Natural Reward Pathways Exist In The Brain
There are several distinct regions in the brain. There are some regions in which pleasure and reward are associated with certain parts of the brain. The job for the reward pathway is to make us feel good such as activities like eating, drinking, and sex. The chemical dopamine is released when the brain is notified that you have eaten and you are full. This dopamine gives you a sense of pleasure. That is your reward for eating. The reward pathway is linked to the memory part of your brain, and the behavior part of your brain. The memory region helps you remember that you liked the food that you ate and you would like the eat it again. The behavior part of the brain helps you repeat that behavior such as remembering to eat something you like. The reward pathway helps us remember the behaviors for survival.
Drugs Alter The Brain Pathways
There are many different drugs of abuse. Too much alcohol causes loss of motor skills, balance, speech reaction time, and judgement. Large amounts of alcohol causes nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and possible death. Anabolic steroids are man-made substances that are similar to male sex hormones. Although some bodybuilders and athletes may abuse the drug because the promote muscle growth. Steroids may be a drug worth using but there are some side effects. It may increase risk of heart attack, strokes, liver problems, and it also might cause loss of hair, and acne. Next is heroine. Heroine is the most used opiate. Heroine causes a rush of pleasure then you crash. These are just some of the many drugs of abuse out there.
