Meth Addictions

Question: Why don't people with crack or meth addictions just stop using it?

(Posted by: on 2010-11-17 00:16:32)

Posted by: Corruption on 2010-11-17, 01:09:38

They flood your nucleus accumbens with dopamine. This is called the reward circuit. Dopamine is the "feel good " drug, the nucleus accumbens is the "pleasure center. " Pretty much, when people stop doing addictive drugs, they don't have dopamine in that area anymore. Most people get some dopamine there from eating and exercising, but people who have had addictions take quite a while to get normal levels again. Not having these substances in your brain makes you want to do ANYTHING, absolutely anything to get them in there again. Hence, your nice normal neighbor Johnny breaks into your house and steals your PS3 and wallet to pawn off for drug money when he gets addicted to crack. It isn't that he wants to -- it's that he can't bear to go without, and any horrid thing to get the drugs again seems like a better option.

Posted by: raye on 2010-11-17, 00:38:48

They are both mind altering substances, so it is very hard to quit. The only way to not be addicted to them is to never start using them.