Drugs and the Brain

The human brain is a complex mass of tissue that acts as the epicenter of all human capabilities. It controls the way we speak, walk, drive, eat, our emotions, how we see, and so much more. More vitally, the brain also relays to our other organs and body systems how they should do their job. There is three main sectors in the brain that aid in the everyday function we take for granted.

            The cerebral cortex:

            The sector is divided into different points that control things such as; our senses which enable us to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. The frontal cortex which allows us to think, make decisions, and problem solve.

            The limbic system:

            This part of our brain allows the capability to feel pleasure, which is very important for it teaches us to repeat actions that are important for us to keep on living, such as eating. It also is activated by drug abuse. It is responsible for the perception of positive and negative emotions also related to use of drugs which alter our moods and feelings.

            The brain stem:

            This part controls how we sleep, our heart rate, and breathing.

            Your brain is a network. It is the logistics department of the body sending messages all over the body via neurons, neurotransmitters, receptors, and transporters. Each playing its role in making the body operate day to day. Drugs are chemicals that interfere with the transmission of natural brain function. Some drugs such as marijuana fools the brain into believing it is a neurotransmitter because their chemical makeup is similar. The similarity tricks the receptors and that gives the drug permission to activate nerve cells, therefore stimulating sensations. Since these drug chemicals are only similar and are not actual neurotransmitters, sometimes the transmissions will be incorrect or abnormal flowing through the network.

            Then there are drugs like Cocaine and Methamphetamines that can cause too many neurotransmitters or prevent the brain chemicals from being reused. This causes the network to be greatly interrupted. This can cause severe strain on the brain trying to do its job. The brain is working overtime to regulate the typical flow of the network.

            So what happens when drug use becomes drug abuse, or addiction? The brain reacts. It has to cope or adjust to survive. It decided to produce less amounts of dopamine than usual along with other neurotransmitters or reducing the amount of receptors. This can be harmful because now the user’s normal abilities to feel pleasure, energy, or fulfillment are disturbed because the brain is now producing less of the things it needs to do this naturally, without drugs. It now relies on drugs to fill those blank spots. The user feels they must use more drugs to make them feel normal. But that just makes them feel normal and they use more harmful drugs to create that intense dopamine high. This is called tolerance.  In the long run the tolerance level increases and the user becomes the addict who will impulsively seek out a stronger chemical to seek that higher level if sensation. They will continually push themselves, harming their brain and body in search of that relief from lowered brain transmission and dopamine. This in turn can lead to overdose, organ failure, and even death.