Causes and Effects of Drug Abuse - 1905 Words

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction—that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully†¦show more content†¦As a result, dopamines impact on the reward circuit is lessened, reducing the abusers ability to enjoy the drugs and the things that previously brought pleasure. This decrease compels those addicted to drugs to keep a busing drugs in order to attempt to bring their dopamine function back to normal. And, they may now require larger amounts of the drug than they first did to achieve the dopamine high—an effect known as tolerance.Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function. Drugs of abuse facilitate nonconscious (conditioned) learning, which leads the user to experience uncontrollable cravings when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is not available. Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decisionmaking, learning and memory, and behavior control. Together, these changes can drive an abuser to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences—in other words, to become addicted to drugs. Why do some peopleShow MoreRelatedCause and Effects of Teen Drug Abuse1832 Words   |  8 PagesTeen Drug Abuse in America In today’s society drugs are taking away our children’s lives and it is making headlines every day. â€Å"In Vancouver, Washington, a 13-year old boy was found dead after allegedly swallowing twenty-four cold-medicine pills to get high† (Taylor 45). â€Å"Nine Florida middle-school students were taken to the hospital after their strange behavior and illness at school led school officials to discover that they had overdosed on an over-the-counter cold medication† (Taylor 45). â€Å"ARead MoreCauses And Effects Of Drug Abuse And Mental Illness2575 Words   |  11 PagesSaatkamp English lll Mrs. Robinson 24 November, 2014 Outline Causes abuse Drugs abuse and mental illness is a cause in a way that the abusers abuses their victims. Causes of abuse is when the abuser lived with someone in the past that abused him or her or someone in the household. 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