Compulsive substance abuse can be harmful to your body and your mind. When you stop using alcohol and other drugs, you will likely experience several noticeable physical and behavioral improvements. Your mind will also begin to heal, but it can be difficult to know how long it takes to rewire your brain from addiction.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, Call us today at the Retreat of Atlanta or visit our admissions page to get the process started.
How Does Addiction Change the Brain?
Alcohol and other recreational substances typically target the areas of your brain that are associated with functions such as mood, motivation, learning, and pleasure.
Initially, most addictive drugs trigger positive feelings by boosting the levels of certain neurotransmitters. But if you continue to use substances, they can begin to disrupt your brain’s ability to manage some essential functions and communicate with other body parts.
As described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), substance abuse can “hijack the pleasure/reward circuits in your brain.”
This can erode your ability to control the amount and frequency of your drug use.
Instead of drinking or taking other substances by choice to improve your mood, you may feel compelled to use drugs. This is done in order to prevent the onset of physical and psychological distress.
A key aspect of successful recovery from addiction is giving your brain time to heal. This allows it to recover from the damage caused by your substance use.
What Does ‘Rewire the Brain’ Mean?
Before discussing how long it takes to rewire the brain from addiction, it’s helpful to first clarify the term “rewiring.”
“Rewiring” refers to the brain’s ability to make both structural and functional changes. These changes occur in response to injuries, diseases, or other external stimuli. The clinical term for this ability is neuroplasticity.
One reason people refer to this process as rewiring is because it involves how electrical currents and impulses are delivered to various parts of the body. This is similar to how wires distribute electricity throughout a house. Neuroplasticity, like wiring, directs signals to different areas of the brain and body.
If damaged cells are impeding the delivery of messages through the central nervous system, the brain may repair these cells. The brain may also establish new connections to reroute the messages around the dysfunctional cells. Alternatively, it may shift functions to a part of the brain that hasn’t been harmed.
While neuroplasticity is often discussed as a response to brain damage, it can also occur when gaining new information or having new experiences, whether positive or negative.
For example, children’s brains change substantially as they learn about the world around them and interact with their environment. But neuroplasticity isn’t limited to young people. The process can continue throughout your life as you encounter new concepts, facts, and situations.
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How Long to Rewire the Brain From Addiction?
The question, how long does it take to rewire the brain from addiction?, doesn’t have a single answer that is applicable to all people. The timeline can be influenced by a variety of factors, including:
- Your age and developmental level
- Which substance you have become addicted to
- The amount and frequency of your substance use
- What type of harm your brain incurred as a result of your addictive behaviors
- If you have certain co-occurring mental, neurological, or medical problems
The amount of time it takes to rewire your brain can also depend on the type of treatment you receives and the lifestyle changes you make.
Given these many variables, it may come as little surprise to learn that the neuroplasticity timeline can look quite different from one person to the next.
Studies suggest that some positive brain changes can begin to occur within three or four weeks after you end your substance use. However, the time it takes to complete the rewiring process can range from a few months to multiple years.
What Can I Do to Help My Brain Heal?
As we alluded to in the previous section, how long it takes to rewire the brain can depend in part on your treatment experience and lifestyle adaptations. You can’t rush the process, but you can help it along.
Here are a few suggestions for helping your brain heal from addiction:
- Enroll in detox: Withdrawal can be hard on your brain as well as your body. In a detox program, you can receive medication and therapeutic support to minimize your symptoms and keep you as healthy as possible as you complete the process.
- Participate in therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and other approaches can address a range of brain-related concerns, including maladaptive thought patterns, memory impairments, and ineffective stress management.
- Follow a healthy diet plan: The foods you eat fuels your body and your mind. A healthy diet, especially one that is rich in green vegetables, berries, nuts, and fatty fish, can help your brain function more effectively.
- Exercise regularly: Physical activity isn’t only good for increasing your strength and stamina. Research has linked aerobic exercise with enhanced neural growth, increased synaptic activity, and improvements in memory and learning.
- Get enough sleep: Rest is essential for optimal brain functioning. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the benefits of sleep include improved communication among neurons and the removal of toxins from your brain. The NINDS recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of quality sleep every day.
- Meditate and practice mindfulness: Studies indicate that mindfulness meditation can promote increased gray matter and cortical thickness in the brain. These developments, in turn, can improve learning, memory, attention, and cognition.
- Challenge your brain: Take a class. Learn a new skill. Do crossword puzzles. Read. These are just a few of the many activities that can encourage cell growth and stimulate the development of stronger neural connections in your brain.
Find Addiction Treatment Near Atlanta
In order for your brain to begin healing from addiction, you have to end your substance use. If you need help to accomplish this, the Retreat of Atlanta is here for you.
Our rehab near Atlanta, Georgia, offers both detox and residential treatment. Our addiction experts can help you safely rid your body of alcohol and other dangerous drugs, then begin to build a foundation for successful, long-term recovery.
To learn more about our programs and services, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.
