I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WIRTH EVERYONE

[flamingogirl1]

There is a natural chemical that our brain produces that is called Dopamine. This chemical is what stimulates our pleasure center and also what lets our brain inturperate what measures it needs to take for survival. So, picture if you will, the following. On one side of your brain you have a "sac" that contains the Dopamine, on the other side of your brain you have a receptor (For the rest of this post I'm going to refer to this receptor as a gate for easier explaination). Now, in a normal, non addicted brain, Dopamine is released naturally after say a good meal or sex. In the normal course of things for instance, if we eat a steak dinner, the sac will release the normal amount of Dopamine, let's say one squirt. The gate opens, receives the Dopamine, we feel good and everything is as it should be. Now, drugs also release Dopamine only at a much higher level, so while a candy bar might release one "squirt" of Dopamine, drugs release up to 100 times the normal amount of Dopamine. So, when we first begin to use, we swallow a pill or shoot some Heroin, 100 squirts of Dopamine gets released causing the Euphoric feeling that leads us to use again. The problem now though is that after a while, that one gate cannot open fast enough to accept the unusually high amount of Dopamine that is being supplied, so being the amazing organ that the human brain is, it simply grows another gate to help it accomodate. So, now we have 2 gates that are open and want to be fed. So instead of needing to only take 1 or 2 pills a day, suddenly we find that we need 3 or 4. Now 200 times the normal amount of Dopamine is being released and the process continues, these 2 gates need help so the brain grows another, and another and another........Now we find ourselves needing 6 or 7 pills a day. While this is happening our brain is led to believe that it now HAS to have this chemical to survive, just as it knows that it needs food and sex to live and to reproduce. It know thinks that without drugs it will die, for you see the brain doesn't know what we are giving it, just that it MUST have it or die. So, with continued use, our tolerance grows due to the extra gates that we have open, that need to be fed and fed on a consistant basis. So, as opposed to the normal brain that has it's one normal gate, an addict may have 20 or 30 gates now. This is why we can take drugs in a high enough dosage that it would kill a normal person but for us it is the amount that we need just to feed all those gates and keep ourselves normal.
So now, we deciede to quit. Easy enough, right?, I mean, just stop swallowing the pills and all will be well (ever been told that?). Well, as you know, it's not tht easy and the reason why is when we suddenly take that drug away,stop feeding those gates, our brain goes into panic mode, it thinks it is dying. So, what follows? 7 to 10 days of extreme sickness (WD). Our brain is sending out distress signals just like it would if we quit eating (think for a minute what a human will do if they get hungry enough and then you can see why addicts will do things they never thought themselves capable of to get what they need.) Now, after the first few days, the brain begins to realize that it is not going to die and we start to physcially feel better. But that is by no means the end of the problem. Think of those gates for a minute, wouldn't it be nice if when we quit they disappeared and everything went back to normal? Unfortunately, that is not the case, the addicts brain is forever altered. Those gates NEVER go away, we will always have all those extras. Now, this is where it is so difficult in early recovery. Ok, so we have quit taking drugs, we feel a little better, BUT now we eat a candy bar, the normal amount (that one squirt) of Doapmine is released, BUT ALL of those extra gates open to receive it and our brain starts to scream "IT'S NOT ENOUGH", which of course it is not, we have 30 gates opening, expecting to be fed and they get one little blast instead of what it is used to. This is why in early recovery anything that releases Dopamine needs to be reduced or eliminated if possible. Of course we have to eat, we can't eliminate that of course but have you ever noticed when you first got clean that you found yourself overeating or craving right after a good meal? We crave after we eat because those gates are open and we may overeat trying to satisfy the need for excess Dopamine. That is why it is a good idea to avoid sweets or products like NyQuil, because they contain sugar and alcohol, which "teases' those gates unnecessarily. Now, while those gates never go away, the good news is that after we are clean for awhile, they do become less sensitive. Eventually even though they are still there, fewer will open and things return to as close to normal as we will ever be able to get to. So, basically we have them, they are laying dormant and if we get say a good 6 months to a year clean time, they pretty much leave us alone. BUT, how many times have you heard an addict say that they were clean for a while and thought they could just use recreationally now and control it? Of course we can't control it, once we take that first pill (or whatever) again, the HUGE amount of Doapmine is released and ALL of those dormant gates are wakened and our tolerance is just as high as it always was. We don't have to build it back up, we pick right back up at the amounts that we are accustomed to. Or how many times have you seen someone who never had a drinking problem get clean from pills and then become an alcoholic? They think that if they are not taking their DOC they will be ok. But remember, our brain doesn't know if we are feeding it Vicodin, Heroin or whiskey. All it knows or cares about it is the end result that the substance produces.
Now, we are getting clean, the WD's are over, we are not using any other substance but yet we are miserable, can't sleep, are depressed, anxious, etc, etc....Now, why is this, it's not fair, right?, I mean, we did what we were supposed to and yet we feel so ABNORMAL and it seems to last forever. Well, the reason for this is simple, when we were growing all those extra gates and training our brain to rely on a unnatural chemical, we ACTUALLY, PHYSCIALLY altered the chemical makeup in the brain. So, now we may be clean but we are left with a bunch of synopsis (sic),and receptors that are in essence "misfiring". We feel the way we do because our brain in no longer functioning normally. This does eventually heal but it is not a quick process by any means. Our brains have to repair all the damage we did when we went in and rearranged it's furniture so to speak. Usually this takes anywhere from several months to a year. The longest time belonging to those whose DOC is opiated based, such as Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin and Heroin. This is why such extreme caution has to be use in early recovery and also why so many addicts relapse. It take so long to feel normal again that most of us give up and return to the drug induced normality that they are used to. The sad truth is that only 2 out of 10 addicts recover. And it again is not because they are weak people, but rather because it is such an enormous battle mentally that most lose. I mean, how long can you go through living everyday just not caring about anything? Most can't get through that. BUT, if your stay strong, have a support system and be patient, one day you discover that you can smile again and while it may only last a few seconds, it is a real feeling and you can being to hope. There is life after drugs, and I won't lie, it is NEVER the same as it was before the addiction takes us but it can be rewarding and meaningful.
So, as far as what to do to continue succesful recovery, A support system is key as is proper diet and Vitamins. Especially Zinc and Magnesium as these are two that we deplete with use and also the ones necessary to provide the quickest MENTAL recovery.

