Addiction parts of the brain refer to the different areas in the brain that are altered and affected when someone has a substance use disorder. Alcohol and drugs alter how the brain functions and reinforce continuing to use the substance of choice. Learning more about these areas of the brain and how addiction affects them can provide encouragement and motivation for people to seek help and start their recovery journey to a brighter, substance-free future. 

Parts of the Brain Involved in Addiction

Several different parts of the brain are involved in addiction. Each of these areas uses neurons, which are chemical messengers, to send messages to other areas of the brain and throughout the body. They work together to complete various tasks, process information, solve problems, and provide feedback about emotions and feelings. 

The two main parts of the brain affected by addiction are the reward center and the stress center. In the reward center, the body naturally releases dopamine and serotonin, which are “feel good” neurons when we do something rewarding and enjoyable or exercise. 

Cortisone is released by the stress center when we feel threatened or in danger to trigger the body’s “flight or fight” response. When alcohol and other substances are introduced into the body, they alter how neurons function and the release of dopamine, serotonin, and cortisone. 

Many substances force the brain to increase the release of reward center neurons that flood the brain and result in pleasurable feelings and euphoria. When the effects of these substances begin to wear off, they trigger a release of cortisone, which is tied to experiencing negative withdrawal symptoms. 

Because the body dislikes the negative symptoms, the reward system encourages continued substance use through cravings. Cravings are a powerful urge to keep taking the substance in order to avoid the negative withdrawal symptoms. As a result, the body becomes addicted to the substance of choice. 

How Addiction Affects Brain Function

Substance use disorders affect addiction in parts of the brain responsible for different brain functions. The three primary regions of the brain that are impacted include:

Prefrontal Cortex: 

This brain region helps people reason, think, solve problems, and plan. It also helps people avoid making impulsive decisions or engaging in risky behaviors. When substances are introduced to this brain region, it slows cognitive functioning. As a result, people are more likely to act impulsively and take risks they would normally not.  

Basal Ganglia: 

This brain region is associated with motivation, enjoyment, and pleasure. It is also responsible for helping people make healthy choices, like eating a balanced diet or exercising daily. When the basal ganglia is functioning normally, it will naturally release a small amount of dopamine or serotonin, improving our moods and making us feel good. 

When substances are used, it forces the release of dopamine and serotonin at much higher levels. This causes a rush of pleasure and euphoria, which most people refer to as a “substance high.” The more the substance is used, the more this brain region associates substance use with pleasure.

Eventually, people can no longer feel any type of pleasure or enjoyment without using the substance because the natural stores of the neurons have been depleted. However, when they use the substance, it still forces the body to release the neurons. 

Another aspect of addiction in this part of the brain is tolerance. The more a substance is used, the more the brain adjusts to it. As it does, the euphoric and pleasurable feelings are no longer experienced without increasing the amount of the substance used. Every time there is an increase, the euphoria will be short-lived until the body becomes even more tolerant of the substance, further reinforcing addiction. 

Extended Amygdala:

This brain region is associated with stress, worry, and anxiety. It is related to addiction through the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms people experience when their substance of choice wears off. With continued substance use, the sensitivity of this brain region increases, resulting in even more intense and severe withdrawal symptoms. 

Another aspect of the extended amygdala related to addiction is the development of co-occurring mental health disorders. Some people can develop depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues from prolonged substance use. 

Recovery and the Brain

The brain is very resilient and can repair most damage caused by substance use disorders. The extent to which it is able to recover is influenced by:

• The age of the person
• Their overall health
• The type of substance that was used
• The amount taken
• The duration they took the substance

Once the substance has been removed from the body through medically supervised detox, the brain goes to work to return to pre-substance use functioning. It does this through a process called neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to build new brain cells and neural pathways to grow, modify, and restore functioning.

However, it takes time for addiction in parts of the brain to heal. Initially, it will work on restoring the natural stores of depleted neurons. This is why some people experience psychological withdrawal symptoms for several months or longer after detox. Once these levels are restored, the brain starts rebuilding and repairing damages in the prefrontal cortex. 

To help improve healing and recovery not just for the brain but the body as well, some important holistic practices people can do are:

• Exercise daily 
• Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Get sufficient sleep
• Meditate and practice mindfulness 

Contact Sanctuary Treatment Center for Help

When searching for help to overcome addiction, you can count on Sanctuary Treatment Center in Los Angeles. Our caring and supportive team provides comprehensive treatment services tailored to your specific needs and objectives. Contact us today to learn more about our personalized treatment options for healing and recovery from addiction in parts of the brain or to start the admissions process.  

Published: 1/27/2025

When they are used as directed for a limited time, sleeping pills can be both safe and effective. But misusing or abusing these drugs can lead to a variety of problems, including sleeping pill addiction.

Are Sleeping Pills Addictive?

The term sleeping pills can refer to variety of prescription medications and over-the-counter supplements. For the purposes of today’s post, we’re going to focus on prescription sleeping pills, a category that includes:

• Benzodiazepines
• Nonbenzodiazepine “Z-drugs”
• Antidepressants

To answer the question at the top of this section, yes, sleeping pills can be addictive. A person’s risk of developing sleeping pill addiction can be influenced several factors, including:

• Which type of sleeping pill they have been taking
• How long they’ve been using the medication
• How much they usually take in order to get to sleep
• If they also abuse sleeping pills for recreational purposes
• If they have also been abusing alcohol or other drugs

The Signs & Symptoms of Sleeping Pill Addiction

Someone who has developed a sleeping pill addiction may have symptoms such as:

• Frequently taking larger doses of sleeping pills than they intended
• Experiencing strong cravings for sleeping pills
• Becoming agitated or irritated when they can’t use sleeping pills
• Continuing to use sleeping pills even after incurring harm as a result of previous use
• Using sleeping pills in ways that are clearly dangerous, such as by taking them in combination with alcohol or other drugs
• Missing school or work, or failing to meet other obligations, as a result of their sleeping pill use
• Lying to family and friends about the frequency and amount of their sleeping pill use
• Exaggerating their symptoms or visiting different doctors in order to get additional prescriptions 
• Trying to borrow, buy, or steal sleeping pills that weren’t prescribed to them
• Wanting to end their use of sleeping pills, but being unable to do so

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms like these, or if someone that you care about has been exhibiting signs of sleeping pill addiction, the best first step is to schedule an evaluation with a doctor or an addiction treatment specialist.

Being evaluated and getting a diagnosis can be essential steps toward finding the treatment that’s right for you or your loved one.

Dangers of Sleeping Pill Abuse and Addiction

Untreated sleeping pill addition can have a negative impact on virtually every part of a person’s life. As with the risk of addiction, the potential dangers can vary depending on a variety of personal factors, including which type of sleeping pill a person has been using.

In general, though, compulsive sleeping pill abuse can lead to:

• Conflicts with loved ones
• Injuries due to impaired coordination and judgement
• Automobile accidents
• Decline in performance at work or in school
• Legal problems, especially if a person illicitly acquires the drugs
• Diminished cognition, including memory problems
• Onset or escalation of co-occurring mental health concerns
• Overdose

The danger of overdose may be greatest among people who use benzodiazepines as sleeping pills, especially if they combine them with alcohol or opioids.

Signs of a sleeping pill overdose can include:

• Profound confusion or disorientation
• Slow or faint pulse
• Extremely shallow or slow breathing
• Inability to be awakened
• Skin that is cool or clammy to the touch
• Blue coloration near lips and/or fingertips

If you are with someone who is showing signs of sleeping pill overdose, call 911 immediately. Once you’ve called 911:

• If the person is awake, help them into a sitting position
• If they are unconscious, roll them onto their side to minimize risk of choking if they vomit
• Cover them with a blanket or coat
• Stay with them until the emergency first responders have arrived
• Be prepared to tell the responders as much as you can about what medication the person took, how much they ingested, and if they had also been using other drugs

Do NOT try to wake the person up by slapping them, putting them under a cold shower, or forcing them to drink coffee. None of these actions can counteract the effects of the sleeping pills, but they could expose the person to additional harm.

Is There Treatment for Sleeping Pill Addiction?

Sleeping pill addiction can clearly be quite dangerous, but there is piece of good news about this condition: It can be treated.

When you get the right type of care, you can free yourself from the grip of compulsive sleeping pill abuse. Depending on how you have been affected by your addiction to sleeping pills, you may be best served by spending time in one or more of the following programs:

• Detoxification
• Inpatient rehab
• Outpatient treatment

Detoxification, or detox, is a short-term program that may be necessary if you develop intense withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop using sleeping pills. While you’re in detox, you will be cared for by professionals who can safeguard your health and help you manage your discomfort.

