The Repeat Effect: How Drugs Affect The Brain

Drugs have taken over the lives of many people today. These people could have fell into peer pressure or could have grew up around drug use and fell into the lifestyle. When they had tried drugs for the first they most likely lied to themselves saying it would be the only time. However, that is likely not the case. There is two known ways that drugs affect the brain. They are knon as the Repeat Effect and the "Pleasure" Effect.

The Repeat Effect is how someone becomes addicted to drugs. The brain is wired to repeat healthy actions by connecting them with feeling good. When drugs of abuse come in and takeover this reward circuit, the brain teaches the drug user to take the drug over and over again. With repeat use the brain starts to adjust to the release of dopamine. As this release continues, the amount of dopamine receptors are reduced,some of the neurons die, or the neurons just make less dopamine. This is when the drug user becomes depressed and feels flat. Therefore, they need drugs to reach normal dopamine and need even more drugs to reach a dopamine flood or "high." This has to do with the "Pleasure" Effect of drugs.

The "Pleasure" Effect is also known as the high from drugs.When drugs enter the system, they take over this reward circuit. This circuit responds to the feeling of pleasure by releasing dopamine. When a drug is used, dopamine …show more content…
Especially when the drug is taken over and over again. The Repeat Effect is caused when the drug user has to continue the use of drugs in order to stay "high." The "Pleasure" Effect is caused when drugs are used and take over the reward circuit in the brain in order to get "high." Both effects play into each other, one causes the high and the other is used to keep the high. These are the two known effects that drugs have on the brain, but there could always be more discovered. As people continue to use drugs, the effects could continue to get