Written by admin
Sunday, November 13th, 2011
Drug addiction has become a modern social problem that affects all aspects of a individual’s life. Addiction can be stopped through intensive drug rehab clinic programs and counseling. But to understand how these programs can direct an addict to being sober, it is vital to understand how drugs actually affect the brain and the nervous system.
An individual’s nervous system is mainly comprised of two types of cells, the glial cells and the neurons. Glial cells maintain the brain’s health, getting rid of poisons, and distributing nutrients to other parts of the system. They also comprise the blood-brain barrier, which allows nutrients to pass through while keeping toxic chemicals at bay. However, a psychoactive drug, due to its chemical makeup, can trick the glial cells so it can enter the brain’s bloodstream. Thereafter, the drug affects the neurons.
Neurons, on the other hand, are special cells that analyze and transmit information through a complex electro-chemical mechanism. They deliver information that allows a person to feel pleasure, pain, happiness, joy, and practically all feelings or emotions. All in all, a healthy human being has more than 100 billion neurons, interacting with each other and having an effect on other neurons.
So how does this relate to drug addiction? Well, imagine that a doctor administers an anesthetic, a drug, to dull the pain for a minor surgery. The anesthetic keeps you from feeling pain by stopping the signals that enable you to feel pain. Thus, you are tricked into thinking that cutting off your flesh is painless since the neural vehicle that delivers the pain information is blocked.
Different psychoactive drugs have different effects. For instance, some give you an exhilarating feeling of euphoria, and some seem to suppress problems. This false effect makes you desire for more. The more drugs you take to satisfy for that want, the more your nervous system’s chemistry is altered. Your brain is made to believe that normal functioning only happens when the drug is present. When you lose control over your need for such enjoyment, when you lose control over your reasoning and your actions to get such enjoyment, then you are afflicted with addiction.
To know more about substance abuse and drug and alcohol rehab center, contact Charter Day Care or log in to their website.
