Believe it or not there are a ton of people out there who don’t believe that drug addition is a real thing, some of these people are addicts themselves. Some just don’t understand that addiction is a very real, very physical and mental disease. Physical withdrawal is associated with many different substances, the most prevalent are, opiates, benzodiazepines and alcohol. What causes drug withdrawal to happen?

In our brain an amazing chemical is naturally produced, it is called dopamine. it is “a hormone and neurotransmitter of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families that plays a number of important roles in the human brain and body” Or in terms we can all understand it causes the brain to feel joy and pleasure and also helps with day to day survival.

In a brain that is not addicted to drugs or alcohol, dopamine will be dispersed through the brain after something pleasureful is done. For example having sex, eating good food or getting a massage. The brain has limited dopamine and limited receptors to take it in. When something enjoyable is done a little bit of dopamine will be dispersed into the brain, letting you know that it’s a pleasurable activity and that it should be done more often. As time goes by in-between these activities it gives your brain time replenish the dopamine.

Drugs like heroin and Xanax will release far more dopamine than a delicious dinner would. While something like sex or a tasty meal might release a sprinkle of dopamine something like heroin can release up to 100X more. By releasing so much dopamine at once your brain gets confused and worried because it has nowhere to go. Your brain reacts by creating more receptors to be able to handle the sudden rise of dopamine.

So as you can imagine this isn’t going to be a good thing. As time passes and more and more drugs are being used, the addiction will get much stronger as more dopamine is needed to get that euphoric feeling. For example, at one time you may have only needed one 40mg Oxycotin to get high off of, now it may take 80mg to get that same feeling that used to be caused by 40mg. The brain will realize that there is far more dopamine being released than usual, in response it will start to make more receptors to handle the influx of dopamine. Think of it like a flooded street, the best way to unflood a street would be to install more drain pipes, these receptors are the drain pipes for dopamine. Your brain will continue to make new receptors or drains to handle all the new dopamine. Keep in mind that your brain thinks it MUST have this chemical to survive. As more and more receptors open more and more dopamine is needed to produce the wanted effect, this is what causes one’s tolerance to rise. When the dopamine is not there and these extra receptors aren’t being filled your brain goes into survival mode. This is why people who are struggling will go through withdrawal when their drug is not there.

If you or a loved one is struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism and want help please call Recovery Society today at 1-866-323-6590.