Rewiring Your Brain from Addiction

How It Works and How Long It Takes

The human brain is incredibly adaptable and can form new neural pathways even after years of drug addiction. While overcoming addiction is extremely difficult, it is possible for the brain to “rewire” itself and develop new, healthy habits through focused effort and treatment.

As trusted addiction treatment providers, the experts at Legacy Healing Center explore how long it takes to rewire the brain from addiction, how the brain becomes addicted in the first place, and the techniques that can help you maintain healthy habits in recovery.

Addiction is a complex disease that uniquely affects every individual. So, how long it will take to rewire the brain from addiction will be different for each person.

How Long Does It Take to Rewire Your Brain from Addiction?

According to psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) Valerie Puffenberger, “It takes months, and often years, to rewire neural pathways.”

Although every person is unique, abstaining from drugs can help rewire the brain. Studies conducted on a drug-by-drug basis found that:

• The brains of heavy methamphetamine users exhibited microglial activation levels typical of a non-meth user 14 to 24 months after discontinuation of use.
• The cognition levels of 66% of patients with a diagnosable alcohol use disorder returned to normal within 18 days after discontinuation of use.
• The brains of former cocaine users had higher levels of frontal cortex activity within one to five weeks after discontinuation of use, and significantly higher levels after 10 to 25 weeks of abstinence.
• After abstaining from cannabis for an average of 29 months, the hippocampal regions (the area of the brain responsible for memory) of former marijuana users returned to normal.

Most treatment programs last 28, 30, 60, or 90 days, although few patients will have completely rewired their brains from drug addiction in that span. Most post-acute withdrawal symptoms will disappear within two years, which means that the body has fully adapted to sobriety by that point.

However, even if the brain has been rewired from addiction, that does not mean the addiction has been cured. Quite the opposite is true. Recovery is a lifelong commitment, and relapse is always possible.

“Addictive tendencies will not disappear completely, and the brain may always remember reward associations,” says Puffenberger. “However, new wiring can override old triggers.”

Introduction to Brain Recovery [NEW]

Recovering from addiction is not just about stopping substance use—it’s about giving your brain the chance to heal and regain its natural balance. The brain is remarkably resilient, and even after prolonged substance abuse, it has the capacity to recover much of its function. This process, known as brain recovery, involves the gradual restoration of healthy brain chemistry, improved cognitive function, and the rebuilding of neural pathways that support positive behaviors.

The journey to brain healing is unique for everyone, shaped by the type of substance used, the duration of addiction, and individual health factors. While the effects of addiction can be profound, the recovery journey offers hope. With the right support and commitment, the brain can begin to repair itself, leading to improved mood, better decision-making, and a renewed sense of well-being. Understanding how the brain recovers is a crucial first step in achieving lasting change and a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Factors That Affect How Long It Takes the Brain to Rewire After Addiction

Various factors influence how long it takes to rewire the brain from addiction. These include:

• Substance(s) the individual is addicted to
• Whether the individual has any co-occurring mental health conditions or medical concerns
• How old the individual was when their substance use or behavior engagement began
• How long the addiction has been present
• Amount of the substance and the frequency of use
• The age and gender of the individual
• Unique body and brain chemistry of the individual
• The individual’s personality traits and determination to achieve sobriety
• Existing triggers
• Whether or not the individual has sought out professional addiction treatment

The Science of Brain Rewiring

Patients are able to rewire their brains from addiction as a result of neuroplasticity. During recovery, the brain rewires itself by forming new neural pathways, helping to restore healthy brain function.

Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or brain plasticity, is the brain’s ability to change its structure and create new neural pathways over time. This remarkable process highlights the brain’s ability to adapt and heal after addiction.

Neuroplasticity is a process by which the nervous system changes how it acts by reorganizing its structure in response to internal or external stimuli.

Neuroplasticity is what allows stroke or traumatic brain injury patients to regain functioning, and it does the same thing for addiction sufferers. Even though addiction can significantly change the way the brain functions, and even its structure and chemical composition, including alterations in brain chemicals such as the neurotransmitter dopamine, neuroplasticity will allow the vast majority of addiction sufferers to return to “normal” after a sufficient period of sobriety. Addiction often impairs brain function and leads to cognitive impairments, but with recovery, these functions and abilities can improve as the brain heals.

