Addiction isn’t just about behaviour. It’s not only about what you take or how often you take it. Addiction runs much deeper, affecting the very chemistry of your brain and the delicate balance of your hormones. These changes don’t just influence how you feel in the moment, they shape how you think, respond to stress, form relationships, and even how your body physically functions.
Understanding what addiction really does to the brain helps explain why breaking free is so hard, and why proper support is essential. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how addiction disrupts hormones and brain chemistry, and how Dr Jolandi Meyer, working closely with the team at The Way Recovery Centre in Pretoria, helps people reclaim their balance and their lives.
Your Brain, Your Hormones, and Why They Matter
Before we dive into addiction specifically, it helps to understand the basics.
Your brain is the control centre of everything you do. It communicates with the rest of your body using chemicals called neurotransmitters. These include things like dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine. At the same time, your hormones act as messengers, influencing everything from mood and energy to appetite and stress responses.
These two systems, chemical messengers in the brain and hormones in the body, work together like a perfectly choreographed dance. But when you introduce addictive substances, the entire rhythm can collapse.
What Happens When You Take Addictive Substances?
Substances like alcohol, cocaine, opioids, cannabis, and prescription medication don’t just alter your mood—they actually hijack your brain’s reward system. Most addictive substances flood the brain with dopamine, which is the “feel-good” neurotransmitter linked to pleasure, motivation, and reward.
That rush of dopamine is what causes the initial high. The brain goes, “Wow, that felt amazing, let’s do it again.” But with repeated use, the brain adapts. It starts producing less dopamine on its own, or reduces the number of dopamine receptors, making it harder to feel pleasure from anything other than the substance.
This is how a person becomes chemically dependent, not just psychologically. The brain has literally changed its wiring to expect and crave the drug.
Key Hormones and Neurotransmitters Affected by Addiction
Let’s break down some of the major players involved in brain chemistry and hormones, and how addiction interferes with them.
Dopamine: The Pleasure Messenger
Dopamine is central to the development of addiction. Every time you do something enjoyable, like eating a good meal or spending time with loved ones, dopamine is released.
But drugs release far more dopamine than natural activities ever could. Over time, the brain becomes less responsive to everyday pleasures, and only the substance can trigger that dopamine surge.
Effects of disrupted dopamine levels include:
Loss of motivation or joy from normal activities
Cravings and compulsive behaviours
Feelings of emptiness or depression
Difficulty focusing or making decisions
Serotonin: The Mood Stabiliser
Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep, and emotional balance. Some drugs, especially stimulants and hallucinogens, increase serotonin to produce euphoric or altered states.
But prolonged substance use can damage the brain’s ability to produce or regulate serotonin. That’s why people often feel anxious, depressed, or irritable when they stop using.
Cortisol: The Stress Hormone
Cortisol is released in response to stress. While short bursts are normal, chronic stress leads to ongoing high cortisol levels, which can contribute to anxiety, weight gain, and insomnia.
Addiction is often a response to stress. Ironically, substance use increases stress in the long run by disrupting cortisol regulation.
People stuck in the cycle of addiction often feel constantly on edge, even when nothing is going wrong.
GABA and Glutamate: The Brakes and Accelerators
GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that helps slow down brain activity. Glutamate does the opposite, speeding things up and increasing excitement.
Drugs like alcohol and benzodiazepines boost GABA, leading to sedation and relaxation. But with regular use, the brain reduces its natural GABA production. When the drug is removed, the brain becomes overexcited, leading to anxiety, tremors, or even seizures.
This is one of the reasons why detoxing from alcohol or benzos should always be done under medical supervision.
Endorphins: Natural Painkillers
Endorphins help block pain and boost mood. Opioids, like morphine or codeine, mimic endorphins and bind to the same receptors.
Over time, the body stops producing endorphins naturally, making people more sensitive to pain and emotional discomfort. This is why many recovering opioid users report feeling physically sore and emotionally fragile during early recovery.
Long-Term Changes to Brain Chemistry
When addiction becomes long-term, the brain doesn’t just adapt—it rewires. Neural pathways associated with craving, stress, and compulsion become stronger. Meanwhile, the circuits responsible for decision-making and impulse control weaken.
