Have you ever wondered if your brain has a mind of its own? At some point in your life, you may question yourself or your behavior, especially if you or someone you love struggles with chemical dependency. Understanding the way your brain works and how substance use alters its functionality is a key aspect of finding your roadmap toward recovery. Chemical dependency creates chaos in life and havoc in your neurological development. However, learning more about dependency prevention and the adaptation strategies behind neuroscience and other cutting-edge clinical treatments can make these recovery solutions more accessible.
Chemical dependency impairs the way your brain functions and reduces your overall health. When your brain experiences certain signals throughout life, it releases neurotransmitters that give you feelings of happiness and pleasure. In general, the boost these neurotransmitters provide creates good emotions and can support survival reactions. However, substances also cause a boost of neurotransmitters, sometimes releasing more than your body naturally produces.
This is where substance use can take over. Those who like the feeling of pleasure that substances provide may become more dependent on them or cause them to crave the effects of the chemicals.
As substances are consumed more often, the chemical tolerance builds, and the brain adapts by decreasing the number of natural neurotransmitters. Since the brain decreases the natural neurotransmitters, those that struggle with substance abuse are inclined to use the substances more frequently to gain the desired effects. This cycle leads to chemical dependency.
Every substance has different effects on neurological behaviors and reactions, but most chemicals produce a similar sense of pleasure or enlightenment. Individuals who rely on chemicals to reach those levels of pleasure can find it difficult to consider living without them. The balance between pleasure and pain that occurs when abusing substances can compromise your neurological well-being.
Those that depend on chemicals come to rely on the boosts of pleasure associated with them. When they are not using the chemicals, they can be subjugated to feeling emotional or physical distress. These withdrawals are hard to navigate and cope with, possibly leading to addiction as the dependency on substances deepens and intensifies.
The cycle of pain and pleasure is vicious. Over time, it increases the individual’s stress levels. Most times, those who depend on chemicals are not using them to stay happy or feel pleasure, having reached the point where they drink or use substances to avoid feeling pain or sadness. This can lead to the struggle of using substances over other obligations, such as jobs, relationships, or hobbies.
Healthy adults can control impulses and find a balance between pain and pleasure in life. However, those dependent on chemicals experience a reduced ability to control their impulses regarding their well-being. Substance dependence involves a compromised version of self-control, and those that struggle with the addiction find it difficult to resolve these challenges without guidance and professional help.
Even if a substance is absent from an individual’s life for a while, at some point, a situation may trigger or provoke them, leading to potential relapse. However, because of the research and extensive dedication to understanding the neurological behavior behind chemical dependency, there is hope for the brain to recover from addiction, but it can take time. This is where cutting-edge approaches to recovery treatments come into play.
Over the past few decades, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the neurological science behind addiction, and professionals have been incorporating these advances into innovative treatment practices. By promoting the knowledge and practices of these advanced treatments, individuals are more likely to be successful and focus on meaningful outcomes.
Integrating cognitive, clinical, and holistic treatments in a recovery plan can involve using CBT, DBT, experimental therapy, ACT, adventure therapy, mindfulness, somatic engineering, and more help in the process of addiction recovery. Introducing multiple levels of these treatments to the individual that need helps encourages the long-term goal of abstinence.
However, some people suffer from mental illness and substance use disorder. Therefore, using research and evidence-based treatment can help people get the help they need to fully recover.
Getting to the root of the problem empowers clients to understand the core elements of addiction while they combat the challenges that come with it. There are multiple paths to recovery, and unraveling the questions behind neuroscience and substance use is one of them. However, by connecting the techniques and understanding of the brain’s development to the recovery process, one can receive the proper treatment they require to find long-term healing.
There are various ways to introduce the neuroscience of substance use in recovery treatments. Most multilevel interventions are successful when targeting different cognitive maps. However, addressing the underlying core elements of addiction provides clients to prioritize their goals of recovery. At NorthStar Transitions, we encourage cutting-edge clinical delivery to each client on an individual level, helping to improve and regulate their neurotransmitters. Our dedication to each client helps them develop healthy habits and general wellness throughout recovery. Our staff uses proven modalities that empower each client with the skills and resources they need to get to the root of their addictive behavior while they go through the recovery path. If you or your loved one is looking to thrive in recovery and set yourself up for success beyond a treatment program, then NorthStar Transitions will help you face the challenges in the transition to sustainable recovery. For more information, reach out to us at (303) 558-6400.
