Science & Research

Addiction PBS - The Science Behind Addiction, Dopamine, The Reward Pathway, and Opioids

Addiction: The Science Behind | PBS

This incredibly informative documentary from NOVA PBS discusses opioid addiction, highlighting that addiction is not a moral failing, but rather, a treatable chronic medical condition. It provides a general overview of the science behind addiction, detailing how dopamine, the reward pathway, and other brain regions change as a result of substance abuse, and how these changes result in drug-seeking behaviours and withdrawal. While there are several personal stories from those affected by addiction, the primary focus of this documentary is to provide education on the science behind addiction and the importance of evidence-based treatments.
Image of a Stomach from What Alcohol Does To Your Body; effects of alcohol on various body parts

What Alcohol Does to Your Body

This video by the Institute of Human Anatomy discusses "the pathway alcohol takes as it travels through your body." It covers the various organs and tissues that interact with alcohol and how a hangover occurs, as well as how alcohol can effect people differently. You'll see real cadavers (body parts) and it's really quite interesting.