The brain is a wondrous thing, and through understanding the importance of various chemicals, researchers can determine how different stimuli will affect different areas of the brain. Many individuals who find themselves struggling with substance abuse use drugs and alcohol as a means to light up pleasure centers in their brains for an artificial good feeling.
Learning more about the brain and how it reacts can further increase awareness of how substance use disorders work. For example, the chemical dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of pleasure and happiness, is created largely in one part of the brain: the substantia nigra. Knowing how this part of the brain works can provide insights into how individuals become addicted to substances.
The substantia nigra is in the mid-brain and helps moderate development and function. There are nigrostriatal pathways from the substantia nigra that help the body operate with cognitive function, emotional regulation, and movement. This part of the brain is also responsible for the production of dopamine neurons.
Dopamine neurons play a vital role in learning through action and stimuli. Additionally, dopamine neurons help individuals predict rewards from experiences. Dopamine neurons found in substantia nigra help support reinforced learning capabilities. Put simply, this area of the brain stores information about how certain actions affect one's brain and body.
When the pathways or connected dopamine neurons are influenced by outside forces, like drugs or alcohol, individuals can bring on various unfavorable neurological conditions and alter how the brain perceives pleasure and reward. Behavior and actions can become unpredictable when something impedes these neurons from functioning properly.
Outside substances like alcohol and all types of drug abuse are damaging influences to the substantia nigra. When damage from illegal substances hinders an individual’s ability to experience pleasure and reward naturally, they feel they must turn to substances to fire the same dopamine neurons that the first instance of use caused.
For example, imagine an individual smokes marijuana for the first time, just to see what it's like. The addictive chemicals in the drug light up the substantia nigra, producing a rewarding feeling that nothing else does. The individual's brain then stores that feeling and may crave the sensation. To achieve the same feeling, an individual must smoke the drug again, potentially in increasing amounts or frequency, which can lead to dependence or addiction.
When the dopamine is either enhanced or depleted, the brain’s natural reaction is to find alternative resources to make up for the imbalance, often driving people to use or drink. Individuals who use substances are usually either using them as a means to cope with certain situations, deal with emotions, or feel the dopamine pleasure reward that, for them, only comes through substance use.
When a brain feels that needs a boost in pleasure, it pushes the individual to acquire outside influences. Substances can break down the complex motor control system and influence neurological cognitive reasoning. For example, when individuals struggle with substance use disorder, they may not know they are dependent because the brain circuit has programmed unnatural thought processes and behaviors into subconscious reactions. The substantia nigra also plays a part in motor functions, meaning that when that area of the brain wants a pleasure boost, it can cause the individual to reach for the bottle, the pills, the blunt, or whatever else without that individual being fully in control of it.
Every individual in the world wants success and reward; it’s part of the chemical balance in the body. When the role of reward is not obtained or fulfilled, some individuals seek outside influences, like substances, to fulfill the desire. In addiction recovery, by creating different pathways or activities that provide the same sense of reward, an individual can eliminate the need for outside substances.
When an individual struggles with mental health disorder or substance use disorder, implementing evidence-based treatment approaches can re-program the substantia nigra to boost dopamine production through other activities, such as exercise and different hobbies rather than through substance use. Through detox and extended sobriety, the brain learns to associate pleasure with natural things and doesn't rely on substances for an artificial high.
Many individuals struggle with finding help because their brains have been programmed to use substances for their sense of reward. However, as researchers and scientists continue to learn more about the brain and chemical processing, more restorative treatment approaches become more successful in long-term healing.
At NorthStar Transitions, we understand how everyday actions can influence the role of reward and how eliminating negative influences like illicit substances can help restore natural brain processes. Furthermore, we know how challenging a substance use disorder can be. By implementing evidence-based treatment approaches and holistic healing options, each individual can find a tailored treatment plan that meets their needs to teach their substantia nigra to function naturally. If you or someone you love needs help recovering from substance use disorder and artificial pleasure-seeking, speaking with addiction recovery specialists will give you a targeted approach to help you avoid devastating outcomes. Our team is compassionate and insightful, and we know that eliminating substances from the body is the first step to a healthier lifestyle and can contribute to whole-brain healing. For more information on reward and pleasure roles in the brain, reach out to our team at (303) 558-6400.
