Effects Of Drug Use On The Brain

The Effects of Drug Use on the Adolescent Brain

In the past fifteen years, school districts across the United States have raised awareness of the harmful effects of drug use on the human body, on adolescents in particular. How do drugs damage a teenager’s brain? The function of neurotransmitters in the teenage brain is often targeted and altered by psychoactive substances. The interference of neurotransmitters can directly damage the fragile developing neural connections, and the use of these substances alters perception and may interfere with developing perceptual skills. Raising awareness of such irreversible effects is crucial to decreasing drug use in the teen population.

The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. Nerves
These natural rewards are the body's way of making sure we look for more of what makes us feel good. The main neurotransmitter of the "feel-good" message is called dopamine. Some drugs, like heroin and LSD, mimic the effects of the natural neurotransmitter. Others, like PCP, block receptors and thereby prevent neuronal messages from getting through. Still others, like cocaine, interfere with the molecules that transport neurotransmitters back into the neurons that released them. Finally, some drugs, such as Methamphetamine, act by causing neurotransmitters to be released in greater amounts than normal. In response to too high of dopamine levels, the brain system tries to right the balance by allowing fewer dopamine neurotransmitters to fire or signal through. The continued use of the drug leads to tolerance; to experience the same effects, the user must continue to use the drugs. When the user stops taking the psychoactive drug, he or she may experience the undesirable side effects of withdrawal. As the body responds to the drug’s absence, the user may feel physical pain and intense cravings, indicating physical
For example, MRI studies show that adults tend to use the frontal lobes, or logical problem solving, to determine facial expressions while adolescents use the amygdala, an area which normally processes emotions such as fear and worry. It holds true in many studies that where adults use problem solving areas of the brain to perceive the world adolescents use the more primitive areas of the brain more associated with emotions, and self-preservation; it also holds true that adult perception generally has greater accuracy. Marijuana, not unlike all drugs, changes perception. And like most drugs, it engenders perception that is fearful, emotional, defensive, and often inaccurate. Though the short term addiction potential of marijuana may be less than other drugs, the long-term impact of chronic marijuana use can have profound effects. For an adult in society to function, one must determine the feelings and motives of other people. In the case of chronic marijuana use, it can hinder perceptual maturation, and an adolescent user may encounter misunderstood failures in school, work, and relationships, which in turn re-enforces the desire to retreat to