Decision-Making & The Teenage Brain
The Brain Can Heal
Drugs and Dopamine
Addiction & Dependency
Natural High
100
True or False — The teenage brain is fully developed by age 18
False — the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, isn't fully developed until around age 25.
100
Name one healthy activity that research shows actually helps the brain recover and build new connections.
Exercise, sleep, creative activities, learning something new, healthy relationships
100
What chemical in the brain helps create feelings of pleasure and reward?
Dopamine
100
What is the medical term for addiction?
Substance Use Disorder.
100
What brain chemical is released when you hear a song you like or eat your favorite food?
Dopamine! the same chemical released when using addictive substances.
200
What part of the brain is responsible for making thoughtful decisions and controlling impulses?
The prefrontal cortex
brain VIDEO
200
What is the brain's ability to change, grow new connections, and recover called?
Neuroplasticity
200
What happens to dopamine levels when many drugs are used?
Drugs cause a much larger release of dopamine than normal.
200
What term describes continued physical reliance on a drug despite negative consequences?
Drug dependency.
200
2000 Points!!!
Name three non-drug things that has boosted your mood.
at least 2 must answer
300
Why might a teenager make a riskier decision when their friends are watching compared to when they're alone?
The teenage brain is more sensitive to social rewards — peer presence activates the brain's reward system, making risky choices feel more appealing.
Bonus 100 points: Why do you think the teenage brain is more sensitive to what others may think?
300
True or False — Once drugs damage the brain, it can never recover
False — the brain has significant capacity to heal, especially in younger people, though some effects can last longer depending on the substance and frequency of use.
some conditions can be permanent if the brain is damaged too severely.
300
Why can drugs feel good at first but still be harmful over time?
They overstimulate the brain’s reward system, which can change how the brain works.
300
What is tolerance?
When a person’s reaction to a drug decreases over time, so they need more to feel the same effect.
300
What chemical is released in the brain when you exercise how does it improve your mood?
Endorphin and dopamine. Endorphin is a natural way to reduce stress short term and long term. Dopamine causes the feeling of joy.
Bonus 100: what class of drugs mimic the feeling of endorphins?
400
What part of the brain drives emotions and the search for excitement and rewards — and is very active during the teen years?
The limbic system (also accept amygdala)
400
Why is adolescence actually an advantage when it comes to brain recovery?
Because the teenage brain is still developing and highly plastic — meaning it's more capable of forming new connections and recovering than an adult brain.
Bonus 100: What is it called when a teenage brain trims away unused neural pathways?
400
How can repeated drug use affect what the brain finds rewarding?
The brain may start valuing the drug more than normal healthy activities.
Bonus 100 points: Someone shares their experience with drug use on their ability to have fun sober.
400
What is withdrawal? and why does it occur?
Negative symptoms that occur when someone stops using a drug. The body no longer produces certain chemicals in the brain and body that the substances provide.
400
Reflection: What is something that you want to do that you feel could give you a natural high?
examples: new hobby, amusement park, sports, edtc.
500
Think about a time you made a decision you later regretted. Without sharing details, what do you think was going on in your brain in that moment — was it more emotion or more thinking?
2 people must answer
500
Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for brain recovery. What happens in the brain during deep sleep that makes it so important for healing?
The brain clears out waste products, consolidates memories, and repairs neural connections — basically doing maintenance work it can't do while you're awake. Your body "washes" your brain with your Cerebrospinal Fluid.
500
What role does dopamine play in the brain?
Dopamine helps teach our brains what to continue doing. Drugs hijack this process and lead to unhealthy habits being formed.
Mouse VIDEO
500
Explain the concept of "chasing the high" and why it leads to a cycle of addiction.
First use creates intense dopamine release. The brain compensates by reducing dopamine receptors. Normal activities feel gray and flat. The person needs more drug just to feel normal — not even to feel good. This is the addiction cycle.
Bonus 100 points: How has addiction affected your life either directly or indirectly?
500
What is something that you value (something important to you) that you could be spending more time on?
at least 2 must answer.
acting according to your value system has been proven to lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.