance kicks in, you’ll experience a craving, leading to relapse. We will help you learn how to handle the cravings and decrease the potential for relapse.
Science Behind Addiction and Chronic Pain Recovery Programs
When it comes to chronic pain, doctors often prescribe oxycodone or hydrocodone to manage it. These drugs are narcotics that affect your central nervous system. Once you take a painkiller, it interferes with the pain signals that your body is making. Painkillers also affect your brain’s chemistry by releasing feel-good neurotransmitters, making them a highly effective way to deal with pain. If you take painkillers for too long, then your body will experience withdrawal symptoms.
Chronic pain recovery programs include residential care, intensive outpatient care, detox, and aftercare. Acupuncture, art, and cognitive behavioral therapies can all help, and so can music therapy, physical fitness, and meditation. When you enter a chronic pain recovery program, you’ll have access to group meetings. You will also learn how to deal with triggers and the temptation to use painkillers. We offer advanced and integrated drug addiction treatment programs.
You Can Overcome Addiction by Understanding the Science Behind Addiction
Chronic pain can refocus your brain from ordinary life to discomfort and pain alone. There are effective Kemah, TX, addiction treatment programs that focus on the science of addiction. If you or someone you love is dealing with addiction, get help.
At our Kemah, TX, addiction treatment center, we can help you overcome your addiction. Contact Kemah Palms today for more information.