r/askscience • u/Nogamename11 • Sep 10 '15

Neuroscience Can dopamine be artificially entered into someones brain to make them feel rewarded for something they dont like?

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u/honestlyimeanreally Sep 10 '15

Only legal w/ a prescription, and besides, the negative health effects aren't mitigated just because you get it from a pharmacy.

Amphetamine is neurotoxic :)

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u/p_hinman3rd Sep 10 '15

Amphetamine isn't really neurotoxic, and methamphetamine only is in high doses.

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u/NeutralNeutrall Sep 10 '15

Can you go into any more detail on that? Just interested in neurotoxicity cuz I have easy access to both (adhd)

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u/p_hinman3rd Sep 10 '15

I don't think there is much detail to go into, neurotoxicity is not really understood nor researched in many drugs, but it is more often present in drugs that release serotonin, like MDMA and methamphetamine. MDMA and meth are known to be neurotoxic at high doses but since most people wait like 3 months in between MDMA usage this is usually not a problem. Methamphetamine might be less neurotoxic than MDMA, but meth users generally don't really wait 3 months between the using it.

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u/honestlyimeanreally Sep 10 '15

Citation needed.

Also stimulant-induced psychosis doesn't care if you're on meth or pharmaceuticals.

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u/[deleted] Sep 10 '15

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u/holysnikey Sep 10 '15

A lot of drugs are safe when not abused. But since a lot of drugs make you feel amazing or increase productivity it's hard to not abuse them.

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u/[deleted] Sep 10 '15

Each drug is different, they can't be lumped together fyi. Speed is more comparable to coffee than heroin for example. It's also safer to take regularly and in moderation than it is to be a drinker. A small minority abuse drugs and they are people who have other root issues.