Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is the use of substances that interact with brain receptors in a way that causes individuals to experience euphoria.

Substances or drugs that are most often abused include alcohol, opioids, cannabinoids, nicotine, and cocaine. Substance abuse can lead to addiction. Addiction is defined as having both an excessive need for a drug or substance and a high probability of relapse (even after being warned about substance abuse).

The effects of drug abuse can be temporary or long-term depending on the person’s age, their genetic makeup, and how much they use; it may also depend on factors such as family history and other environmental influences. When people are addicted to drugs, this can disrupt several different areas in the brain’s neocortex including those that oversee executive function, memory, and reward. It can also cause changes in the parts of the brain that regulate pleasure, sleep, and coordination too.

You might be wondering what causes substance abuse. Substance abuse can occur from one occurrence, such as an occasional use of prescription opioids. However, addiction to the substance builds quickly due to a number of biological and behavioral factors that are common with all mind-altering substances.

When our brain is satisfied by certain behaviors like eating, drinking, or taking drugs, important chemicals in our bodies are released which provide pleasurable feelings or mood changes, bonding us to these activities; often refer to this as being “addicted” (not in the sense of needing it for survival). The origin of drug addiction and inclination for addictive substances is thought by experts to reside firmly in abnormal functioning within emotional and cognitive pathways linking parts of the brain’s reward system.

When substances are used to alter the way we feel, either positively or negatively, and these pleasurable feelings stop, what else is there for us to do but repeat the behavior? It’s no wonder drug use can become addictive! We have found at Revitalize that ketamine infusion therapy is an effective treatment approach for this condition.

Generally, any time you use a substance more than your body can tolerate and it makes you feel physically bad, there is an issue. It could be that the drug has too much of a stimulant effect for example (coke) or otherwise it’s just not something your body is used to and does not respond well to (weed). The signs of abuse are often physical – if somebody is using recreational drugs they may experience things like weight loss, thinning hair, poor skin quality, muscle weakness, and changes to appetite. These are quite common in people who abuse substances.