Understanding addiction better

[razz]

http://ww3.tvo.org/video/175538/roots-addiction

The guests on this video included a neuroscientist who was a former drug addict, a philosopher who is a recovering alcoholic, a medical director of a food addiction 12-step centre and a clinical director of an addiction centre.

It seems that the research into addiction is yielding some substantial changes in professional thought and treatment. After watching this show I was amazed to realize that it is the same neurological response whether the addiction is to food, alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex.

First, one tries the addictive choice, gets a dopamine high which is gratifying and then repeats. Next, simply the thought of the addictive choice gives the high following a now-established neural pathway in the brain and then the choice becomes automatic or an unconscious response to the thought, generating a craving. Recycle and repeat and the person eventually becomes addicted.

Neuroscience has demonstrated that only through starting new neural pathways can we change our addictive response. It is all about choice, a fully conscious choice. With the thought of the addictive choice, choose that route or consciously say no and set up a new neural pathway. Repeat until it becomes established and do not revert to the old practice or neural pathway ever.

Is this what food diets try to do? Do diet programs help us make different choices that set up new neural pathways? I have found that by choosing what I eat, based only what I am prepared to write down, has made an amazing change in my diet with significant weight loss resulting and much better portion control which was my goal.

Do we fall off the diet once we no longer keep a record of what we eat?

[catherine]

Addiction is a very complex phenomenon--some people say it's behavioral, some psychosocial, some biological/biochemical--

I don't know! For people addicted to alcohol, the book Under The Influence talks about the neurological differences between a person who will become addicted to alcohol and the person who will not, and I tend to subscribe to that theory.

I don't like to mess around with new theories for alcohol addiction, since so many of my loved ones have been addicted. But at the same time, I did read a very interesting book recently called The Power of Habit which really speaks of addiction as being a behavioral response, just like Pavlov's dog's, where our habits can all be broken down to cue, response, reward and all we have to do is examine our response to certain cues and change them.

Seems a LITTLE too simple for me. But we all have our addictions... so who knows. Maybe we CAN just modify our behavior long enough to get out of those neuronal ruts. I personally believe that for those with chemical addictions like alcohol and drugs, it's a lot more than changing habits like driving around the block to avoid the bar you like to frequent. But I doubt I'll ever really know.

I do highly recommend The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

BTW: I am watching the video now.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Maybe drugs [whatever addiction] give them pleasure they just don't get from anything else? Isn't that really the explanation? Though sooner or latter you're reckoning with long term consequences ... well maybe when they outweigh it ...


Neuroscience has demonstrated that only through starting new neural pathways can we change our addictive response. It is all about choice, a fully conscious choice. With the thought of the addictive choice, choose that route or consciously say no and set up a new neural pathway. Repeat until it becomes established and do not revert to the old practice or neural pathway ever.

But where do you get the motive to stay on that path? It's hard for the "just say no" pathway to compete with the pathway that actually had a dopamine reward, right? I've seen people use artificial supports for this, such as the AA one year anniversery, but then that's over, and what do you use to continue?


where our habits can all be broken down to cue, response, reward and all we have to do is examine our response to certain cues and change them

and forego the reward right? The problematic part.

Btw not addicted to anything here, except maybe sweets.

[catherine]

I just finished watching the video--it was really good. It had four points of view that were all very credible and reasonable. Thanks for sharing it!

In terms of the reward, ANM, one of the things that one of the panel members said was that people who have cirrhosis and are going to die will still not stop drinking. Part of it is that balance and what people are willing to pay for the desired reward.

Just today I bought a Greyhound ticket for my alcoholic, drug-addicted brother to get out of Florida, where the lifestyle would have killed him. Of course, he may die anyway in CT closer to family, but what reward does he have to look forward to in return for giving up alcohol? He has no job, he has no wife or children, he has no responsibilities. But he does have the nearly-always available anesthesia of alcohol.

At the same time, my father DID have a lot to lose: a house he built himself, 4 children, a beautiful wife, a love of reading and knowledge and a talent as an artist and a business. And he chose to lose it all, dying at 43 as a bum in the Bowery.

The scale has to be tipped just right for people to choose to put in the time to change those neuronal pathways. It is not a simple algorithm--as one of the panel members said: you can't touch one part of the elephant and claim you have the answer.