Addiction Hijacks Your Brain—Here’s How to Take It Back

If you’re stuck in addiction, just got sober, or find yourself white-knuckling through recovery, what you’re experiencing isn’t weakness—it’s a neurological hijacking.

Let’s get something straight:

You’re not broken. You’re rewired.

Your brain’s survival systems, the same ones that keep you from dying of thirst or jumping off a cliff, got rerouted to chase the next fix. And spoiler alert:

It wasn’t the drug you were addicted to.

It was the chemical response to the drug (or behavior) that fuels the addiction:

Dopamine. Serotonin. Oxytocin. Endorphins. Norepinephrine. GABA.

The fuel behind joy, focus, connection—the difference between surviving and actually living.

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Addiction Is a Survival Strategy Gone Sideways

When I was deep in it, I did things that shattered the image I had of myself.

I lied. I stole. I broke people’s trust.

And the worst part?

I knew I was doing it. I wasn’t out of it—I was fully in it.

I tried to stop. Cut back. Make better choices. But it was like something had hijacked my ability to

choose.

Because the only decision that mattered was securing the next fix.

Addicts understand this.

For those on the outside looking in—imagine it’s the apocalypse. You haven’t eaten in weeks.

You find a locked grocery store. You’re a good person. You’ve never stolen anything in your life.

But if you don’t get food now, you’ll die.

What do you do?

You break down the door.

That’s addiction.

The drug becomes oxygen.

Getting it stops being about partying or escaping—it becomes survival.

And when your brain truly believes your life depends on it, it will override everything—

your values, your logic, your relationships, your future. All the things.

This isn’t “bad behavior.”

This is a full-body hijack.

And the one driving?

Isn’t you anymore.

.

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The Chemistry of Craving

Let’s talk about dopamine—your brain’s “do that again” button.

Normally, it rewards things like eating, connection, music, meaningful work.

But drugs, alcohol, and compulsive behaviors hijack that system—releasing 10 to 100 times the

normal amount.

The brain, trying to protect itself, reduces dopamine receptors. So now, not only do drugs stop

feeling good… nothing else does either.

• Connection? Meh.

• Music? Flat.

• Life? Boring.

You’re not failing. You’re not lazy. You’re not weak.

You’re chemically bankrupt.

This is why early recovery sucks.

Because you’re sober—but your brain hasn’t learned to feel again, YET!

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Enter: Neuroplasticity (aka The Comeback Code)

Here’s the good news:

Your brain is plastic. Not like Barbie, more like Play-Doh. Flexible. Changeable. Re-trainable.  It adapts. It reshapes itself based on how you use it. This means if you trained your brain to associate relief with a needle, bottle, relationship, or behavior… You can also train it to associate relief with healthier habits..

Your brain isn’t locked into addiction. It’s constantly learning. When you practice new habits—

meditation, movement, music, cold exposure, breathwork—you start laying new tracks.

Imagine being able to release feel-good chemicals on demand.

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Let’s Talk Neurotransmitters - I’ll Try to keep it sexy

These chemicals aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re the foundation of well-being

Here’s the lineup:

• Dopamine = motivation,  drive, reward

• Serotonin = mood balance, calm, sleep, satisfaction

• Oxytocin = love, trust, connection

• Endorphins = pain relief, pleasure

• GABA = relaxation, nervous system calm

• Norepinephrine = alertness, focus, energy

Addictive substances, alcohol, scrolling, etc., all flood these chemicals.

Your brain stops producing them naturally. And when you quit, the deficit is real.

Cue: anhedonia—the flatline where nothing feels good.

No spark. No pleasure. Just fog. And a whole heap of “I don’t give a f*uck”.

And this is where most people relapse—not because they’re weak, but because they feel nothing pulling them forward. 

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Hijacked & Healing: Your Brain on Addiction - and the Roadmap to Recovery

Here’s a chart to break it down:

• Which drugs/behaviors hijack which neurotransmitters

• What those neurotransmitters actually do

• How long does it take to reset naturally vs. with tools like meditation

• Foods and actions that help boost them

This is your cheat sheet for taking your chemistry back into your hands.

Substance/ Behavior	Neurotransmitter Affected	Conventional Recovery TIme	Alt. Methods Recovery Time	Foods that Boost Recovery	Activities that Boost Recovery	Notes
Adderall (CII Stimulants)	Dopmamine ↑ Norepinephrine ↑	12-24 months	6 -12 months	Tyrosine (eggs, fish), banana, green tea...	Intense exercise, cold exposure, breathwork	Chronic use depletes dopamine receptors; structured routine aid restoration
Opioid	Endorphines ↓ Dopamine ↑	12-36 months	8-18 months	Dark chocolate, turmeric, spicy foods, omega -3s	Message, rhythmic movement, acupuncture	Endorephine system shutdown common; healing touch and pleasure-based somatic work essential
Alcohol	GABA (rebound) ↓ Dopamine ↑ Glutamate ↑	6-18 months	4-12 months	Leafy greens, fermented foods	Grounding, breathing	Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance; nervous system reset key
Cocaine	Dopamine ↑↑ Norepinephrine ↑	12-24 months	6-10 months	Beets, leafy greens	Cardio, Goal tracking	Anhedonia common; reward building needed
Methamphetamine	Dopamine ↑↑↑ Norepinephrine ↑↑	18-36 months	12-18 months	Berries, kale, legumes	Cold Plunges, HIIT	oxidative stress; mitochondrial repair needed
Porn/sex addiction	Dopamine ↑ Oxytocin ↑ Endorphins ↑	6-12 months	3-6 months	Zinc, dark chocolate, avocado	Eye contact, emotional bounding	Safe intimacy helps reset reward circuits
Social Media/ Tech	Dopamine ↑	3-6 months	1-3 months	Omega-3s, nut	Nature, creative flow	Novelty and dopamine sensitivity need recalibration
Benzodiazepine (Xanax, Ativan)	GABA ↑↓	12-36 months	8-18 months	Magnesium,chamomile	Vagal toning, yoga nidra	GABA receptor recovery is slow; tapering required
Cannabis (THC)	Anandamide ↓ Dopamine ↑	6-12 months	3-6 months	Dark Chocolate, cruciferous veggies	Play, rest, social bonding	Endocannabinoid tone restoration needed
Nicotine (vapes/smoking)	Dopamine ↑ Acetylcholine ↑	3-9 months	1-4 months	Eggs, broccoli, berries,	Cardio, breath training	alterness and mood regulation improve with focus practices

