The hardest drug to kick actually trains your brain to crave it; heroin, one of the most addictive drugs available.
Factors such as your genetic makeup, social history, the drugs your peers take, how much money you make, these all can determine whether or not you will become addicted to a drug. But buyer beware!!! The chemical makeup of drugs guarantee that certain ones are more addictive and habit forming than some of the others. The hardest to kick of them all, heroin, for instance, actually trains your brain to crave it!
Researchers in the UK set out to determine which drugs were most harmful based on their addictive properties. Professor Nutt from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College in London conducted a Drug Harms Study, related to the UK Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971. Results from the study revealed that alcohol and tobacco are MORE harmful than cannabis and ecstasy! The lead researching scientist soon after was relieved of his role for UK as top drug advisor…
Quantifying Addiction
Dutch scientists continued with drug addiction studies and devised a “dependency rating” that measured addictive potency of the most popular drugs out there on a precisely calibrated scale of 0-3.
- Heroin – Rating 2.89: The opiate affects opioid receptors through the body, mimicking endorphins, masking physical pain and resulting in intense pleasure. When injected, it’s as if you are training your brain to crave it. Coupled with a harsh withdrawal and high fat solubility (allowing the drug to get into your brain quicker than average) and you’ve got yourself the most addictive drug in the world.
- Crack Cocaine – Rating 2.82: Even though crack cocaine and powder cocaine have similar chemical makeup and effects, the act of smoking processed crack produces a faster, higher rush that lasts for less time (about 10 minutes). The high’s intensity combined with it’s convenient method of ingestion are what make the addiction rates dramatically higher than for the powder cocaine.
- Nicotine – Rating 2.82: Although the drug lacks intensity, it’s biologically similar to heroin or crack in the crucial way that it mimics a common transmitter. Smoking reduces the number and sensitivity of these nicotinic receptors, and requires the user to keep increasing the intake to maintain normal brain functioning behavior.
- Methadone – Rating 2.68: The tolerance level for a junky getting treated with methadone will become rapidly resistant to it’s euphoric effects and will need to increase the dose regularly to keep away heroin withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance to Methadone is just a sign of addiction to Methadone.
- Crystal Meth – Rating 2.24: Mirroring a natural neurotransmitter absolutely, this drug teaches your brain to want a drug- the same as heroin and nicotine. The only difference is Crystal Meth takes it to the next level, imitating the reward chemical called dopamine AND your neurons to release more of both, all while training your brain to adjust to the high amounts. This drug can do permanent damage reducing production of good neurons, making you crave meth so you can feel normal. A true nightmare.
- Alcohol – Rating 2.13: Socially acceptable and also legal, alcohol addiction is complicated. Alcohol’s withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that it can cause death, and it’s toll taken on the brain’s reward system cause well-documented and intense cravings in heavy drinkers.
- cocaine – Rating 2.13: Using cocaine prevents the reabsorption of dopamine in the brain’s reward areas. After enough use, your brain reduces the number of dopamine receptors in this region, assuming it already has enough. Due to fewer receptors, stopping the drug causes cravings.
-Written by, Ivy Chase.