While you’re in a residential or outpatient program, your treatment team can help you:

• Understand the issues and concerns that may have led to your sleeping pill abuse and addiction
• Develop relaxation skills and habits that promote healthy sleep patterns without relying on medication
• Address any co-occurring mental health concerns that may have contributed to or been intensified by your sleeping pill abuse
• Put together an effective personal support network
• Begin to repair any harm that you incurred as a result of your dependence on sleeping pills
• Share support with others who are working toward a similar goal
• Connect with the community-based resources that can assist you after you have transitioned out of treatment

Contact Sanctuary to Start Treating Sleeping Pill Addiction Today

If you aren’t able to control your use of sleeping pills or other prescription medications, Sanctuary Treatment Center is here to help.

Our detox and rehab center in Los Angeles, California, is a safe and welcoming place where experienced professionals offer personalized care for addictions and co-occurring mental health disorders. With our assistance and a concerted effort on your part, you can stop abusing sleeping pills and build a foundation for lifelong recovery.

To learn more or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.

The brain has a remarkable ability to repair itself after being damaged by drug abuse, but this process can take time. Therefore, realizing how long it takes to rewire the brain from addiction may be the motivation you need to get help today.

How Long Does it Take to Rewire the Brain Following Addiction?

The brain’s ability to heal itself after being harmed by addiction is known as neuroplasticity. 

This process, often called “rewiring” the brain, includes both functional and structural repairs. The brain may develop new neural connections, reorganize or repair damaged neural pathways, and even create new nerve cells.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to the question, how long does it take to rewire the brain from addiction. Many factors can influence the duration of this process, including:

• The individual’s age and developmental level
• Which drugs they abused and how long they engaged in this behavior
• The type and degree of damage their brain incurred 
• If they have any neurological conditions 
• If they receive effective care in a timely manner

Consequently, depending on these and other influences, the amount of time it takes to rewire the brain from addiction can range from a few months to a few years.

What Does Long-Term Addiction Do to the Brain?

Alcohol, opioids, and other psychoactive substances can interfere with the production and functioning of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. 

As a result, these substances alter message delivery in the central nervous system (CNS), affecting mood, thoughts, feelings, memory, learning capacity, and environmental perception.

Over time, these effects can cause significant harm. Examples of the negative impact of various drugs:

• Alcohol: Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome is a severe type of alcohol-related brain damage. WK involves harm in several brain regions, including the thalamus, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Effects can include impairments in language use, vision, memory, and muscle coordination, as well as diminished motivation and disrupted sleep patterns. 
• Opioids: This category includes heroin, fentanyl, and many prescription painkillers. Brain experts have linked long-term opioid abuse with diminished brain volume and abnormal transmission of dopamine in the frontal regions of the brain. This area handles functions like learning, memory, problem-solving, and impulse control.
• Stimulants: Studies have found that amphetamine and methamphetamine use can lead to reduced volume and density of cortical grey matter in the temporal, frontal, occipital, and parietal lobes. This can undermine a person’s ability to focus, use language, make judgments, and solve problems.

This, of course, is by no means a comprehensive list of drug- or addiction-related brain damage. But it offers a glimpse into the range and severity of harm that compulsive substance abuse can cause. It also illustrates why it can be so difficult to predict how long it takes to rewire the brain from addiction.

Contact Sanctuary Treatment Center To Get Started Today

You don’t have to wait until you’ve “hit bottom” or incurred serious damage before you can benefit from addiction treatment. At Sanctuary Treatment Center, we can meet you wherever you are in your journey. It’s our job to help you get to a much healthier place, free from the constraints of compulsive substance abuse.

To learn more or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.

Its effects have been compared to LSD and magic mushrooms – but unlike those drugs, salvia is legal in several U.S. states and many other nations. What is salvia, where did it come from, and (perhaps most important of all) how dangerous is it?

What is Salvia?

Salvia (full name: salvia divinorum) is an herb that can produce dissociative and hallucinogenic effects. These effects are due to the naturally occurring presence of salvinorin A, a compound that interacts with opioid receptors in the central nervous system.

Salvia is native to southern Mexico, where the Mazatec have been incorporating it into healing practices and religious rituals for centuries. More recently, it has experienced a rise in popularity as a recreational substance in the United States. 

