According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease. This makes the researchers believe that addiction is simply a result of recurrence of a particular learning – like consuming drugs and alcohol repeatedly.
The brain is different from the other parts of the body, as it changes rapidly with experience. Self-sustaining brain change is called neuroplasticity, and if the brain changes are caused by learning it is termed as a natural process of neuroplasticity.
However, other changes in the brain, like the accumulation of plaques and masses that lead to death of cells, are the unnatural form of brain change that may create conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Human brain can learn and unlearn
Experts who believe that addiction is a learning disorder can now understand how addiction attacks the brain. According to a 2005 study by Steven E. Hyman, M.D., published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, addiction is a learning disorder. This means that the brain of an addict can learn and unlearn to reach a stable recovery phase.
An article by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., American Board of Professional Psychology
(ABPP), says that addiction alters the brain’s communication framework, developing new neural pathways to train on new habits. When the body is in abstinence mode, the brain again forms new neural pathways to stay away from the drug. Both these changes may be uncomfortable initially, but gradually the brain starts adhering to changed pathways.
Neuroplasticity may treat addiction
Neuroplasticity is now considered a possible treatment for addiction. The process can be rewarding when people are highly motivated as the ingrained habits majorly grow from intense desire or mere repetition.
A study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry in 2012 by Jill L. Kays, Psy.D., and other authors concludes that mental rehearsal alone may produce neuroplastic changes in the brain. The authors say that neuroplasticity can be used in the process of healing and recovery. Clinical trials on animals have shown that antidepressants can reverse the effects of various types of chronic stress on both behavior and brain structure.
Neurons consistently interact with each other to form long-lasting functional relationships. As our brains physically change or adapt on the basis of dynamics of neuroplasticity, we can also change the dynamics of the brain.
Neuroplasticity supports the scientific basis for treatment of acquired brain injury with goal-directed experiential therapeutic programs in the context of rehabilitation approaches to the functional consequences of the injury. It is getting popular as a principle that explains to some extent the improvements in functional outcomes with physical therapy post-stroke. It is being used in mental health recovery in Texas and other parts of the U.S.
If you or your loved one is seeking recovery from any mental problem, the Texas Mental Health Helpline is available 24/7 for support. Our representatives can refer you to some of the best centres for mental health disorders treatment in Texas. Call us at 866-596-4708 for further information.
