States in the U.S. have passed legalisation of medical use of some substances under a limit. Schedule I drugs are substances with high rates of addiction and abuse like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy without any form of allowance in the law. Schedule II drugs are known for addiction but allowed for medical use like fentanyl and oxycodone. Addiction to any drugs will leave you with permanent damage to the brain and it won’t function the same after. Drug addiction was labelled a “brain disease” by researchers in the 90s.
Substances become addictive to users from the happy feeling it induces by abusing the dopamine receptors, which is a hormone causing the happy feeling, leading to a decreased amount of dopamine production when sober. The receptor becomes accustomed to being told when to produce dopamine, so without a substance to induce it, it will no longer produce dopamine regularly leading to permanent damage with hormone receptors.
Getting over addiction can be a harder battle. Scientists point out that addiction can be encouraged by the brain’s craving for the substance of choice. When trying to quit substances individuals reported withdrawal feelings and cravings that “challenges their commitment to abstinence and is often associated with relapse.” The urges can be related to fighting a reflex, like scrunching your face when you sneeze. Understandably, it’s a hard battle to fight on your own pointing users to the option of rehab.