Historically, salvia was typically ingested by chewing its leaves or drinking an extract that was derived from the plant. Today, some people also grind the leaves and smoke them.

Why Do People Smoke Salvia? 

People who smoke salvia typically do so with the intention of having a recreational hallucinogenic experience.

As for why someone might choose to smoke salvia instead of using other hallucinogenic drugs (such as LSD or psilocybin), the plant’s legal status in the U.S. is likely an important factor. The ease with which salvia can be purchased from smoke shops and similar outlets in some states has surely contributed to its popularity.

There are currently no federal laws to regulate the production, sale, possession, or use of salvia. However, as of the writing of this post, 29 states plus the U.S. territory of Guam have banned it, and some other states have placed some restrictions on its possession and use.

To some people, salvia’s legality in many parts of the U.S. (and in many other countries throughout the world) indicates that it poses little risk of addiction or other harmful effects. Is this an accurate perception, though? Can people become addicted to salvia?

As is the case with LSD, psilocybin, and other hallucinogenic drugs, the likelihood of becoming addicted to salvia is low. However, as we will discuss a bit later in this post, this doesn’t mean that salvia is a harmless substance.

What Are the Effects?

Descriptions of salvia’s effects usually include words like psychedelic, hallucinogenic, and dissociative. Some people who use the drug have enjoyable, insightful experiences. For others, the effects are far from pleasurable.

Depending on a variety of factors – including a person’s history with the drug; their age, weight, and metabolism; and how much they have taken – here are some examples of what salvia’s effects can feel like:

• Distorted sense of time and space
• Seeing light patterns and other images
• Hearing voices and other sounds
• Feeling of deep sedation and serenity
• Dreamlike state
• Depersonalization (sense of being detached from your body and/or mind, which is sometimes described as having an out-of-body experience)
• Derealization (sense that you have been separated from your environment or lost contact with reality)
• Difficulty communicating with others
• Disturbing hallucinations 
• Confusion and disorientation
• Anxiety and agitation
• Fear and paranoia
• Dizziness
• Nausea

If a person smokes salvia, these effects can occur virtually instantaneously, and last for about 20 minutes. If someone chew the leaves, it usually takes about five to 10 minutes for effects to occur, though they can last for up to two hours.  

Experts believe that salvia’s effects are related to the drug’s impact on the default mode network (DMN). The DMN, which encompasses several areas of the brain, activates when you are not focusing on your immediate environment. When you are relaxing, daydreaming, reminiscing, or similarly looking inward, the DMN is typically at its most active.

However, an October 2020 study that involved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggests that other factors may also be at play. 

“Salvinorin A is unique as a kappa-opioid agonist that has psychedelic-like effects, and this calls into question whether reduced default mode network connectivity is really a specific mechanism of ‘classic’ psychedelic drugs,” neuroscientist Fred Barrett, who coauthored the study, said in an article about his team’s research.

Dangers of Smoking Salvia

Although salvia poses a low risk of addiction, it is important to remember that low risk is not the same as no risk. In other words, while salvia addiction is unlikely, it is not impossible.

Also, people who use this drug may be exposing themselves to other types of damage. For example:

• A bad experience with salvia can feel a lot like a psychotic episode. Some experts fear that having one or more so-called bad trips could trigger the onset of long-term mental health problems or worsen the effects of existing mental health challenges.
• The perceptual distortions that are central to a salvia high can lead to injuries due to slips, falls, and other accidents. While under the influence of this substance, a person may also be vulnerable to attacks, assaults, and other forms of victimization.
• Due to a relative dearth of studies on the long-term effects of salvia, it is impossible to know for certain what types of physical and psychological problems a person may incur after using this drug.

If you feel compelled to use salvia or any other substance, you may need professional addiction treatment. The good news about substance use disorders (addictions) is that they are treatable. When you find the right type of care, you can end your drug use and live a much healthier life in recovery.

Overcome Drug Abuse at Sanctuary Treatment Center

Sanctuary Treatment Center offers a full continuum of care – including detox, residential rehab, and multiple outpatient options – for adults who have become dependent on salvia and other substances.

At our addiction treatment center in Los Angeles, you will work with experienced professionals who can assess the full scope of your needs and develop a customized plan just for you. We understand how addiction affects people differently, and we commit to providing personalized services that help you build a foundation for lifelong recovery.

To learn more about how we can help, please visit our Contact Us page or call us today.