Neurotransmitters in Addiction
Often associated with the “pain-relief and pleasure” system, this natural group of neurotransmitters is mimicked by opioids.
What are endorphins?
Drug addiction disrupts communication between this “motivation center” and the prefrontal cortex, reducing a person’s ability to resist cravings.
What is the ventral tegmental area (VTA)?
Chronic use of stimulants like meth can damage these brain chemicals that affect movement and mood.
What are dopamine transporters?
Withdrawal from this class of drugs can cause life-threatening seizures, making medical detox necessary.
What are benzodiazepines or alcohol?
This “fight-or-flight” hormone increases heart rate and can intensify cravings during stressful moments.
What is adrenaline (epinephrine)?
This neurotransmitter is involved in the brain’s alertness and arousal system and is heavily impacted by stimulant drugs like cocaine and meth.
What is norepinephrine?
This brain region is responsible for decision-making and impulse control, and becomes less active with chronic substance use.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This term describes the brain’s ability to change, reorganize, or rewire itself due to repeated behaviors—including drug use.
What is neuroplasticity?
This term describes needing higher amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect due to repeated use.
This system, known as the body's stress-response pathway, is activated repeatedly in addiction and influences relapse.
What is the HPA axis?
This calming neurotransmitter is affected by alcohol and benzodiazepines, leading to slowed brain activity.
What is GABA?
This part of the brain helps form memories associated with drug use, making environmental cues powerful triggers for relapse.
What is the hippocampus?
Long-term addiction can overactivate this brain circuit involved in habit formation, making drug-seeking automatic.
What are the basal ganglia?
This term refers to the body adapting to the presence of a substance, causing withdrawal when it’s stopped.
What is dependence?
This hormone peaks when people feel rewarded or successful and is often replaced by drug-induced dopamine surges in addiction.
What is endorphins?
Known as the brain’s “feel-good” chemical, this neurotransmitter spikes during drug use and reinforces addictive behaviors.
What is dopamine?
This structure, part of the brain’s reward pathway, releases dopamine when something pleasurable happens—including drug use.
What is the nucleus accumbens (NCA)?
Over time, addiction weakens connections in this brain lobe responsible for planning, judgment, and self-control.
What is the frontal lobe?
This uncomfortable phase happens when the body tries to return to balance after a drug is reduced or stopped.
What is withdrawal?
Chronic drug use disrupts this hormone that regulates sleep, leading to insomnia during withdrawal.
What is melatonin?
This neurotransmitter helps regulate mood and is disrupted in people with both addiction and depression.
What is serotonin?
Known as the brain’s "emotional center," this structure becomes overactive in stress and triggers relapse cues.
What is the amygdala?
Chronic drug use can weaken these brain connections, altering communication between neurons and affecting learning and memory.
What are synapses?
This type of tolerance develops when the liver becomes faster at breaking down a substance, requiring higher doses for an effect.
What is metabolic tolerance?
This hormone helps regulate long-term stress and immune response; chronic addiction keeps it abnormally elevated or suppressed.
What is ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)?