How Long Does it Take to Rewire the Brain from Addiction?
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.
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.
