Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change throughout the lifetime. The brain can continue to change into old age in response to your experiences, creating new pathways and neurons, and even in some cases assigning new roles to different parts.
You may have heard that addiction changes the brain. That is because of neuroplasticity. Addiction is in some ways the dark side of the brain’s ability to change; it alters in response to chronic substance use by lowering dopamine receptors, decreasing the reward system’s sensitivity. This and other changes make it difficult to stop because your brain has learned to expect the substance.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, “Neuroplasticity in the brain’s reward system following repeated drug use leads to more habitual and (in vulnerable people) more compulsive drug use, where people ignore the negative consequences. Thus, repeated exposure to drugs of abuse creates experience-dependent learning and related brain changes, which can lead to maladaptive patterns of drug use.”[1]
The good news is that the brain’s ability to change holds true in recovery as well. The brain can, and does, heal from addiction. We can participate in therapies and recovery methods that facilitate that growth.
Harvard Health Publishing again: “Our brain’s plastic nature suggests that we can change our behaviors throughout our lives by learning new skills and habits…NIDA suggests that, for some people, medications can help people manage symptoms to a level that helps them pursue recovery via strategies such as counseling and behavioral therapies, including CBT.”[2]
If you are struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder, there is help and hope. TruHealing Centers offers high-quality treatment for addiction and mental health disorders in facilities across the country. Our staff—many of whom are in recovery themselves—will help you build the tools to thrive in recovery. To learn more, call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.
[1]https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/brain-plasticity-in-drug-addiction-burden-and-benefit-2020062620479
[2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/brain-plasticity-in-drug-addiction-burden-and-benefit-2020062620479
