The human brain is a complex system of neurotransmitter chemicals, receptor sites and physical brain matter that function together in regulating our behavior and reactions. When brain chemistry is functioning normally, an individual can respond to situations normally.

1. Understanding The Psychology Of Addiction

2. Addiction is now understood as a brain
disease in which neurotransmitter
chemistry is disrupted, causing unexpected
changes in a person’s brain function. When
an individual becomes addicted and
continues to use, the substance becomes
their primary focus and every other
consideration in life takes second place. As
a result, career, education and close
relationships suffer. The goal of drug and
alcohol rehab centers is to devise effective
therapies that help transform the state of
addiction back to normal patterns of
thinking and behavior.

3. ● The human brain is a complex system of neurotransmitter
chemicals, receptor sites and physical brain matter that
function together in regulating our behavior and reactions.
When brain chemistry is functioning normally, an individual
can respond to situations normally.
● However, when individuals use substances, brain chemistry
becomes disrupted. The normal centers of the brain that are
responsible for regulating “good feelings” are directly affected
by substance use.
● But the individual’s need for these feel-good chemicals
continues. He or she will return to the substance use repeatedly
in order to maintain normal emotional stability.
How Addiction Changes The Brain

4. ● As a result of the changes in neurotransmitter chemistry in the brain, an individual
changes their normal patterns of thinking and behavior. Their deeply ingrained moral
code may be abandoned, as the need to get more of the substance becomes more
dominating. He or she may resort to lying,
● stealing, deceiving and manipulating close friends and loved ones in order to enlist their
aid in getting more of the substance, either financially or through other means. This
behavior can lead to a total breakdown in relationships, as the focus of their lives
becomes restricted to drug seeking and consumption.
Changes in Thinking and Behavior

5. ● Addiction clinicians found that a large percentage of people
admitted for treatment had an underlying mental health problem
that contributed to their addiction.
● Conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress
disorder, bipolar disorder and other disorders cause individuals to
engage in substance abuse in an attempt to manage their
symptoms, causing subsequent addiction. Another problem is that
addiction itself can precipitate mental health disorders that did not
previously exist.
Mental Health Conditions and Addiction

6. ● During detox, the substance being abused is gradually eliminated from the body.
Assessment of mental health problems must be done early in the treatment process,
so a person can fully participate in their therapy. Individual and group counseling
helps them to understand the underlying factors that led them to substance abuse.
● Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps them to identify negative thought patterns and
also helps in deriving new methods of behavior. Patients must also learn to
recognize their “triggers” for relapse and devise strategies to prevent their return to
substance use. They must also prepare for life after treatment, by setting up
counseling resources in their communities and finding support groups that can help
them remain sober.
Treatment Must Transform Physical
Brain Chemistry and Behavior

7. Contact Us
Phone : 888-530-4614
Website : http://www.sovhealth.com