Your brain is the computer of life. It governs bodily functions that we rarely contemplate like blinking your eyes, breathing, and movement. These and more are the result of a complex set of mechanisms facilitated by brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. You probably already know drugs impact the brain, but have you ever wondered how drugs affect brain chemistry?
Drugs have a substantial impact on brain chemistry. Take enough of the wrong substances in the wrong way for the wrong reasons, and you can find yourself with an illness known as a use disorder. That’s if you are lucky. In the extreme, drugs affect brain chemistry in ways that can be fatal.
Those effects are why it’s important to be aware of drug treatment and rehab resources offered by facilities such as the Santé Center for Healing. Our staff provides services that address the effects of drugs in TX and other parts of the country.
How Drugs Affect Brain Chemistry
Whether prescribed by a doctor or obtained through illicit means, drugs are designed to interfere with neurotransmitters in some way.
A simple example is how the pain reliever ibuprofen works. When you’re sick or hurt, your brain releases a chemical in response that sends the signal for pain. Ibuprofen blocks the body from producing that chemical.
Both prescription drugs and illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or marijuana also interfere with the normal function of brain chemicals. But it happens in different ways. Stimulants recalibrate brain chemistry in a way that produces higher levels of energy, while depressants work on chemicals to slow you down.
The question of how drugs affect brain chemistry is constantly being studied, and more is being learned every day.
Nature of Addiction
Whether through prescription drugs or illegal ones, problems begin to multiply when substances are abused. The more of a substance you take, the more likely it is for the brain to begin to think that this is part of a new normal. Even worse is combining substances. This is what is at the heart of addiction.
Because substances such as cocaine and alcohol have an effect that wears off, the brain keeps demanding more. If it’s not forthcoming, the body reacts by beginning a period of withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is uncomfortable and sometimes even life-threatening, and sometimes requires medical attention at an addiction detox program. Withdrawal is also at the heart of drug detox.
Learning About Withdrawal
Not every drug leads to a physical dependence that results in withdrawal. But the ones that do can leave you sick and tired and cause problems in the conduct of your life. How do you know if what you’re feeling is withdrawal? Withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Insomnia
- Hyperactivity
- Paranoia
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Headaches or body aches
Clients of Santé Center for Healing know very well these are the effects of drugs in TX. A core part of treatment is addiction detox services, where doctors monitor your health as you step down your use of drugs or alcohol, to keep problems from reaching the life-threatening stage.
Getting Help at Santé Center for Healing
How drugs affect brain chemistry can vary between individuals, and some of these effects are mysterious to researchers. You don’t have to know all the answers to get help. If you are struggling with a substance abuse issue or worried about a loved one, Santé Center for Healing is here for you. Our staff, experienced in all forms of addiction medicine, provide individualized assessments, detox, residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and transitional living, as well as specialized services.
We can help get you from initial assessment to aftercare in a comfortable, private facility. We focus on evidence-based treatment that addresses the whole person. Take a step forward to recovery today. Contact Santé Center for Healing at 866.238.3154 for an initial confidential consultation.