[worried878]

Wow!...great article on dopamine..i posted one in my journal as well but it is not quite as in depth as that one....unfortunately nicotine is also teasing the brain as well...just like alcohol and narcs but actually affects more receptors than either of those....i am still sucking on commit lozenges to try to get off the nicotine as i quit smoking 8 years ago!...that is one reason cigs are so hard to quit....wellbutrin/zyban helps with this dopamine thing and after researching it i decided to try it...mainly to get off the mints..but perhaps it will help the cravings for narcs as well...geat post!

[mommy52713]

thank you so much for taking the time to share this with all of us.

[shelley04]

I have never posted before (been "lurking" for about 5 months) but I had to comment on this.  This was such a great way to explain why a lot of people feel the way they do for so long after quitting that I actually copied it and sent it to a friend of mine who cannot figure out why she is still lethargic after 3 months.  

I know this had to take forever to type so I am very grateful to you.

God bless.

[flamingogirl1]

ur so welcome  i hope this can help some people understand addiction more it sure helped me understand it.   yeah nicotine does affect our dopamine im trying to quit smoking as well but im tryign to stop one thing at a time. good luck worried!

[flamingogirl1]

im glad this could help you. im currently a addict and im studying abnormal psychology at college i want to be a srhink haha or a drug specialist. well i learned this from my classes and i thought everyone might need ot understand addiction a little better to understand what is happening to r brains.

[shelley04]

The only question I have (or maybe I am not understanding it correctly) is: are you saying that if a person has been drug free for, oh say 2 years, and they are rushed to the hospital for something that b/c these "gates" never leave they will still need an abnormal amount of pain medicine in order to be helped?

I have always worried about the stigma of something like this happening and having to tell a doctor that I may need 'more" anesthesia or morphine etc., b/c of my problem.  I had hoped that at some point I would not have to discuss this as it would not be a problem, I would be back to "normal" and could take the normal amount of medicine required.  

I hope I explained this question correctly.  Having a hard time wording what I want to say = ).  

[Mikeinthesouth]

I am going find the dopamine man.

[flamingogirl1]

i understand what u r saying, unfortunatly these receptors never go away but after a few years depending on how much you abused the drugs for, your tolerance will go down. but if u do have to be put under anestia or anythign u do need to let your docotor know bc if they did give you too little you may be in trouble so its always good to let them know ur situation.

[broknbck]

Wow, that was very interesting. I am sorry that you do not feel your old self yet. I have been clean for 6 months now . I tappered. Was at 90mg/day hydrocodone and 4 year habit.
I feel like my old self, only a little bit better. More confident and generally happier.I finally addressed all the reasons why i was abusing my meds and it is much better than before i ever took drugs. So don't be discouraged. Your old self can come back again and this time better. I think we have to take these horrible experiences and try to find some good out of it?

[AlessandrasMom]

Wow, wow, thanks for posting that.  For the first time I understand because it was easy to read and easy to understand!!!
Again, thanks so much for posting that, it was fascinating.

[flamingogirl1]

ur welcome i have learned so much in my classes and i want to share everything i learn with the people on this forum who need it.  if you have any questions for me feel free to ask

[Pill Popper in AL]

wow! that was an awesome post! i learned ALOT! THANKS!
lisa

[Florida_Guy737]

hey can you narrow that down to one sentence...jk...great post.

thx,

Guy

[flamingogirl1]

ahhah yeah sorry i know it was long but i wanted to be accurate and give good examples thast just me haha

[worried878]

I do know at the hospital people who are addicts are much harder to put to sleep for surgery ..people will comment as most of the time they do not tell anyone about the addiction but when u go to put them to sleep...u can tell..especially for procedures like colonoscopies and stuff.....i am not sure how long the tolerence thing goes on...i know 2 months after i quit i took some hydros after a neck procedure...my tolerence had not changed

[NautyOne]

WOW  THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST AWESOME THING I HAVE READ SINCE BEING ON THIS FORUM>>>>>>>THANK YOU !!!!!!!!


Nauty..........

[camm2]

That was a very good interpretation of he brains function on drugs but could you tell me why after 10 years of being clean that body at times still thinks it going through withdrawals because I do have the symptoms , i was on Methadone for 17 years before i detoxed to rapidly in a 30 day period. Could i have messed something up in the brain. camm2

[flamingogirl1]

thanks naught!y!!, camm well yes you took methadone for soo long and it is aopiate it caused you to have all these receptors orgates in your brain. Your brain no longer functions like a normal brain unfortunatly that what happens to us when we use drugs for a long period of time. so what happens is now whenever u do soemthing that releases dopameine your brain doesnt think it is getting enough, and ur brain is sending off distress signals hence why you feel withdrawals still. are u taking vitamins still? if you try to keep up a healthy diet and keep those main vitamins with zinc and magnesium you will feel a lot better. sorry to hear your still experiencing withdrawals but after years of messing up our brain chemistry our brains no longer function properly and unfortunatly we will never feel the same way before we started using drugs.

[todd247]

Thats a strong statement to make "after years of messing up our brain chemistry our brains no longer function properly and unfortunatly we will never feel the same way before we started using drugs". I believe the body is an amazing work of God and the brain can be repaired or right again.

Thanks for your post.

[flamingogirl1]

ur right the brain does repair itself but we will never be like we were before drugs bc unfortunalyt we have all these extra gates that need to be fed. we can never take pain killers wihtout them being woken up and with the right diet and ex cersise yes we can repair them but they arent going to be the same that is just fact.

[worried878]

I too disagree with that....alot goes into that statement such as how long and how much someone used...15 years on methadone is a bit different from 3 years of hydros....i do believe in exercise and prayers to repair damage that has been done...and the amazing body itself..smoking does damage and my dad has no residual brain damage after smoking 40 years//2 packs a day...nicotine affects more receptors that narcs..he is happy go lucky ...I know alcoholics who have been clean/sober for years and are the happiest, most content people i know and have no adjustment issues in life other than taking care of the issues like depression that the self medicated for......I do believe that after we quit that we will still have the issues there that may have caused us to use in the first place....but i think cravings and such go away with time as it does with smoking and alcohol...if u were depressed before u used...u will be depressed after u quit until the issue that made u depressed is resolved...I may not be right and it may not be scientific down to a T...and I am not saying u are wrong because it is a great article.....but I choose to believe that repair is very possible if we keep the ball in our court

[worried878]

And I know for myself the brain is repairing as i no longer have the depressive episodes and my energy is returning...i dont think my NTs were perfect in the first place or i would not have become an addict...I would like to stay positive on this and I think that being positive goes a long way toward getting better

[charliecallie]

Thanks for the last 2 post.  I think that statement is a bit strong also.  So much depends on the time used, the substance used, the age of the user, etc.  I believe if we stay clean and sober a new person will evolve who is probably much happier, knows themselves better and accepts themselves and others.

Charlie

[worried878]

I have to think that...no one can look into my brain and tell me otherwise...i do feel i am alot better than 4 months ago and i think i will continue to do better...it was a habit and takes a while to get it out of my head ...just like a smoking...it does not happen overnight..I feel happy most of the time and i feel pleasure now and i did not for a while..i think in a way this whole thing has helped me as I have taken a really close look at my issues...some people live there whole lives and never know what their issues are...they live their life unhappy,,,using/quitting made me take a hard look at my "triggers" and the things i need to work on to make myself a happier, more well adjusted person

[CR_ST_NA]

GREAT POST..............THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME............GIVES US A LOT TO THINK ABOUT........... "C"