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Overview
Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking, using something to the point where it can be harmful (Yale Medicine). It was long thought that addiction is simply a lack of will power but scientists, psychologists, and medical professionals now understand it is defined as a physiological disease. Whether it may be alcohol, drugs/substances, porn, or gambling, addictions alter how the brain and body function.
An addiction cycle can be broken down into three stages: the binge/intoxication stage (happens in basal ganglia), when the brain becomes hypersensitive to cues and triggers associated with the substance, the withdrawal / negative affect (happens in extended amygdala), when the brain's stress systems activate, leading to a decreased ability to feel pleasure and the onset of withdrawal symptoms, and the preoccupation/anticipation (happens in the prefrontal cortex), when the "decision-making" center is hijacked, leading to poor impulse control and intense cravings.
Causations
Many students may fall in substance use when trying it for the first time with friends or an older sibling, peer pressure, attempt to cope with certain feelings, and a belief that they will have more friends.
How it alters the brain and body
To start off simply, everyone has a reward system in their brains with its primary function to reinforce sets of behaviors. When someone does a task or action that is beneficial and/or pleasurable, the reward system releases small bursts of dopamine, encouraging one to repeat that action in the future. Dompanie is also responsible with areas related to memory and movement which helps us automatically build up memories for what is good for someone.
When a person consumes addictive substances, it hijacks the reward system, temporarily surging dopamine levels up to 10 times the normal reward level. The brain therefore correlates that dopamine surge with the substance/act, severely altering brain and body chemistry and structure.
Over time, the brain adapts to the new dopamine rushes by reducing the number of dopamine receptors and releases less dopamine, causing it to be less sensitive to dopamine. This is severely problematic and detrimental as it leads to boredom and a lack of motivation to do other tasks that were previously fun such as lifting, reading, playing sports, hanging out with friends, and other tasks and instead “needs” the addictive substance/act just to feel “normal”, causing serious relapse. In addition, the person will feel more inclined to use more powerful substances so they can meet up with that high that they are used to.
Implications
The seemingly never ending cycle of temptation, pleasure, and depression/anger leads many students to suffer. According to an article published by the NIH, an average of 22 adolescents a week died from drug overdose in the United States in 2022. Drug overdoses/poisonings are now the third-leading cause of pediatric deaths in the country, after firearm-related injuries and motor vehicle crashes. Additionally, in another study done by the CDC, 27%-50% of adolescent who die by suicide meet the criteria for substance use disorder. Moreover, the addiction cycle causes students to feel lack of purpose, more antisocial, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and significantly less enjoyment/motivation. This directly affects academic, social, and athletic performance among students.
Solutions
Ending the cycle requires a serious disruption in the cycle. You can consult with your doctor/medical professional and they will most likely recommend cognitive or behavioral therapy and/or medication. In the United States, you can also get assistance from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988). With motivation and experienced, certified help, individuals can learn to interrupt the addiction cycle and move forward into a more positive future and more promising life.
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