Addiction changes the structure of the brain. While getting treatment for your addiction at a treatment center like Spokane Falls Recovery is the most important step toward getting over your problem, you will also have to deal with addiction-related brain damage. Luckily, the longer you avoid substance use, the greater the chances you will have of your brain recovering from the damage the addiction caused.
What Is Addiction-Related Brain Damage?
Addiction causes physical changes in the brain. For example, those who abuse methamphetamines will have fewer dopamine transporters in their brains compared to non-abusers. However, after months without using drugs, those users’ brains resemble their healthy counterparts who have never used drugs.
Damage to these dopamine transporters and others can impact mood and personality. Signs of damage to this portion of the brain may include mood swings, apathy, depression, rage, insomnia, and anxiety.
In some cases, especially with heavy drug use, the addiction-related brain damage can resemble that caused by traumatic brain injury. Depending on the level of damage caused, some recovering methamphetamine addicts may need to use drugs to help protect their brains from additional damage, as those who had severe brain injuries need.
Addiction can also affect your motor and verbal skills due to brain damage. However, as with other types of brain damage, as long as you avoid drug use after recovery, your brain can recover and restore these functions to levels of non-drug users.
How Addiction Treatment Can Help Reverse Addiction-Related Brain Damage
Addiction treatment can help you reverse the damage to your brain by stopping the changes caused by regular substance use. By giving you the emotional and mental support you need to stop using drugs or alcohol, you can sustain your periods of sobriety or abstinence longer, thereby allowing your brain to heal.
When you start an outpatient program for addiction treatment, you will go through many levels of care until you can live with only occasional meetings to maintain your avoidance of the abused substance. At Spokane Falls Recovery Center, we start with a comprehensive assessment intervention to determine the best level of care. Our care levels include:
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient program and aftercare
- Court-ordered treatment for DUI
With sustained support, you can overcome the urge to continue using substances that cause brain damage and allow your brain to recover.
Recovery from Addiction-Related Brain Damage
Brain damage is a serious problem because not all portions of the brain can recover. For instance, damage to the frontal lobe or hippocampus can cause permanent harm and changes in personality. Therefore, the sooner you seek addiction treatment, the less your brain will need to recover from substance use.
You must be patient when it comes to recovering from addiction-related brain damage. The changes in the brain will remain for several months after you stop substance use. However, a year or more after recovery, you will begin to notice significant improvements in your mental capabilities, such as:
- Lower anxiety and depression levels
- Fewer nightmares
- Better concentration and focus
- Fewer emotional rages
- Fewer mood swings
- Improved motor skills and speech
Find Out More About Addiction Treatment at Spokane Falls Recovery Center in Washington
Getting treatment for an addiction is the best way to stop the damage to your brain caused by substance use. Therefore, you don’t have to let addiction cause a lifetime of sustained damage to your mind. By getting help, you can recover from addiction-related brain damage. When your brain heals, it makes staying away from substances in the future easier. Your new life is waiting. Reach out to Spokane Falls Recovery Center in Washington State online or call us at 844.962.2775 to learn how to take the first steps toward living without the damaging effects of substance abuse.
