Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Des Moines
Most drugs cause the brain to "reward-circuit" which floods it with dopamine and makes one feel good. People are more likely to choose things that are good for their health, such as eating healthy and spending time with loved ones. The reward circuit causes people to keep doing the things they enjoy but are bad for them. This in turn leads people to take part again.
A person who continues using drugs can cause their brain to adjust by making cells in their reward circuit less able respond to it. This will happen as long, as the person continues using drugs. This is known to be tolerance. The person will feel less high now than when they first started using the drug. You could also try to get that same high by taking more of this drug. This is because the brain has changed and the person may no longer find enjoyment in old pleasures like eating or having sex with other people.
Long-term drug abuse can also alter other chemical systems in the brain. This can result in changes to learning, judgement, decision-making and memory. It is because of this that many people who use drugs continue to do it, despite the fact that they know what bad consequences could result.