No one starts using Meth because he or she craves it. Craving develops over the course of use. As we've seen, using Meth releases large amounts of dopamine, creating intense pleasure. The brain automatically associates or "connects" the people, places, things, and emotions surrounding Meth use with this powerful feeling of pleasure. We call these "triggers" for using Meth. For an addicted Meth user, thinking about or coming into contact with these triggers will actually cause a release of dopamine in the brain, which creates a powerful craving for Meth. Triggers generally fall into two categories: external triggers, which are the people, places, and things that users have associated with Meth use; and internal, or emotional triggers, which are intense emotional states (anger, fear, joy, desire, etc.) that often occur in association with Meth use.