Dr. Anna Childress of the University of Pennsylvania describes a “stop,” “go” mechanism in the brain. The “go” system is the primal older part of the brain that responds to pleasure and pain – the mesolimbic reward system. The “stop” system is located in the frontal lobes of the brain and helps manage our impulses toward immediate rewards. The frontal lobes of adolescents, however, continue to develop into their twenties so that their initial reaction to alcohol and drugs, when pleasurable, is often not interrupted by the voice of reason. If the predisposition to addiction is present, the disease (which in adults can take decades to manifest) may then develop instantly. The disease is the same as for adults, but its physical, behavioral, and spiritual consequences come on much more quickly and with frightening consequences
