Dopamine is a chemical in the brain, known as a neurotransmitter. When something good is perceived by the brain dopamine neurons are activated. The pleasures that activate the dopamine neurons can vary from person to person, but the resulting feeling is the same. For some that first drink or hit of drugs is enough to release the dopamine neurons in the brain, delivering the feeling of pleasure. This can become a pattern, with the remembered feeling of pleasure causing an addict to pursue this feeling regularly. The addict can become reliant on drugs or alcohol for the pleasurable feelings that come with this dopamine release. The results are an uncontrollable need to continue chasing the dopamine high, no matter what the cost.
How Pursuing Dopamine Feelings Can Cause an Addiction
The feelings associated with the release of dopamine in the brain can be addictive. When dopamine is released in the brain from drinking alcohol or partaking in drugs, this can lead the person wanting more of these pleasurable feelings. In many cases, they will increase the amount of alcohol or drugs to achieve even more dopamine thereby beginning a vicious cycle of abuse. Many addicts will describe the first release of dopamine into the brain as a “dopamine rush”. Over time your brain becomes trained to relate the substance abuse with the release of dopamine, creating a feeling that addicts will continue to pursue.
Dopamine’s Role in Developing Tolerance
Over time your brain will develop a tolerance to the drugs and alcohol that you are intaking. It will take more of these substances to achieve the release of dopamine that the abuser is used to experiencing. In a continuous pursuit of these good feelings, this will likely lead to heavier use of drugs or alcohol to achieve these same feelings. By continuously using drugs, your brain will experience overstimulation in the reward center. This makes it more difficult to handle high levels of dopamine regularly being released. The result is either decreased dopamine production or reduced dopamine receptors. Both have the same effect of dulling the feelings of dopamine. An addict will continue chasing these feelings, regardless of this, often leading to even more drug and alcohol use.
While Dopamine Plays a Role, It Does Not Cause Addiction
The release of dopamine in the brain and the pleasurable feelings that go along with it do not cause an addiction. While it does play a role in addiction, other factors include genetics, mental health conditions, social influences, and other life challenges. Dopamine and the feelings that go along with it do play a factor, but dopamine itself is not addictive. Instead, this chemical can motivate addicts to seek pleasurable experiences in the form of drug or alcohol abuse.
It is important to understand the connection between dopamine and addiction. Through this understanding and treatment, those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse can better understand this need and find alternative ways of finding pleasure in a healthy way.
