The Science of Addiction

The brain is divided into different regions that are responsible for performing specific functions. In the center of the brain sits the reward pathway. The job of the reward pathway is to make us feel good when we engage in behaviors that are necessary for survival.

Neurons are the cells responsible for passing chemical and electrical signals along the pathways of the brain. Information flows from one neuron to another across a small gap called a synapse.

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Within seconds of entering the body, drugs cause dramatic changes to synapses in the brain. Drugs can cause a jolt of intense pleasure. Drugs of abuse affect the brain in such a dramatic way that it must try to adapt. The faster a drug is delivered to the brain, the more likely it is to be addicting. An overly large dose can kill the user.

PET scans can help show the effects of drugs on people. As the brain continues to adapt to the presence of the drug, regions outside of the reward pathway are also affected. They become "hard-wired." Once this happens, drug-seeking behavior becomes driven by habit, almost reflex. This is how one becomes a drug addict.