The brains of drug abusers may be wired differently than brains of non-addicts. That’s what chemist Joanna Fowler says she has discovered, after years of research. It’s why she thinks of addiction as a true illness.
Joanna Fowler: You know some people experiment around with drugs and don’t get addicted and some do. I think you don’t know ahead of time whether you’re one of the vulnerable ones. And I think that’s a really important message. By the time you do the experiment and find out, it may be too late, and it’s a really hard thing to stop once it sets in.
Dr. Fowler works at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She’s spent time comparing how brains are affected by methamphetamine – better known as crystal meth – and cocaine.
Joanna Fowler: And it’s day and night with respect to how widespread they are in the brain, and how fast they leave the brain. The high from methamphetamine stays a very long time, and it also is very damaging to a lot of different parts of the brain.
By contrast, said Fowler, cocaine goes straight to a single part of the brain called the reward center, causes a huge release of dopamine, and leaves – all within a half hour. But, she added, drug addiction is not just about brain chemistry.
Joanne Fowler: It’s where the drug abuser lives, it’s the friends, it’s your environmental exposure. Your genes and your biology account for some of it, but it doesn’t account for all of it. It accounts for about half.
Fowler thinks that a combination of behavior therapy, pharmacological therapy and change in environment is probably the best approach for curing addiction. Experts estimate that there are 25 million substance abusers in the United States, and that only 2 million are getting treatment.
Fowler said that studies in monkeys, for example, showed that simply changing their living situation changed their dopamine receptors, and therefore, their response to drugs. Likewise, in human addicts, she said drug abusers who return to the same home, professional, or social environment after undergoing treatment for substance abuse often relapse.
Joanna Fowler: I think the most important thing is this concept of addiction as a disease of the brain and the need to try to understand it better.
She explained the drug addiction is a much larger health problem than we might think:
Joanna Fowler: We don’t tend to think of it, but it you think of the major diseases for example – cancer and heart disease – and a large fraction of the deaths from cancer are lung cancer, a large fraction of deaths from heart disease are due to cigarette smoking. If you consider the problem of AIDS, AIDS is generally spread by the use of dirty needles from IV drug use, or risky sexual behavior secondary to stimulant abuse. If you look at violence or accidents, many of the accidents we have are people who are driving while they’re drunk, much of domestic violence occurs when people are under the influence of alcohol. Then you look at obesity, and overeating is another addiction. So I think understanding addiction and being able to treat it successfully would probably have a bigger impact on public health than anything else we know of.
Drug addiction is a tough subject. I have family and friends that have been in this fix. Some are through the pain and are sober. Some are not. It is hard to draw the line between over use and true addiction. Where does the laziness/desire for the drug end and the inability to control its use begin? And it is not just a problem for the lower financial or social classes. I have a family member who holds a PhD and is quite comfortable financially that is heavily addicted to prescription drugs. Another of my associates was a blue collar working stiff and got hooked up on meth. It nearly killed him. He is clean now. Family and church played a large part in it. Another family member nearly died as a result of alcohol. He can smoke dope, but he cannot touch alcohol. He is clean now, but does not touch alcohol in any form. Some folks have more of an affinity for some drugs while other drugs don’t bother them. Some folks are just lazy and choose to hide in drugs from reality. Where the lines are drawn is someone else’s guess. I certainly don’t know. I wish the best of luck to everyone that is addicted. To anything.
Good question Ashlei
how long does it take until the drug use affects your brain, and how much drug use does it take to get that way?
hi there!
i believe what fowler said was that the effect of a drugs on the brain (how quickly they get around, how long they stay, etc.) is different for every drug.
also, as fowler said in the extended podcast, the impact of drug use -at least as far as addiction is concerned – differs from individual to individual, too: there are some people who get hooked after using a drug once. some people, it never happens at all. she says you can’t really know ahead of time which group you’re in.
cool thanks
Drug Addiction is now a global problem. This social cancer has spread its poisonous claw all over the world. Frustration is the cause of this Addiction unemployment problem, political cataclysm, lack of family ties, lack of love affection etc gives rise to frustration. Again this addiction gives rise to social crimes. When the addicted can’t afford to buy drugs, they commit many kinds of social crimes. Like hijacking, looting, plundering, killing, robbery etc. Drugs bear a terrible effect on human body. They kill them slowly but surely. No physician can stop the changes that take place in the body of a drug addict. Drug addicted people feel drowsy, lose appetite and sleep. The skins of their bodies began change it’s color. Drugs also damage the brain and all internal function of the body. However this curse shouldn’t be allowed to go on unchecked. At any cost we must get rid of this social cancer by highlighting its dangerous effects on human body and society. The remedy for drug addiction is not very easy. Greed of drug traders has grasped the whole world. Drug business should must be is punishable and the highest punishment is death sentence in any Country. This law must be enforced immediately. Our young generation must be aware of the dire consequence of drug abuse. Parents must be careful of their treatment to children. Feelings of security under loving parents may hinder children from being victims of drugs. Religious and social values must be taught from early childhood. When each and every person is sincere to drive this curse of drug addiction from the society, human beings can get rid of it.
Thank you for the useful information. It is excellent too know there are many resources available to persons battling with a drug addiction.
I think I read someplace that the percentage for probability in relapse after leaving a rehab center within the first year is something in the 85 – 90 precentile which is alarming. I too believe simply sending someone back to their old familiar surroundings and “friends” who also abuse is just asking for relapse. The person indeed requires a complete change in lifestyle for the change to take affect.
I believe there’s more to it than just our brain chemistry- there are some early attachment issues to consider, personality, and temperament to look at, as well as environmental issues, spirituality issues, and peer pressure. We are holistic beings.
Marc Kitelinger
I dont normally post on blogs, but I really like your site. Have a good day
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i can pass my drug tests by drinking water
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I always like seeing these studies they do of the brain. Have you ever seen the ones that they do with monks? They say that their brains are wired differently too.
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