One of the fascinating things about addiction and the brain is that there is no single factor that causes addiction. As we have seen, it is not purely genetic, psychological, chemical, or behavioral.…

Tolerance is associated with various drugs and involves a number of different body systems; it is particularly noticeable where addictive substances are concerned. It is a phenomenon whereby the body develops an ability to…

Although a number of circuits with different neurotransmitters connect to and run through the ventral tegmentum, the main tracts use dopamine. Other important tracts use serotonin, norepinephrine, or endorphin. Let’s look further at what neurotransmitters are…

Only within the last several decades have we begun to understand why a person will use a substance compulsively, regardless of the consequences, even to the point of death.

The key to understanding…