The hidden impact of drug addiction: Understanding the brain’s structural and functional transformation

The consequences of drug addiction extend to multiple domains of an individual's life, encompassing social, psychological, and medical aspects. Socially, addiction often leads to feelings of isolation, strained relationships with family members, and difficulties in securing employment. Psychologically, it can contribute to the development of mood disorders, anxiety, and cognitive impairments, ultimately disrupting reward, motivation, and executive control circuits. This disruption impairs decision-making and emotional processing. From a medical perspective, chronic drug use is associated with severe complications, including cardiovascular, hepatic, and infectious diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis. Furthermore, drug use can result in serious physical health problems, including withdrawal symptoms, cardiovascular effects, and brain damage. Prolonged drug use affects both structural and functional brain aspects, leading to neurotransmitter imbalance, structural changes, reduced brain volume, and impaired cognitive function. This review primarily focuses on the irreversible brain damage caused by drug addiction, highlighting the variability in the extent of damage based on factors such as the type and duration of drug use, age, and overall health. Moreover, the brain damage caused by drug addiction can be long-lasting and even permanent, underscoring its significance in the recovery process.

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