Understanding the psychology of substance addiction

Addiction is a brain disorder and mental illness that people get when they use substances that give them a high amount of dopamine, the chemical that the brain releases when we feel pleasure. Because of the dopamine rushes these substances give people, they become dependent on them.

Why do people get addicted to substances so easily?

Humans survive on the drive to seek pleasure and avoid pain. When we do something beneficial, like eating food when we’re hungry, our brain releases dopamine, as a reward for the work that we put in, to be able to do this action – for example: sitting down to eat after spending a long time cooking your meal. Humans have become overloaded with easy access to things that give us dopamine like sugary food, nicotine, alcohol, drugs etc. All of these are designed to give us a faster, more intense dopamine rush than anything natural. These addictive substances give us an exaggerated surge of dopamine. The brain reacts to this by reducing dopamine receptors, the molecules that detect dopamine. As a result, it becomes harder to feel pleasure in everyday life. “People use more just to feel normal” says Professor Anna Lembke of Stanford University.

Who gets addicted to substances?

Not everyone gets addicted to substances after trying them once. Everyone has an individual risk for addiction. Your individual risk for addiction is based on three factors. Genetics: if your parents struggled with addiction, it is more likely for you to struggle too. Environment: influences from family and friends as well as peer pressure, abuse and stress can greatly affect a person’s likelihood of substance use and addiction. Development: you can get addicted to substances at any age, but the younger you are when you start using them, the more likely you are to get addicted.

M.H. / S2dea