What is something you are really good at? Playing an instrument? Hitting a tennis or baseball? Writing? Learning languages? Chances are, there are more than a few things you have learned to do really well in your life, and your brain has been central to that process. People often compare our brains to computers, and in some ways that comparison is a good one. Our brains are constantly learning from our successes and failures, and the more we do things, stronger and faster connections are forged between our body and mind to help us keep doing them.
When it comes to addiction, the same is also true. There is a connection between our body and our mind when a substance is used, and the more it is used, the stronger that connection can become. Fortunately, in the same way it is possible to train our brains and bodies to learn new things, it is also possible to change the way we interact with substances. This blog will discuss how addiction affects the brain and how to rewire your brain from addiction.
How Addiction Affects the Brain
The cortex and the limbic system are the two main parts of the brain that are impacted by substance use. In a healthy brain, the cortex handles important duties such as thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, and the limbic system controls our instincts for survival. Through repeated substance use, the brain's hardwiring for survival can weaken and be replaced by a desire for the substance. Over time, the brain starts to believe the substance is necessary for survival. The term “hijack” is often used as the substance interferes with the feel-good neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and satisfaction (dopamine). The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides a good explanation on how addiction affects the brain, complete with infographics. Long story short, the connections and altered brain structure created by substance use during this hijacking can make it really difficult to quit.
Rewiring Your Brain from Addiction
Fortunately, it is possible to rewire your brain from addiction partly due to neuroplasticity, or “the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections.” Remember the brain and computer analogy? One way to think about neuroplasticity is as a software upgrade for your computer. The system (your brain) needs updates and fixes to established patterns. However, neuroplasticity overall is an ongoing process for all of us throughout our lives and doesn’t necessarily happen quickly. Following substance use, some believe neuroplasticity can take effect within days, but more likely it will take months or even years depending on the substance previously used, the duration and quantity in which it was used, the health of the person (physical and psychological), and even the method of withdrawal.
Several strategies can help to rewire your brain from addiction, and here are three of our favorites:
Exercise. Increased physical activity is showing positive effects on rewiring the brain from addiction. Studies such as this are showing that aerobic activity can decrease cravings while benefiting cognitive brain functioning.
Mindfulness and Meditation. Practicing mindfulness and meditation is a great strategy throughout recovery. It can help you acknowledge and reduce stress, and even rewire your brain for better self-control.
Music. Like mindfulness and meditation, music can also reduce stress. Even better, studies have linked it to improving neural plasticity.
Pinnacle Detox and Recovery Can Help You Rewire Your Brain from Addiction
Professional help has been proven to help rewire your brain from addiction. Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, utilize neuroplasticity and help a person in recovery identify and change thought patterns that may have been harmful to them in the past. Additionally, medications can play a role in easing symptoms of withdrawal, and having a team of treatment providers that can support you or a loved one holistically can help significantly as you work to rewire your brain from addiction.
We are committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to support you or a loved one in their recovery journey. Like recovery itself, rewiring your brain from addiction is a process that will take time and work. The good news is that it can be achieved; change is possible. Please reach out to us today to discuss how we can support you or your loved one in achieving lasting recovery.