Underage drinking and doing drugs as a child or teen are strongly discouraged because of the negative impact addictive substances have on brain development. But just how long does it take for the brain to develop, and why are addictive substances such a danger?
The University of Rochester raises a profound point in the area of brain development: “It doesn’t matter how smart your teen is… Good judgment isn’t something [they] can excel in, at least not yet… [because] the rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed… until [they are about] 25 years old.”
Research indicates that a teen brain works differently than an adult brain. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, which is the rational part of the brain. Teens, on the other hand, think with the amygdala, which is the emotional part of the brain. As a result, teens feel more than they think, and they often can’t explain what they were thinking because, in reality, they were feeling.
How Addiction Affects the Brain
The brain is the most complex organ in the body. It keeps us alive and helps us adapt. Without it, you wouldn’t be you. Addiction causes the brain to change in four fundamental ways:
- Chemistry
- Communication
- Function
- Structure
Adolescent and developing brains are undergoing dramatic neurodevelopment. For teens, adolescence marks the time when the brain transitions from pure emotion to decision-making thinking or rationale. During this transition, teens learn how to separate emotion from reason. By the time they enter their mid-20s, they are able to make rational choices that are not based or fully swayed by feelings. The use of addictive substances, like drugs and alcohol, change the brain’s developmental course.
For years, society has branded addiction as a moral failing, but today’s brain imaging and other technologies are proving addiction is not a lack of self-control but a disease characterized by disruptions in the brain’s circuitry. According to the Society for Neuroscience, scientists have discovered that genetics and environmental factors like stress contribute to the development of neural disruptions which increase a person’s risk of addiction.
It’s no secret that prolonged bouts of stress can lead to the development of accepted mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. A healthy adult brain can only take so much trauma before it falls ill. For pre-teens, teens, and young adults 25 years of age and younger, their brains are still forming and solidifying circuitry. The introduction of addictive substances can change how that circuitry forms and the results aren’t minimal.
Says the Society for Neuroscience, “When a person takes an addictive drug [including alcohol]…chemicals travel swiftly through the blood stream [to] certain key brain regions known as the reward system, which regulates our ability to feel pleasure. [Some drugs cause] the circuitry of this system [to become] flooded with dopamine. This brain chemical, or neurotransmitter, activates specific…brain cells called receptors to increase pleasure and reward. Over time, the brain adjusts to the excess dopamine by decreasing the number of dopamine receptors and the overall amount of dopamine in the brain.”
The result is twofold:
- First, the lack of naturally produced dopamine causes a person to crave more of the substance that artificially simulated dopamine production; hence the reason addictive substance are addictive. The brain needs them to produce dopamine.
- Second, the user must steadily increase the amount of the drug they are using (or a similar one) to raise or flood the reward system with dopamine. Research indicates that the longer this cycle is repeated, the less the brain naturally produces dopamine.
Can We Live Without Dopamine?
Hundreds of people live with a dopamine deficiency. According to Be Brain Fit, it attributes to addictions, ADHD, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions. While you can live with decreased dopamine production, avoiding the excessive use and abuse of addictive substances can lessen your risks of developing these conditions.
For the developing brain, a dopamine deficiency can dynamically change the brain’s growth. It can damage it in ways that will never be repairable, leaving the brain and the person at risk of mental illnesses for life.
Until a person reaches the age of 25, one use of an addictive substance endangers the developing brain. Repetitive use of drugs and underage drinking are major dangers to teens, who are reaching a critical development stage in which their brains’ circuitry opens the way to rational thinking. Rewiring at this stage can deny them sound decision-making abilities in the future.
Can the Brain Heal Post-Addiction?
Addicts can recover. The brain is one of the most complex organs in the body, and while some damage is irreparable, the brain itself has an amazing ability to heal. The Society for Neuroscience reports that brain imaging studies show an addict’s dopamine levels can return to near normal after months of abstinence, but there’s still a lot we don’t know.
The prefrontal cortex of the brain is not fully developed until a person reaches their mid-20s. Underage drinking and the use of addictive drugs should be avoided in anyone under the age of 25. Exposure can negatively impact impulse control, making it more difficult to resist the high of substance abuse and addiction. For those who have existing deficiencies in prefrontal function, the introduction of addictive substances can exacerbate the condition. And while the brain can heal from limited exposure, long-term drug and alcohol habits could cause irreparable damage to the prefrontal cortex, leaving some to battle impulse control issues and a dopamine deficiency for years to come.
The simplest solution to safeguarding brain development is to teach children and young adults the dangers of using addictive substances. Ensure prescription drugs are carefully prescribed and monitored and avoid underage drinking. The laws currently in place that control addictive substances help safeguard developing brains, which safeguard people.
If you know someone who is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, don’t delay in seeking help. From intervention to treatment, there are community resources dedicated to helping people recover.