Addiction is a major public health issue in America. In 2012, Partnership for Drug Free Kids estimated 23.5 million American adults were involved with drugs and alcohol to the point they considered to be problematic. Every person may not be directly impacted by addiction but every community and society as a whole has been indirectly affected by addiction. Many of America’s leading medical issues like cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS can be directly connected to the disease. Furthermore, many of America’s leading social issues like driving under the influence, domestic violence, child abuse and chronic stress can be directly related to addiction. Prior to scientific research on the disease, it was a common misconception that addiction was …show more content…
The chemicals in drugs are capable of targeting the brain’s reward system by overloading the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine which is a neurotransmitter is released in the nucleus accumbens which is the cluster of nerve cells located underneath the cerebral cortex. The nucleus accumben is directly tied to the brain’s pleasure center. The pleasure center is the portion of the brain that regulates emotion and feelings of pleasure. Using drugs can overstimulate the portion of the brain promotes euphoric effects which reinforces the behavior of drug. Typically, drugs that are abused flood the brain’s reward system with dopamine. A primary function of the brain is to generate messages that encourage life-sustaining activities by associating the activity with a pleasure/reward. This activates the reward circuit and the brain identifies something of importance occurred. This behavior/action is remembered and the behavior will naturally happen again. Drug abuse stimulates the same circuit which is the beginning of addiction. Certain drugs can release up to ten times the amount of dopamine than that of natural rewards like sex or eating. When drugs are smoked or injected, this occurs almost immediately and the effects can potentially last longer than those produced by naturally rewarding behaviors. The reward center is impacted much more by drug use than by naturally rewarding behaviors which motivates people to continue the drug use. The repeated use/exposure to an addictive drug causes the nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex in a way to triggers a great need/want. This feeling of need results in the action of seeking the source of pleasure which are the drugs. The addiction develops because this brain adjusts to the overpowering surges of dopamine by reproducing less dopamine or by reducing the number of receptors that are capable of receiving signals. The reward circuit of an addict becomes