How Do Drugs Affect The Brain
oday we are going to talk about the effects drugs have on our brains. Drugs affect three main parts of your brain, the brainstem, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. There are two ways drugs work in the brain. Imitating the brain 's natural chemical messenger and overstimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain. Even though drugs can make you feel pleasure and want to repeat doing them, they can leave a long-term effect on you and your brain.
First, let 's talk about the brainstem, limbic system, and cerebral cortex. The brainstem is in charge of all the functions our body needs to stay alive. It also lets the brain know what is happening with the body. Next is the limbic system, that links together a bunch of brain structures that control our emotional responses. The good feelings motivate us to repeat the behavior. For example when you use marijuana and it makes you feel happy you’re going to be motivated to repeat doing this drug. Most drugs of abuse affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is apart of the limbic system. Normally, the reward circuit responds to feelings of pleasure then would release a neurotransmitter called dopamine which releases the feeling of pleasure. When large amounts of dopamine flood your system is what causes the “high” linked with drug use. Our brains are wired to make sure we will repeat healthy activities. When this reward circuit is kick-started the brain notes something important is happening and remembers it, and that teaches us to repeat over and over again. When drugs
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Once you start using a drug a couple of times you should think about the effects it is having on your brain and the effects it will have in the long run. Trying a drug once is understandable because you’re curious you shouldn’t use it because you’re sad and depressed, that ill increase your chance of repeating the same
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