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The Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

December 10, 2018 By Rissi Garnett Leave a Comment

Most drugs of abuse target the brain’s reward system, whether directly or indirectly. These substances flood the reward system with dopamine that regulates movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.

Dopamine is naturally activated during exercise, when a person smells good food, during sexual activities and other pleasurable events.

How Drugs and Alcohol Interact with Dopamine

When dopamine is artificially overstimulated through drug and alcohol use, it produces euphoric effects. These strongly reinforce the behavior of abuse and make the user more inclined to use again.

dopamine affect on the brain

Filed Under: Addiction, Behavioral Issues, Health Tagged With: Alcohol, Drugs

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