BRAIN AND ADDICTION

Addiction
"Addiction" is a word derived from a Latin term for "enslaved by" or "bound to." Before now, experts thought that only alcohol and powerful drugs; marijuana, opium (narcotic) pain relievers, and cocaine could cause addiction but more recent research, however, have shown that certain pleasurable activities, such as gambling, social media, and sex, can also co-opt the brain.
The brain
The human brain remains the most complex organ or the body system that controls all our voluntary actions and everyday response to situations. Instead of the complex electric circuit, the brains use billions of cells (neurons) networks interacting with each other as a team. Different brain circuits coordinate and perform a specific task. In response to stimuli, neurons release transmitter into the synapse between it and the next cell. This transmitter crosses the synapse and attaches to a receptor on the receiving neuron. Every form of addiction can be attributed to the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine (reward circuit). Other important parts are The basal ganglia which play an important role in positive forms of motivation. The extended amygdala which plays a role in stressful feelings and the prefrontal cortex powers the ability to think, plan, solve problems, make decisions, and exert self-control over impulses. This dopamine signal causes changes in neuron cells that make it easier to repeat the activity over many times involuntarily leading to habit. A large surge of dopamine teaches the brain to seek a particular signal at the expense of other (activities and healthy goals).
Treatment of addiction
A single treatment isn't enough to effectively treat addiction but requires the combination of two or more treatment procedures to tackle it. The best possible combination is medication which is the basics and support group.
Medication
Previous PET research has shown that people with drug addiction have reduced dopamine receptors. Drugs interfere with the pattern the brain neuron receives, send and process the signal using the neurotransmitters. Some drugs like heroin, marijuana, and syrups can activate neurons due to the composition of their chemical instruction similar to natural neurotransmitters. Because of this similarity, it activates the brains neurons abnormally leading to wrong messaging. Others drugs like cocaine and amphetamine simply cause the neurons to release the abnormally large amount of neurotransmitters which disrupt the normal brain communication.
Medication such as using drugs can identify neurobiological abnormalities that can be targeted with therapeutic intervention. It is also leading to the creation of improved ways of delivering addiction treatments in the healthcare system. Informed Americans no longer view addiction as a moral failing, and more and more policymakers are recognizing that punishment is an ineffective and inappropriate tool for addressing a person's drug problems. Treatment is what is needed and these mental health issues can be treated using antidepressants.
Support/Mutual Group
Medication only can't replace a person's resolution or willpower, however, they help addicted people in resisting the constant challenges to their resolve; they have been proven in many studies to lessen illegal drug use and its effects. We will never to address addiction without being able to discuss and address the bunch of factors that contribute to it— biological, psychological, behavioral, societal, economic and so on.
Self-improvement gatherings, otherwise called mutual help or recovery support assume an indispensable part in substance abuse treatment in the United States, and research has demonstrated that active involvement in help group enhances the chances of staying sober, clean and calm. In this group, the individuals share a typical issue, frequently a typical disease or habit. Self-help group can happen in a wide variety of forms, from two people sharing knowledge and adapting procedures, to little gatherings assembling in network meeting rooms, to extensive, consolidated associations offering information, support and advocacy services. These support groups create a safe and healing environment in which the teen can express him or her openly.
Fortunately, when individuals recuperate from addiction on their own, it is regularly in light of the fact that powerful treatment has not been promptly accessible or affordable, or the individual has not searched it out; and awfully numerous individuals don't recoup without help, or never find the opportunity to recuperate with studies showing that 174 individuals die each day from drug overdoses. Some critics have pointed out correctly, that a significant percentage of people who do develop addictions eventually recover without medical treatment which may take years or simply "aging out" of a disorder that began during youth, or may result from any number of life changes that help a person replace drug use with other priorities.
The original model for self-help groups is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 by a New York stockbroker named Bill, W and a physician from Akron, Ohio, Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith. It is now estimated that over 2 million people worldwide attend more than 115,000 groups in over 170 countries. Research has consistently and clearly demonstrated that active involvement in self-help support groups significantly improves a person's chances of long-term recovery and these free support groups exist in most communities – in practically every village and town across America. Last year alone, more than 5,000,000 people across the nation attended self-help/recovery support groups.

However, due to the anonymous nature of mutual-support groups, it is difficult for researchers to determine their success rates compared with those led by health professionals. There is a need for such a group to have a professional in their mist to the guild and monitor their activities and progress.
For example, many people with alcohol problems and their family members find that participating in support groups is an essential part of coping with the disease, preventing or dealing with relapses, and staying sober. Connecting with others who know first-hand what you're going through can help reduce feelings of isolation, fear, and hopelessness. Staying motivated and positive is much easier when you have others you can turn to and lean on to help you get through tough times. The original model for self-help groups is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 by a New York stockbroker named Bill W. (William Griffith Wilson) and a physician from Akron, Ohio, Dr. Bob (Robert Holbrook Smith). It is now estimated that over 2 million people worldwide attend more than 115,000 groups in over 170 countries.
The combination of the above medical procedures will ensure a speedy recovery from addiction with drug medication aiding the brain to rediscover its form and as well lend an emotional support to the individual in mutual /support group.