Molecular Neurobiology of Addiction Recovery

Humans are biologically programmed to seek out pleasurable experiences.  These experiences are processed in the mesolimbic system, also referred to as the "reward center" of the brain, where a number of chemical messengers work in concert to provide a net release of dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens.  In some genetically predisposed individuals, addiction occurs when the mechanisms of the mesolimb...