The answer is really simple: your brain is changing. Every single therapy modality, integrative activity, fun outing, recovery meeting, and nutritional meal is based on years of research and evidence based practices proving to help the brain recover. Addiction and alcoholism are disorders of the brain. Quite literally, when you abuse drugs and alcohol, you create disorder in your brain.
Neuroscience models of addiction shows us the way that the hyper surges of dopamine which are caused by consuming large quantities of drugs and alcohol, affect the brain. One such way is in the Midbrain. Our operations for survival, our very evolutionary instincts, live in the midbrain. Activities of necessity like sleeping, eating, reproducing, and protecting ourselves/hunting for food live in the midbrain.
Overtime, addiction creates disorder in the midbrain which has a specific order for these operations. Addiction works its way in and then works its way to the top, meaning, it becomes more than a compulsive habit, it becomes a survival instinct.
Brain Changes
Such changes in the brain require great changes yet again in recovery. Every single minute that you stay clean and sober from drugs and alcohol, your brain is changing. As you begin to process old hurts, investigate behaviors, and learn new coping mechanisms, you are changing your brain even more. Day by day, you are helping your brain to create order again, learning how to function anew.
You start to feel better because your body is no longer dependent on mind altering substances. Happiness, difficulty, and indifference are all becoming passing experiences that you handle with ease. Month by month you’re noticing changes that are actually noticeable- responding instead of reacting, not having cravings, expressing your feelings, and more.
People are usually astonished by this as time goes on. Its just so simple: all they had to do was stop drinking and using. They had to give up drugs and alcohol. By continuing to abstain day after day, these positive changes continue to occur. Too good to be true? Welcome to recovery. It’s that simple. It’s that good.
Lakehouse Recovery Center invites you to tour our beautiful home on Lake Sherwood in Westlake Village, California, where we aren’t making recovery a thing that happens, but a thing that you do, and a part of who you are. For information on our residential treatment programs for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders, call us today at 877.762.3707.