{"id":996,"date":"2020-08-03T05:51:01","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T05:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.beadaptify.com\/cartertreatment\/?p=996"},"modified":"2025-11-03T09:55:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T09:55:50","slug":"what-is-drug-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.beadaptify.com\/cartertreatment\/blog\/what-is-drug-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Drug Addiction?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Clarifying Misconceptions About Drug Addiction<\/h2>\n

Drug addiction<\/a>\u00a0is not a choice, but rather a chronic disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use. People who are addicted to drugs cannot control their drug use without assistance \u2013 despite the negative consequences their drug use may cause.<\/p>\n

Many people misunderstand drug addiction and mistakenly believe those who use drugs lack willpower or moral principles. This is simply not true, as drugs change the brain and body in ways that make quitting \u2013 or even cutting back \u2013 extremely difficult.<\/p>\n

Why Do People Choose to Take Drugs to Begin With?<\/h3>\n

Not everyone who takes drugs develops an addiction, and drugs can appeal to people for a number of different reasons. People may feel peer-pressured or take drugs for stress relief or recreation. Sometimes, individuals even start taking drugs as part of a prescription, only to end up with a debilitating drug addiction. Most people do not take drugs with the intention of forming an addiction; however, regular drug use can quickly rewire the brain.<\/p>\n

How Do Drugs Affect the Brain?<\/h3>\n

The majority of drugs affect the brain\u2019s reward circuit, which is the system that encourages you to repeat life-sustaining behaviors. When you eat, for instance, your brain\u2019s reward circuit lights up and you experience pleasure. As such, you continue to eat and sustain yourself, time and time again. Similarly, when you take drugs, your brain experiences pleasure and tells you to do it again \u2013 this sensation only becomes more intense the more you use.<\/p>\n

Many drugs also release dopamine, which is a feel-good chemical in your brain. Over time, drug use can make your brain less sensitive to dopamine and other feel-good chemicals. This means the only time you will feel good is when you take drugs.<\/p>\n

People experiencing addiction often lose interest in other hobbies and activities. They may even lose their ability to derive pleasure from food, sex, or social activities.<\/p>\n

Tolerance and Withdrawal<\/h3>\n

Drugs not only affect the brain, but they also have a notable impact on the body. Once someone has been using drugs for a long time, they may need more and more of the drug to feel the same pleasure or \u201chigh.\u201d This is called tolerance, and it can be very dangerous. If someone takes too much of a drug, they could overdose, and overdoses are frequently fatal.<\/p>\n

Another aspect of drug use and addiction, and one that is a huge obstacle to recovery, is called withdrawal. When someone stops taking a drug, their body may struggle to adapt to the change.<\/p>\n

People experience the following symptoms during drug withdrawal:<\/b><\/p>\n