Addiction breaks the brain's dopamine system, Dr. Ruth Potee tells Easthampton crowd

Addiction breaks the brain's dopamine system, Dr. Ruth Potee tells Easthampton crowd | MassLive

February 26, 2016 

Potee said heroin use at first causes a massive spike in dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that makes people feel good. But the inevitable crash sends dopamine levels much lower than they were before, creating a new baseline and launching intense craving just to get back to normal -- especially in those who are predisposed to addiction.