AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Opioids are highly addictive, in large part because they activate powerful reward centers in your brain. Opioids trigger the release of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Endorphins muffle your perception of pain and boost feelings of pleasure, creating a temporary but powerful sense of well-being.

Detailed explanation-2: -Opioid medications function by mimicking natural endorphins, competing for receptor binding. In the acute setting, exogenous opiates inhibit the production of endogenous opiates while in the chronic setting, exogenous opiates inhibit the production of both endogenous opiates and mu-opioid receptors.

Detailed explanation-3: -Regardless of the form in which it is taken, heroin use involves a “rush” of pleasurable feelings as the drug mimics endorphins producing a warm sense of well-being and increasing heart rate. When smoked, however, there is an additional adrenaline rush.

Detailed explanation-4: -Opiates (heroin, morphine, etc.) The human body naturally produces its own opiate-like substances and uses them as neurotransmitters. These substances include endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphin, often collectively known as endogenous opioids. Endogenous opioids modulate our reactions to painful stimuli.

Detailed explanation-5: -When binding to the pain pathway opioids provide pain relief, however, when binding to the reward pathway, opioids cause euphoria and release a key neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Dopamine signals the neurons (brain or nerve cells) of the body to create a pleasurable feeling or “high”.