FDS Insight Magazine Aug - Oct 2022

11 But how do these combined factors lead to problematic drug use and dependence? After many decades of behavioural and neuroscience research we now know the brain is very plastic and continues to learn and shape itself with new experiences right throughout our lives. Here’s how it works: any time we do something pleasant, we get a little burst of dopamine in the brain. The dopamine makes us feel good and says to our brain ‘you should try that again sometime’. Alcohol and other drugs release a lot of dopamine. Some drugs release more than others. Our brains quickly connect the dots between action (taking the drug) and reward (feeling good). That pathway is strengthened each time the drug is used. If we add strong emotions like intense pleasure or relief then the connection gets even stronger. This is called operant conditioning. The more you use, the more those associations are likely to form. Some people’s brains naturally release more dopamine than others so their pathways are formed faster and stronger. Our brain also notices cues in the environment that become signals for drug use and can trigger a desire or craving to use. If you use the same special glass every time you have a drink or sit in the same chair every time you smoke a joint, the brain notices that connection. So when you see that glass or sit in that chair you might feel a little urge to use even when there is no drug. This is called Pavlovian conditioning. So rather than a fixed personality trait, the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs is driven largely by our brain learning associations between the effects of a drug (drug), our individual response to the drug (set) and the environment in which the drug is used (setting). It’s great news because what is learnt can be unlearnt. And it means alcohol and other drug use and problems are not inevitable, even if you have a genetic or personality predisposition. Family Drug Support website www.fds.org.au For up-to-date information on support and activities