This explains why people with addiction might know something is harmful, but still feel powerless to stop. It’s not about lacking discipline, it’s about brain chemistry being out of balance.
It can take months, sometimes even years, for brain chemistry to rebalance fully after addiction. This is why long-term recovery support is so important.
Hormonal Imbalances and Physical Health
Addiction affects more than just brain chemistry. It also impacts key hormones in the body, leading to physical health issues such as:
Reproductive hormone disruptions: In men, addiction can lower testosterone, leading to fatigue, low libido, and depression. In women, it can disrupt oestrogen and progesterone, leading to menstrual problems or fertility issues.
Insulin resistance: Substance use can interfere with how the body regulates blood sugar, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Thyroid hormone suppression: Some drugs interfere with thyroid function, contributing to weight changes, fatigue, and depression.
Disrupted sleep hormones: Addiction often interferes with melatonin and cortisol levels, causing insomnia or erratic sleep patterns.
These physical effects are often overlooked, but they can make recovery much harder if not addressed.
How Dr Jolandi Meyer and The Way Recovery Centre Help Restore Balance
Because addiction affects both body and mind, successful recovery needs to be holistic. That’s exactly what Dr Jolandi Meyer, a GP specialising in addiction, offers at her practice at The Way Recovery Centre in Pretoria.
By working closely with the team of addiction specialists, therapists, and counsellors, Dr Meyer provides medical care that is integrated into the full recovery journey.
Here’s how she helps support and restore healthy brain chemistry and hormonal balance:
Medical assessments: Identifying underlying issues caused by addiction, such as hormonal imbalances, liver dysfunction, or nutritional deficiencies.
Supervised detox: Helping clients through withdrawal safely, often using short-term medication to manage severe symptoms.
GP-led treatment: Monitoring ongoing health, adjusting medication as needed, and coordinating care with mental health professionals.
Mental health integration: Supporting clients with depression, anxiety, or trauma, all of which are tied to brain chemistry and hormone regulation.
Nutritional and lifestyle advice: Improving diet, exercise, and sleep—all of which play a major role in rebalancing body chemistry.
Dr Meyer’s involvement means that patients aren’t just treated for addiction in isolation. Their whole health is supported—from detox to aftercare and beyond.
For information on our 28-day in-patient programme with professional qualified medical detox from addiction and a platform of different approaches to addicts suffering from long-term gambling, alcohol and/or drug addiction, get in touch with Dr. Jolandi Meyer at The Way Recovery – Gambling, Drug & Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facility in Pretoria. A six-week outpatient programme with individual counselling, group therapy, and family support is also available from The Way Recovery.
The Way Recovery Halfway House in Pretoria offers a reintegration, aftercare programme to aid the addict who has finished a detox programme in adjusting to society for the recovering addict who still struggles.
Why Patience and Support Matter
Healing the brain and body takes time. You won’t wake up on day one of recovery and feel like your old self again. But with consistent care, support, and proper treatment, things do improve.
Some people see noticeable changes in the first few weeks. For others, it might take longer. Hormonal and neurological systems are complex, and everyone’s recovery timeline is different.
The most important thing? Don’t go it alone. Support, structure, and medical guidance, like that offered by Dr Jolandi Meyer and the team, can make all the difference between relapse and long-term recovery.
Addiction doesn’t just affect behaviour. It reshapes the brain, alters hormones, and throws the body off balance. That’s why recovery is about so much more than just stopping the substance – it’s about healing the systems that have been thrown out of sync.
Dr Jolandi Meyer, in close partnership with The Way Recovery Centre, offers a compassionate and medical approach to recovery that acknowledges this complexity. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, don’t wait. Support is available, and recovery is not only possible, it’s within reach.
Common Ailments Treated by Dr. Jolandi Meyer
Dr. Jolandi Meyer’s expertise and comprehensive treatment options make her an exceptional General Practitioner for addressing all ailments. She provides personalised care, empowering patients to achieve optimal health. Her compassionate approach ensures patients receive the highest quality treatment. Her practice is located in Garsfontein, Pretoria on the same premises as The Way Recovery Centre.
With her support and guidance, patients can embark on a journey towards improved well-being and a healthier, happier life.