Drug use on the Human Brain

Drug use can serve to disrupt the normal functioning of the brain by mimicking the brains normal chemical messengers and by placing too much stimulation on the “reward circuit” section of the brain.

Just about all drugs indirectly or directly aim at the brain’s reward system by an excessive amount of dopamine to the circuit. Dopamine is characterized as a neurotransmitter and is present in areas of the brain that control emotion, motivation, feelings, pleasure and movement. Too much stimulation to this system, know to normally respond to natural behaviors that are related to spending time with loved ones, eating, and survival, makes euphoric results in reaction to drug use. This response triggers a pattern that train people to replicate the behavior of drug use.

Changes in other brain chemical circuits and system occur because of long-term abuse as well. Glutamate known as a neurotransmitter, affects the ability to learn and the reward circuit. In the glutamate process, drug abuse leads to nonconscious learning, which alters the optimal concentration, occurs and leads the user to experience strong cravings when they see things they associate with their drug experience, which can occur even when no drug is present. Brain imaging researches have indicated that drug-addicted individual’s show that a person area of the brain that is affected by ongoing drug use include learning and memory, behavior control, judgment, and decision making.

In many cases this form of abuse revolves around games that offer Massively Multiplayer capabilities. Through voice chats, game play, and character building a player can create an entirely different world for themselves. In the game they can be anything they want to be. As self-esteem building as this sounds it can cause severe damage. People who are experiencing depression and anxiety in their lives will turn to gaming as a way to relieve that depression. In the process they will start to receive a feeling happiness regarding their gaming life.

Friends or family members can begin to see the addiction as it grows. The gamer will start to make the game part of their schedule as if it were a job or appointment that they had to keep. Instead of playing for a few hours a week they will play for a few hours a day.The gaming world literally becomes their reality. They will begin using the chat system and friends they make online as their social outlet.

There are treatment facilities which deal directly with gaming addiction. The addiction is generally handled like any other addiction and the gamer is usually isolated from the game in a treatment facility or they are slowly removed from the gaming environment and acclimated into daily society. As with any addiction the gamer could fall back into their old habits easily and everyday is a struggle. They will always be an addicted. The trick is to make sure they always stay in a recovery frame of mind.

Thousands of people suffer from obesity as a direct result of untreated food addictions. These addicts use food as a means to cure everything from depression to loneliness. There are surveys and reports appearing daily concerning this growing issue. The problem is that, though the world understand the issue, they may not know how to treat it. The average person may see a family member or friend suffering from food abuse but helping them is a totally different issue. There are ways to help a food addict that may help many people who are in situations of wanting to reach out but may not have the knowledge to do so.

Support groups are one of the first ways to combat food addictions. These groups are held through many national diet programs and local community groups. These groups allow the addict to be around others much in the same way that a twelve step style program would. A conjoined treatment option are virtual forums that would allow discussions and for the addict to post questions, concerns, or just briefs on what they have accomplished during their day.

Another option for food addiction treatment are programs designed by medical professionals. Many times these programs are all inclusive and require the patient to attend support groups, one on one therapy, and meet with a nutritionist counselor. Meal plans are put into place along with counseling options to help patients through tough points in the day.

These programs are fairly successful but require that the patient admit they are an addict and that they do need help. This type of treatment program, as with any other program, is dependent on the effort put forth by the addict to cure their addiction. With the support of family friends many addicts do find success in combating their food addiction. It is important that the addict not be given options that will replace the addiction and become another issue that requires treatment. Healthy, sustainable, and fun options are the best way to keep the addict involved as a patient in treatment and succeed with that treatment plan.