Title: Discussion Forum Module 5
Course: NUR 1521C Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing > Section: Module 5

The following diagram represents the Dopamine Cycle: Discuss how substances of abuse affect dopamine release in the brain and how this effect can lead to the progression of an addiction.

Dopamine regulates pleasure/pain and plays major role in all addictions

• Drugs of abuse affect limbic (reward) system
• First time use-release of very large amount of Dopamine
• Intense pleasure results
• Neurons unable to regulate dopamine
• Dopamine unable to stimulate reward center
• More drug used to increase dopamine levels
• Cycle of Tolerance begins
• Dependence/Addiction occurs

Read your classmates posts on this topic and respond to at least two.