Drug addiction is no laughing matter, and when most people hear those words, they think about cocaine, crack, heroin, or crystal meth, but those hard drugs are not the only drugs that are so hard to quit. Many drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, opioids, and nicotine, cause the reward pathways in the brain to become flooded by dopamine, with a surge as much as ten times that of natural rewards. Over time, if the person tries to abruptly remove that stimulus, the body is unable to replicate that amount of dopamine naturally, triggering neurobiological changes associated with addiction and withdrawal. All humans experience bursts of dopamine from natural, stimulating activities, but drugs can cause over stimulation where the withdrawal leads to anxiety, difficulty sleeping, mania, stress, and a lesser ability to focus and learn. Addiction is now considered a brain disease, whether it's from prescription pain pills, gambling, pornography, alcohol, nicotine, or even sugar. Overcoming a
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