Drug Abuse, Neurotransmitters, and the Loss of Happiness

Why is it so difficult to give up drugs, even when using them is destroying your relationships, career, health, and finances? Many people dealing with addiction blame themselves for lacking willpower, but the answer is much more complex than that. Drugs actually alter the way the brain works, making addiction very powerful. At Ranch Creek Recovery, we help battle this problem with amino acid therapy and other elements of drug addiction treatment. Here are the facts about drug abuse and the neurotransmitter alterations that encourage addiction:

What Are Neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are chemicals in your brain that transmit messages from your neurons to other cells. Many neurotransmitters are involved in the regulation of mood and behavior. Dopamine is associated with pleasure, rewards, and energy; serotonin regulates mood and impulse behavior; and norepinephrine is involved with excitement and pleasure. There are many other such neurotransmitters that are directly responsible for how you feel and your behavior. Changes in your brain’s delicate balance of neurotransmitters can have far-reaching effects, from depression to impulsive behavior and addiction.

How Are Neurotransmitters and Drugs Linked?
The high associated with most drugs is derived from an alteration of neurotransmitters. Different drugs affect different neurotransmitters, often sparking a feeling of euphoria that the user craves again and again. The relationship becomes more complicated with repeated drug use. Take dopamine for example; using drugs can cause an increase in dopamine levels, which boosts the user’s mood. However, with repeated use, your brain will respond by making less dopamine when the drug isn’t being used, which means sober periods are marked by depression. Eventually, the brain stops making dopamine unless the drug enters the system. The user is now physically dependent on the drug.

These kinds of dependencies can be overcome in drug addiction treatment with the help of amino acid therapy. At Ranch Creek Recovery, we rely on a range of holistic treatments to restore balance for the patients at our residential drug treatment center in San Diego. Break free from your addiction and call our drug treatment facility today at (951) 795-4326.