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Become Your Own Pharmacy

What if the fix you’ve been chasing could actually come from within?

This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s neuroscience.

• Meditation can boost dopamine by 65% (Davidson et al., 2003).

• One hour of practice can raise GABA by 27%—on par with anti-anxiety meds. (Streeter et al., 2007)

• Long-term meditators show thicker cortices in brain regions tied to focus, emotional control, and pleasure (Tang et al., 2015).

• Breathwork and visualization increase oxytocin, rebuilding emotional connection (Uvnas-Moberg, 2005).

And according to Dr. Dawson Church, daily meditation isn’t just calming—it’s accelerating neurochemical recovery.He found that consistent meditative practice can cut recovery time in half—from 12 months to 3–6 months.

Let that sink in: half the suffering, half the relapse risk, twice the resilience.

This isn’t self-help hype.

This is clinical-grade healing without a pill bottle.

So what does that mean for you?

It means you can stop outsourcing your well-being to substances or systems that never really got you.

You can become your own pharmacy—with tools no one can take away from you.

• Meditation.

• Breathwork.

• Visualization.

These aren’t just spiritual practices.

They are chemical interventions.

Accessible. Repeatable. Free.

And when used consistently, they don't just manage symptoms—they rebuild your brain from the inside out.

The fix you’ve been chasing?

You were born with it.

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Real Talk: This Sh*t Ain’t Easy

I won’t lie—when I started meditating, I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

Coming off Suboxone and trying to sit still? Torture.

I was pissed. I was restless. I had to sit in the rawness of grief, shame, and withdrawals.

But I kept showing up.

20 minutes a day.

No matter how brutal it was.

And slowly… things shifted.

The numbness began to lift. I started to feel again—not fireworks, but flickers.

My nervous system began to regulate. My mood stabilized. I stopped craving chaos. 

Now?

I am the pharmacy. And this high doesn’t come with a ball and chain.

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Final Word: You’re Not Broken—You’re Rebuilding

This isn’t just about sobriety.

It’s about freedom.

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through recovery. You don’t have to feel like shit for a

year hoping things get better.

You can learn to work with your brain, not against it.

You are not crazy. You’re chemically imbalanced.

You are not weak. You’re rewiring.

And what you build from here?

That’s up to you.

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Resources for Rewiring Your Brain (and Getting High on Your Own Supply)

BOOKS

Deep dives into the brain, addiction, and your power to heal

• Bliss Brain by Dr. Dawson Church  Learn how meditation triggers gamma brainwaves, rebuilds your emotional circuits, and helps you release feel-good chemicals on demand. Backed by hard science, not fluff.

• Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza  If your thoughts feel like a trap, this book gives you the neuroscience—and the tools—to reprogram them.

• The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk  A must-read if trauma plays a role in your addiction. Shows how the body holds onto pain—and how practices like meditation, movement, and breath can release it.

• In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Dr. Gabor Maté  One of the most compassionate, truth-telling books on addiction out there. Period.

RESEARCH + ARTICLES

For the nerds and skeptics who need receipts

• Davidson et al. (2003) — Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation  Dopamine increases up to 65%

• Streeter et al. (2007) — Increased GABA Levels After Yoga/ Meditation  GABA boost comparable to benzos

• Tang et al. (2015) — The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation  Enhanced brain structure & emotional regulation

• Gotink et al. (2016) — Neuroplasticity Following Mindfulness-Based Interventions  Structural MRI evidence of brain change

GUIDED MEDITATIONS + TOOLS

You don’t need a cave—you need a quiet place and a willingness to sit with yourself

• EFT Meditation by Dr. Dawson Church  Free guided videos here: https://eftuniverse.com/  Combines breathwork, visualization, and tapping to reset stress response and boost neurotransmitter flow.

• Joe Dispenza’s Morning & Evening Meditations  Available on Spotify, Apple Music, or his site

• Insight Timer App  Free app with thousands of meditations—search “dopamine,” “recovery,” or “nervous system reset.”

• Rewired with Dr. Joe Dispenza  Streaming on Gaia. If you need both neuroscience and inspiration, this is the binge-worthy series you didn’t know you needed.