Did you know your brain can literally rewire itself to unlearn addiction?

The More You Know

When addiction takes hold, understanding its roots and the challenges of withdrawal is vital – both for those struggling and their loved ones. Addiction isn't simply stubbornness or a bad habit. It's a complex struggle rooted in science. Understanding this complexity fosters compassion for those battling addiction every day. Addiction changes your body chemistry, makes permanent alterations in the brain, and harms the way people seek out and respond to basic needs. In short, it makes you less you. 

How Addiction Works

When someone experiences the high of a drug, the buzz of alcohol, or the momentary calm of nicotine, their body undergoes short bursts of dopamine that create positive associations and memories with their substance abuse. So even though the chemicals of the substance are making harmful impacts on the individual’s health, the experience can feel good–something to repeat, something to find solace in. The bursts of dopamine are virtually irresistible. 

Neuroplasticity

There’s good news and bad news about the brain.

The bad news is that our brains can change over time. When a person repeatedly abuses a substance, pleasure circuits are created. Those pleasure circuits are begging to be used, causing the individual to seek out the substance no matter the cost. Other pleasure circuits don’t seem as important to the brain anymore, so the relationships, activities, and even foods that the person used to desire start to fade into the background. The brain learns to make the addiction top priority. This is when we see people who suffer from addiction begin to self-isolate, become dishonest, and change many things about who they are in order to get the next high.

“The neuroplasticity of the brain means it’s capable of undergoing massive changes for your overall betterment.”

But the good news is that the brain can change over time! In fact, no matter how old you are, the neuroplasticity of the brain means it’s capable of undergoing massive changes for your overall betterment. This means you can always pick up a new skill, broaden your education, and most importantly, change your perspective. Our brains can always learn new ways of looking at things and teach us how to learn from our bodies and experiences. This is incredible news, really! If you suffer from chronic conditions, knowing that you can alter the way your brain processes is incredibly encouraging. And for those battling addiction, this neuroplasticity offers a beacon of hope; it means their neural pathways can be rerouted to re-learn healthier ways to interact with the world and develop healthier pleasure circuits, paving the way for lasting recovery. 

Unlearning Addiction

“No matter how long the journey, new roads are possible.”

We know that addiction can be treated. Millions of people have overcome their addictions and continued on with thriving, healthy lives. And now we know that recreating those pleasure circuits are key. Engaging in healthy activities, forming new positive habits, and creating healthy memories that are pleasurable are all part of rehabilitation. It’s a complicated process, of course. Relapses may happen, especially at first, and sobriety is a lifelong journey. But there is always hope!

No matter how long the journey, new roads are possible. 

If you could use some help on your journey to recovery, get in touch with us – we’d love to help!

Put It Into Practice

Feeling discouraged by your or someone else’s addiction?

____

Take a few moments to journal your thoughts and feelings. Acknowledge any hopelessness or frustrations you feel. Then jot down a bullet point list of all the things you’ve learned in life. Start small (i.e. walking, talking, feeding yourself, etc.) and move on to things you’ve learned in the last year. Include new activities you find pleasurable or new foods you’ve fallen in love with. Take a minute to marvel at the vast amount of things your brain has already learned! Your brain is capable of creating new circuits and healing.

Other Interesting Reads about The Road to Recovery

Verified Reliable Sources for the Content in This Article:
Dopamine and Addiction written by Roy A. Wise and Mykel A. Robble via The Annual Review of Psychology