EDMOND — When science first studied addictive behavior individuals who became addicted to a substance commonly were viewed as being morally flawed human beings lacking willpower.

Today, that view has changed.

Pat Nichols, founder of the Edmond chapter of Parents Helping Parents, said it is important to not associate the behavior of an addict as “willing” and/or with a lack of moral character.

“Addiction requires treatment like any other disease,” Nichols said. “Individuals can’t stop on their own.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. Its many programs help inform policy and improve practice.

David McCann is acting director of the NIDA’s Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse division, which is modeled after a typical pharmaceutical company. The division conducts all phases of medication development, from synthesis and screening of potential drugs to preparing submissions for new drug applications.

Scientists study the effects of drugs on the brain and behavior. What they learn helps in the development of programs for preventing drug abuse and for helping individuals recover from addiction. Further research helps transfer these ideas into practice in communities like Edmond.

McCann said scientists now know addiction is a treatable disease that affects both the brain and behavior. Addiction is a brain disease because drugs change the brain, its structure and how it works.

Dr. Stan Ardoin, medical director for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said addiction is triggered in vulnerable individuals by stressors in the environment and exposure to substances.

McCann said despite the widely accepted scientific evidence a percentage of individuals still think a lack of willpower is the issue.

Nichols said individuals can be empowered by obtaining a greater understanding of addiction and substance abuse.



THE BIOLOGY OF ADDICTION

Drug use typically begins during adolescence, when the first signs of mental illness also commonly appear, according to the NIDA’s report “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction.”

Significant changes in the brain occur during this time, and these changes may enhance vulnerability to drug use and the development of addiction and other mental disorders.

Furthermore, the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is used to assess situations, to make sound decisions and to keep our emotions and desires under control still is maturing into early adulthood.

Initially, individuals choose to use a substance. The reasons include to feel good, to feel better, to do better, out of curiosity and because others are doing it.

Some of these reasons, like to enhance performance, are perceived by some as “positive” effects of drug use, according to the NIDA. And while some individuals may believe they can control their drug use, drugs can quickly control the user.

In time, drug use becomes necessary for users to simply feel “normal,” scientists have learned. They continue to use a drug despite the problems that may arise for themselves and their families. And some users begin to feel a need to take larger or more frequent doses.

Brain images show changes occur in areas related to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and scientists believe these changes alter the way the brain works. The changes also may help explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors of addiction.

How do drugs interact with the brain?

Marijuana resembles chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, which are naturally produced in the brain, according to the NIDA. This “fools” the brain’s receptors and activates nerve cells to send abnormal messages.

Other drugs, like methamphetamine, can cause nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, which are needed to shut off the signal between neurons.

The parts of the brain involved in drug addiction also play a role in behavioral addictions such as gambling and overeating, according to Britain’s Academy of Medical Sciences.



ONLINE at www.edmondsun.com The Edmond Sun has provided a resource page offering information about private and state resources for addiction and substance abuse treatment, counseling and education.