Examples of how neuroplasticity works include:

• Neuronal regeneration (or collateral sprouting): The ability to repair or replace nerve cells that have been damaged by addiction.
• Functional reorganization: The ability of one part of the brain to take over the functions of another part.

How Addiction Changes the Brain

Addiction, whether to substances or behaviors, can significantly impact the brain, especially its functioning, chemical composition, and structure. When people abuse drugs or engage in drug abuse, the brain is affected in key regions such as the basal ganglia, extended amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, leading to changes in both brain chemicals and the brain’s structure.

Although every substance will impact the brain in unique ways, addiction will generally change the brain’s:

• Reward system
• Executive functioning
• Habit loops
• Chemical makeup and structure

These changes are often the result of drug abuse or when individuals abuse drugs, which can alter the brain’s structure and disrupt normal brain chemicals. As a consequence, addiction can lead to cognitive impairments, making it harder to think clearly, remember things, or make decisions. Additionally, physical withdrawal is a common consequence of substance addiction, further impacting the brain’s ability to recover and adapt.

Reward System Hijacking

Most addictive substances and behaviors hijack the body’s reward system.

Substance use causes the brain to release “feel-good” chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin. Addictive behaviors are linked to changes in the neurotransmitter dopamine and other brain chemicals, which disrupt the brain’s natural reward pathways. Eventually, the body becomes dependent on this excessive amount of reward chemicals to function “normally,” and it may begin to require the substance to produce any reward chemicals at all.

In other words, addiction can make it so sufferers cannot feel “good” or even “fine” unless they are using a substance.

Compromised Executive Functioning

Many substances compromise the brain’s executive functioning, meaning they disrupt the individual’s ability to manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions. Addiction can also lead to cognitive impairments, which further affect decision-making and self-control.

Even one-time substance use can compromise executive functioning, such as a drunk person losing inhibitions and engaging in risky behavior. However, this is magnified by addiction, especially severe addiction. Often, individuals will go to unbelievable lengths to satisfy cravings.

When suffering from addiction, your thoughts, emotions, and actions revolve around using—and getting more of—the addictive substance.

Conditioning and Habit Loops

Substance use, especially the prolonged substance use typified by addiction, is very likely to cause habit loops. Habit loops consist of three parts:

• A cue: Something that triggers the craving to use, like seeing a beer bottle or being in an uncomfortable situation.
• A behavior: In the case of addiction, the behavior would be using the substance. Addictive behaviors are reinforced by these loops, as the brain learns to seek out the reward associated with substance use.
• A reward: The rush of “feel-good” chemicals that result from using the substance.

As addiction progresses, the brain starts to associate more and more cues with the addictive behavior. The habit loop becomes stronger, making it very hard to break the addiction. Even if the behavior is stopped, cues can trigger intense cravings and relapse.

Addiction physically alters the brain’s reward system and frontal cortex function, making it extremely challenging to break habit loops. Recovery programs help the brain learn to react differently to triggers and cues, supporting long-term change.

Chemical and Structural Changes

Addiction can cause structural and chemical changes in the brain that impact functioning and behavior. Drug abuse and those who abuse drugs can significantly alter the brain’s structure and brain chemicals, including the neurotransmitter dopamine. These changes are especially evident in brain regions affected by addiction, such as the basal ganglia, extended amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Different substances can have different effects on the chemicals and structure of the brain.

For example, long-term alcohol use can alter the brain’s structure and chemical makeup to the point victims constantly appear drunk (wet brain). Opioids are another example; drugs like heroin and fentanyl are so structurally similar to the body’s natural opioids that they block them from bonding with neurotransmitters. Eventually, the body can no longer produce its own natural opioids.

Brain Plasticity: The Brain’s Ability to Heal and Adapt

One of the most encouraging aspects of addiction recovery is the brain’s incredible plasticity—its ability to adapt, heal, and form new connections. Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, refers to the brain’s capacity to reorganize itself by creating new neural pathways and strengthening existing ones. This means that even after years of substance use disorders, the brain can learn to function in healthier ways.

