Why do people with substance use disorder need more and more drugs over time?

Why do people with substance use disorder need more and more drugs over time?

People feel intoxicated after using drugs. Over time, the brain is changed by drugs. The brain becomes desensitized to the drug so that more of the drug must be used to produce the same effect.

As the person consumes more, drugs start to take over the person’s life. One may stop enjoying other aspects of life. For many people, social, family and work obligations fall to the side. The person with SUD starts to feel like something’s wrong if he or she isn’t under the influence of the substance. They may become consumed with the need to recapture that original feeling.