Content What is Dopamine and How Do Drugs Affect It? Addiction Treatment Drug Abuse, Dopamine and the Brain’s Reward System Brain Change in Addiction as Learning, Not Disease. New England Journal of Medicine, October 18, 2018. Addiction vs. Misuse and Tolerance An addicted brain causes behavior changes. Just as cardiovascular disease damages the heart and changes its functioning, addiction changes the brain and impairs the way it works. Long-lasting brain changes can make it challenging for addicts to stay drug-free. […]