Addiction Neuroscience 101
This brain chemical is involved in motivation and reward, not just pleasure.
What is Dopamine
MAT stands for…
👉 Medication for Addiction Treatment
This coping skill involves slowing your breath to calm your nervous system.
👉 What is deep breathing / box breathing?
A trigger can be internal or external. Name one of each.
👉 Internal: emotions, thoughts / External: people, places, stress
Recovery means more than just abstinence. True or False?
👉 True
True or False: Addiction is a failure of willpower.
👉 False – it’s a brain disease involving learning, memory, and stress systems.
Name one medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
👉 Methadone, Buprenorphine/Suboxone, or Naltrexone
Name one grounding technique that uses the five senses.
👉 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Cravings usually peak and fall within how long if not acted on?
👉 About 20–30 minutes
Name one benefit of peer or group support in recovery.
👉 Connection, accountability, shared experience
This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making and impulse control and is weakened in active addiction.
👉 What is the prefrontal cortex?
True or False: MAT replaces one addiction with another.
👉 False – it stabilizes brain chemistry and reduces overdose risk.
Why are coping skills important in early recovery?
👉 Because substances were used to cope before—skills replace that.
What does HALT stand for?
👉 Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
What’s one reason shame makes addiction worse?
👉 It increases isolation and stress, which fuels use.
Why do cues (people, places, emotions) trigger cravings even after detox?
👉 Because addiction hijacks the brain’s learning and memory pathways.
MAT helps reduce cravings by doing what to the brain?
👉 Stabilizing receptors and reducing withdrawal and compulsive use.
What’s the difference between distraction and avoidance?
👉 Distraction is temporary and intentional; avoidance keeps problems stuck.
Relapse is best described as what?
👉 A process, not a single event.
What’s one example of a “protective factor” in recovery?
👉 Housing, routine, support, MAT, therapy, purpose
Stress increases relapse risk because it activates this brain system.
👉 What is the survival/stress (fight-or-flight) system / amygdala?
MAT is most effective when combined with what?
👉 Counseling, support, coping skills, and recovery planning.
Name one coping skill you can use when cravings hit at night.
👉 Examples: urge surfing, calling support, body scan, music, journaling
Name one warning sign that relapse might be approaching.
👉 Isolation, skipping meetings, romanticizing use, stress overload
What’s one thing your brain can do in recovery that it couldn’t during active use?
👉 Heal, rewire, regain decision-making, experience pleasure naturally