This disease called Addiction is like any other disease. It’s chronic and organic. The chronic part of this disease is that it’s fatal. The organic part of this disease targets the brain, which is an organ. As with all diseases, it is accompanied by structural changes in organs and the tissue.
We know that with continued use, the disease gets worse. This disease known as Addiction is fatal, no doubt. There is, however, high-risk factors which will most certainly guarantee a path towards overdosing leading to death.
Reward Processing by the Opioid System in the Brain
Given the discovery of the opioid system, we recognize that it stems from the use of opium in ancient history. Opium, extracted from poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum), has powerful pain-relieving properties and produces euphoria.