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Neuroscientists believe that drug addicts’ behavior is a direct correlation to some physiological change in their brain, caused by using drugs. This view believes there is a bodily function in the brain causing the addiction. This is brought on by a change in the brain caused by brain damage or adaptation from chronic drug use. [1] [2]
Addiction treatment must also help the individual maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Addiction is a disease which alters the structure and function of the brain. The brain circuitry may take months or years to recover after the addict has recovered. [42]
His work is informed by his own experience of drug addiction, and is notable for its focus on neuroscience and the changes addiction causes in the brain. His books include Memoirs of an Addicted Brain and The Biology of Desire , which Damian Thompson of The Spectator called "the most important study of addiction to be published for many years."
“The brain changes, and it doesn’t recover when you just stop the drug because the brain has been actually changed,” Kreek explained. “The brain may get OK with time in some persons. But it’s hard to find a person who has completely normal brain function after a long cycle of opiate addiction, not without specific medication treatment.”
For example, dopamine is released in the brain's reward system and is a motive for behaviour (i.e. the compulsions in addiction development through positive reinforcement). [19] There are two main differences between compulsion and addiction. Compulsion is the need and desire to do something or carry out a task repetitively or persistently.
However, the model does not come without criticisms. Critics of the model, especially those subscribed to the life-process model of addiction, believe that labelling people as addicts prevents them from developing self-control and due to social stigmas. As noted by harm reduction specialist Andrew Tatarsky:
Behavioral addiction is a treatable condition. [20] Treatment options include psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy (i.e., medications) or a combination of both. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common form of psychotherapy used in treating behavioral addictions; it focuses on identifying patterns that trigger compulsive behavior and making lifestyle changes to promote ...
Thomson's family decided to post a video on Facebook of the teen in her current state. They want to warn others of the dangers that can occur when taking drugs. In the video, Thomson's speech is ...