The human brain is a wonder of nature. All the different parts of it work together to optimize the health and wellbeing of the body and itself. But narcotic substances “hack” the human brain and make you do things that are in no way good for you.

Whether you just have a sweet tooth or you’re addicted to something far more deadly, understanding the scientific theories behind how addiction works can help you get more control over it.

How Addiction Works

Unlike a computer, the human brain cannot process numbers or any digital information for that matter. Instead, it uses neurochemicals and hormones to evaluate different decisions and send different signals. 

For example, when you eat something that tastes good such as a grape, the reward system in your brain gets activated, and your brain releases a neurochemical called dopamine. The release of dopamine is the way your brain “marks” a decision as “good.” The next time you reach for a grape, your brain remembers that eating a grape was a good idea last time, and hence it must be a good idea now. Eating a grape, in this case, is actually a good idea since grapes are healthy.

But drugs hack this system. When you do something that feels “good,” such as eating a grape or scoring a goal, it’s your body releases dopamine. Addictive substances (such as opioids, alcohol, nicotine), on the other hand, enter your brain and “artificially” release a lot of dopamine, making you feel as if you did something “good” when you didn’t. This makes your brain “mark” the decision of taking the drug as being “good” even though it’s anything but. This manipulation of the habit-forming tendency of the brain by narcotics is called addiction. 

But there is another factor at play here. When your brain experiences high levels of dopamine, it reduces its sensitivity to it. The result is that when the concentration of the drug in your blood drops, you experience the opposite of many of the “feel-good” effects of the drug. This phenomenon is called withdrawal  

How to Deal with Addiction

I won’t be so bold as to claim that it’s easy to get rid of an addiction. It takes a lot of hard work and real suffering before you’re able to reap the benefits of not being an adult. That said, it is possible to get rid of any addiction.

But there are some things you can do:

Get inspiration

It takes a lot of motivation to deal get rid of an addiction. You’ll need to constantly remind yourself why your efforts are absolutely worth it. Former heavyweight boxer and author of the Amazon best-seller “Sober Letters To My Drunken Self” Regularly post motivational thoughts on addiction. He used to suffer from alcoholism, but he’s been sober for 8 years now and has dedicated his life to helping other people suffering from addiction.

Get help

Getting professional help is the best way to deal with addiction. But if you can’t, get help from a friend or a family member. You will need all the help you can get going through withdrawal. A professional might advise you not to go cold turkey, depending on your particular situation.

Be mindful

Every time the thought of taking the substance you’re addicted to pops up in your mind, try to distract yourself with other activities. This won’t help withdrawal symptoms, however.

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