Why are drugs more addictive than something else that gives pleasure, such as eating chocolate?

Drugs affect the way signals are sent in the brain’s reward

circuit, which is a network of structures that is activated

when you do something pleasurable.

Dopamine is a chemical that helps signals pass between

nerve cells in the brain. When you do something enjoyable,

such as eating chocolate, dopamine levels increase in

the brain (see top diagram). Receptors detect the rise in

dopamine, which helps your brain remember the pleasurable

behavior so that you are more likely to want to do it again.

Using drugs, including opioids, causes a rise in

dopamine levels that is far greater than the increase from

other enjoyable activities (see bottom diagram). When

drugs are misused over time, the brain becomes used to the

extreme surge of dopamine that drugs deliver. This leads

to powerful cravings that make it very difficult to stop. The

state of being ruled by these cravings is addiction.

Explanation: