Photo Credit: New Yorker
Written by: Bonnie Chapman
TMZ broke the story that Spears was going to spend two months in the LA area to recover, but those plans were changed. If you have been keeping up with Spears post conservatorship, you can see that she has been erratic, and her behavior has caused fans to become worried. At one point, fans began to speculate that Spears wasn't the one posting and that she was in danger. Those closest to Spears say she's a 'danger to herself and others.' another source said, "This is 2008 all over again. There is serious fear she is either going to die or kill someone. She is abusing caffeine, Adderall, and anything she can get her hands on. She is not taking her medication, which is essential to stabilize her mood, and is unknowingly trying to self-medicate with other substances, which is exacerbating her mental illness."
Interventions are an essential step into recovery for those suffering from addiction. Most people understand that those struggling with addiction have an altered brain chemistry. The National Institute of Drug Abuse says, "Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug use that marks addiction." The basal ganglia, the extended amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex are affected. The basal ganglia are the region associated with rewards within your brain. The euphoria from drugs alters your basal ganglia by training it only to feel rewarded by the drug.
Therefore, it is hard to feel any reward in daily activities without the drug of choice. With increased drug use, the extended amygdala, which is connected to feeling stressed and anxious, becomes overly sensitive. The extended amygdala is responsible for withdrawal symptoms. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our ability to think, make decisions, self-control, and problem-solving. This portion of the brain is affected, and it makes the individual seek the drug without being able to control their impulses for it.
Drug use affects relationships with everyone around the person whos fallen under the grasp of addiction. Codependency can occur and can become detrimental to the recovery process. According to the Health Care Resource Centers, "codependency can be damaging to both the addicted person and their loved one." Interventions are essential to the healing process of addiction to show the addicted party that the people around them love them more than the drug can. Interventions and rehab aren't a one-time fix; on average, it takes about three times for someone to go to rehab to kick the drugs finally. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, the SAMHSA hotline is always available at 1-(800)-662-4357.
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