Classification of Drugs
In addition to the simple classification of drugs into legal (alcohol, nicotine) and illegal, we can divide addictive substances into groups according to their type of effect. 'Depressants' (or sedatives) calm the human organism. They can create euphoric feelings, but also exhaustion. They are highly addictive (e.g., opiates, barbiturates, or alcohol).
Stimulants are basically the opposite of sedatives – their function consists in an influx of energy and concentration. In the short term, they can help improve performance, but they are also highly addictive. This includes, for example, cocaine or methamphetamine.
An interesting group consists of hallucinogens – substances without the risk of developing addiction, which cause temporary changes in sensory perception, mood, and cognitive processes, and which are often sought after for their potential to convey deep mystical experiences. Representatives of this group of drugs include LSD or psilocybin.
The last group consists of volatile substances or inhalants (e.g., laughing gas and toluene), which have a briefly intoxicating effect and subsequently suppress bodily functions.
Addiction as a Disease
Fortunately, the times of theories that viewed addiction as a moral failure, personality disorder, or a lack of willpower and willingness to stop taking drugs are over. Thanks to science, we now understand that the use of addictive substances causes long-term changes in the brain affecting (among other things) the capacity for self-control. Addiction is most commonly viewed as a chronic and relapsing disease, in the development and course of which genetic, social, and environmental factors play a major role.
“Drug addiction is a brain disease that develops over time as a result of initially voluntary drug use. The consequence is practically uncontrollable compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use, which disrupts (if not directly destroys) the individual's functioning in the family and society,” writes Alan I. Leshner in his article.
As an example of scientific evidence, we can cite the work of authors Volkow and Li, who used imaging devices to examine the brains of addicted and healthy individuals and found abnormalities in drug-dependent individuals in areas related to motivation, reward, and inhibitory control.
The 'addiction = disease' model is accepted by most experts, but some consider it controversial and emphasize that it would be better to speak of addiction as a condition requiring constant maintenance, as it is a problem that can be overcome through behavioral change. Persons recovering from addictions should realize that they are in a dead-end situation.
Addiction as a Result of Learning
An alternative theory describes addiction as a result of 'deep learning'. This is the same process as in regular learning, in this case accelerated by repeated efforts to achieve 'highly attractive goals' – meaning drugs. These cause a neurochemical reaction in the brain that activates the so-called reward system.
The main neurotransmitter responsible for the electrical activation of these areas is dopamine. Dopamine rewards us with a good feeling during pleasurable activities (such as eating, sex, playing video games), and is artificially and intensely activated by addictive substances. The intense wave of pleasure becomes associated with the drug in the brain, causing us to seek it more and more frequently – inducing cravings that lead to its repeated use.
A flood of dopamine can cause a reduction of dopamine receptors in the brain during long-term drug use. This means that over time, it becomes increasingly difficult (if not nearly impossible) to achieve a good (or even neutral) state of mind without the help of the drug.
Somewhere among these frightening facts, however, lies good news – old habits can be replaced by new ones. Neuroscientist Marc Lewis, in an article for the National Drug & Research Centre, described a study in which changes in the prefrontal cortex were observed in addicted individuals (to cocaine, alcohol, and heroin) six months after starting abstinence. In places where synapse density had decreased due to drug use, their frequency was restored, and in some, it even increased above the norm. Old and unused neural pathways are gradually deactivated and replaced by new ones.
What role do genetics, personality traits, or the influence of society play in the development of addiction? What are the treatment options? You will find out in the second part of this series.
Sources:
Addiction Center - Drug Classificationshttps://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/drug-classifications/
Jenny Valentish - Why addiction isn't a disease but instead the result of 'deep learning' - https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/blog/why-addiction-isnt-disease-instead-result-deep-learning
Volkow, N. D., & Li, T.-K. - Drug addiction: the neurobiology of behaviour gone awry - https://sci-hub.tw/10.1038/nrn1539
Alan I. Leshner - Addiction Is a Brain Disease - https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43314081.pdf?casa_token=O1e24iXGBRQAAAAA:BPv3sgjnmStuctlHj5tp0MMJpLmMtTlAFPlkLJT9VDIf8rNbjmW4ELF2eHRwh_ps1p3qGpSZKeHwo-T0_vLixgjF0yhOPn35E0QCKqrFFyT75r-g05Y
DROGY.CZ – Inhalanty - https://www.drogy.cz/inhalanty
Hazelden B. Ford - Why Do People Use Alcohol & Drugs Even After Facing Consequences? - https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/education/bcr/addiction-research/drug-abuse-brain-ru-915
Marc Lewis - Addiction and the Brain: Development, Not Disease - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12152-016-9293-4
