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| The Basis for Addiction |  Drug addiction is a complex brain disease. It is characterized by compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use drugs even if a person know about bad after effects. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic with relapses possible even after long periods of abstention from using drugs.
As a chronic, recurring illness addiction may require repeated treatments to increase the intervals between relapses and diminish their intensity, until abstinence is reached.
Even through treatment tailored to individual needs people with drug addiction can recover and lead productive lives. The addictive substance, through various means and to different degrees, causes the synapses of this system to flood with excessive amounts of dopamine and createa a brief rush of euphoria more commonly called a "high".
The "high" may last just for a few minutes. It produces more prolonged effects in the brain. Dopamine signals take place in the reward system, lead to the activation of proteins destined to calm the initial reaction and stimulate a continued desire to pursue the behavior responsible. The addictive substance creates a enormous dopamine discharge and the following reactions of the brain are greatly exaggerated. When cravings for the drug are no longer controllable the user is considered an addicted one.
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