When someone stops using addictive substances, the brain begins to rewire itself, gradually reducing reliance on old, negative behaviors and reinforcing new, positive habits. This rewiring process involves changes in brain cells and brain regions responsible for memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Over time, the brain’s reward system can recover, allowing individuals to experience pleasure and motivation from everyday activities rather than from substance use.

The science of brain plasticity offers hope for anyone struggling with addiction. With consistent effort and the right support, the brain’s ability to adapt can lead to meaningful recovery outcomes and a return to a healthier, more balanced life.

How to Rewire Your Brain in Recovery

Just as addiction changes the brain, so can recovery. The brain rewires itself during recovery, thanks to the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neural pathways through neuroplasticity. Neural pathways associated with addiction weaken as a result of disuse, while new neural pathways are built as a result of healthier behaviors that replace addictive behaviors.

Getting professional help will give you the best chances of recovery and healing your brain. Recovery can also lead to significant improvements in brain function, supporting better cognitive abilities and overall neural health.

“While willpower helps, getting professional treatment and support dramatically improves rewiring success,” says Puffenberger.

How you rewire your brain from addiction and how long it takes to do so will vary depending on what stage you are at in your recovery. In the early stages, challenges such as drug cravings and physical withdrawal can be significant obstacles.

Brain Rewiring During Withdrawal

The withdrawal phase is the most difficult part of recovery for many patients to get through. This is when patients start to taper off and/or abstain from using the addictive substance, and physical withdrawal becomes a key challenge during this phase.

Although the acute withdrawal phase (when symptoms are the strongest and most consistently present) typically only lasts two or three weeks, it is often very unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous. Drug cravings are often intense during withdrawal and are a sign that the brain is beginning to rewire.

However, even the worst symptoms are signs that the brain is beginning the rewiring process, and it is during this phase that the most rapid brain rewiring takes place.

Most individuals should seek out professional help—a medically supervised detox program—during the withdrawal phase, especially if they are addicted to alcohol, benzodiazepines, and/or barbiturates.

Brain Rewiring During the Early Recovery Phase

Once a patient gets through withdrawal, they enter the early recovery phase. Professional help (especially inpatient or outpatient rehab) is often highly advisable during this stage.

With the help of mental health professionals, patients will start to explore the underlying reasons for their addictions and build mental fortitude so they can maintain their sobriety. This is a key part of the brain rewiring process.

Patients will begin to see more signs of progress that their brain is successfully rewiring itself—and it’s important that patients take action to foster these changes. Some of these changes may include:

• Reduced drug cravings as the brain begins to heal
• Improved mood and sleep cycles
• Increased focus and clarity
• Improvements in cognitive impairments, such as better memory and decision-making
• Improved emotional regulation and control
• Return to interests and hobbies
• Improved relationships
• Better health

Brain Rewiring During the Sustained Recovery Phase

Although the brain is undergoing rewiring during all phases of recovery, the longest-lasting changes are seen during the sustained recovery phase. Over the long term, the brain rewires itself thanks to the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neural pathways through neuroplasticity.

Individual therapy, support groups, personal lifestyle changes, and daily routines are the main drivers of rewiring during this phase. During sustained recovery, addictive behaviors are replaced by healthier habits, supporting ongoing healing.

Patients can expect to see the following examples of brain rewiring during the sustained recovery phase, although some take longer to appear than others.

• Neuroplasticity continues to reinforce sobriety and reduces cravings
• Further improvements in emotional regulation and more stable moods
• Improved decision-making, judgment, and behavior
• Increased gray matter
• Improvements in memory and learning
• Dopamine, serotonin, and other chemicals appear and function normally
• Strengthened executive functioning
• Enhanced brain function, supporting cognitive abilities and overall neural health
• Better mental, physical, and spiritual health
• Better relationships and life results

Addiction Treatment Options: Supporting Brain Recovery

Choosing the right addiction treatment is a vital part of supporting the brain rewiring process. There are several evidence-based options designed to help individuals heal both physically and mentally from substance use disorders. Inpatient and outpatient rehab programs provide structured environments where patients can focus on recovery, receive medical supervision, and participate in therapies that promote brain healing.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be especially helpful for those with severe addiction or physical dependence, as it helps stabilize brain chemistry and reduce withdrawal symptoms. Holistic therapies, such as mindfulness practices, yoga, and art therapy, also play a role in supporting brain recovery by reducing stress and encouraging healthier coping mechanisms.

Support groups and aftercare programs offer ongoing encouragement and accountability, which are essential for long term recovery and continued brain health. By combining professional treatment with a supportive community, individuals can maximize their brain’s ability to heal and build a strong foundation for a successful recovery journey.

The Role of Therapy in Rewiring the Brain

Therapy is a cornerstone of addiction recovery, playing a crucial role in helping the brain rewire itself for lasting change. Behavioral therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), teach individuals how to recognize and change negative thought patterns, manage cravings, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. These therapies directly influence the brain’s neural pathways, encouraging the formation of new connections that support positive behaviors and emotional regulation.

Group therapy and individual counseling provide safe spaces to process emotions, build resilience, and practice impulse control. Over time, therapy helps restore balance to the brain’s reward system and improves stress management techniques, making it easier to resist triggers and avoid relapse. By addressing both the psychological and neurological aspects of addiction, therapy empowers individuals to take control of their recovery process and achieve successful, long term outcomes.

Lifestyle Changes That Support Brain Rewiring

Adopting healthy lifestyle changes is essential for supporting the brain’s recovery from addiction. Regular physical exercise has been shown to boost dopamine production, enhance mood, and promote the growth of new brain cells, all of which contribute to the brain healing process. Prioritizing quality sleep and maintaining a regular sleep routine are also critical, as adequate rest allows the brain to repair itself and improve cognitive function.

A balanced diet rich in nutrients supports overall brain health and helps restore chemical balance disrupted by substance abuse. Stress management techniques, such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and engaging in hobbies, can reduce the risk of relapse and reinforce new, healthier neural pathways.

Building a strong support network, participating in support groups, and staying connected with loved ones further enhance the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt. By making these positive lifestyle changes, individuals can accelerate their recovery journey and lay the groundwork for a healthier, more fulfilling life free from addiction.

Tips for Rewiring Your Brain

Rewiring your brain from addiction is no small feat. It will take time and patience, but with the right help and determination, you can help your brain heal and restore brain function.

Puffenberger, the PMHNP, provides the following tips to help you stay motivated:

• Be patient and kind to yourself. This is a challenging process that takes time. Celebrate small victories.
• Commit to recovery work every day, even when you don’t feel motivated. Consistency is key in rewiring.
• Identify triggers and develop strategies to avoid or manage them. Don’t rely on willpower alone.
• Make lifestyle changes to support recovery. Things like exercise, nutrition, sleep, and social connection all aid rewiring.
• Prioritize adequate sleep—aim for 7-8 hours each night—to support brain recovery and overall health.
• Maintain a healthy diet to support brain function, mood, and physical well-being during recovery.
• Get professional help through counseling, treatment programs, and/or support groups. You don’t have to do this alone.
• Keep going after setbacks. Lapses are common and don’t mean failure as long as you get back on track.
• Focus on building a meaningful, purpose-driven life. Finding purpose and meaning supports long-term recovery.
• Believe change is possible. Remain hopeful through this process. The brain can and will rewire in time.

Here to Help You Rewire Your Brain for the Better

If you’re looking to rewire your brain from addiction and lead a more meaningful life, you don’t have to do it alone. Treatment professionals at Legacy Healing Center are here to help you achieve lasting sobriety. The brain’s ability to heal and adapt through neuroplasticity means recovery is possible, even after substance abuse.

At Legacy, we believe in healing the mind, body, and spirit. Our holistic approach provides clinical therapy, proper medication management, aftercare, integration of life factors, and much more. The goal of treatment is to help the brain rewires for healthier functioning and long-term recovery.

Call 888-534-2295 today to speak with a staff member who can answer any questions you have about rewiring your brain and living in recovery.

Rewiring the Brain from Addiction FAQ

About the Author

Chloe Petruzzo

Chloe is a leading author in the addiction and recovery field. She has dedicated the last five years to helping those struggling with addiction and by inspiring others to live their legacy by sharing her personal story as a recovering alcoholic with ten years of sobriety.

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