Understanding Addiction

In order to grasp a basic understanding of the addictive process, it is necessary, first, to take a closer look at how our mind, body, and behaviors work together. Although genetics do play a role in the addictive process, there are a number of other influences that are just as important to understand in order to better comprehend the addictive process.

The fact of the matter is that we all have the genetic make up to become an addict whether it is with alcohol, drugs, food, or some other compulsive habit. Yes, all of us. However, the big question remains as to why do some of us become addicted and others don’t. How is it that some of your loved one’s friends were able to put down the substance or obsessive habit and move on with the rest of their life and your loved one continued in a downward tailspin? The answers continue to evolve; however, research has been able to shed some light on some of these often asked questions.

Pain and Discomfort

Research has shown that the pain sensors in our body outnumber the pleasure sensors by a ratio of ten to one. Our body does not like any type of pain or discomfort whatsoever. In essence, our body is hardwired to avoid any pain or discomfort at any cost. As a result of this hardwiring, our body, or more succinctly our brain, has the ability to offset this discomfort and pain through a series of biochemical processes that produces a number of neurotransmitters that are intended to give us a sense of pleasure and well being. In a sense, the mind and the body work together in creating a balance. Remember that tedious, boring day at work. Well that daydream of a wonderful experience you had or those thoughts of who you might be spending the evening with produced enough neurotransmitters of well-being in the brain to take the edge off, sort to speak, in order to get through the rest of the day and to accomplish the tasks at hand. Although this mind-body connection seems to make sense, the question still remains as to how one person becomes addicted and another. The problem arises when the brain begins to produce too much of these neurotransmitters of well being.

Dopamine

Although there are a number of neurotransmitters that have been implicated in the addictive process, dopamine seems to be one that has received special attention. Dopamine is one of those neurotransmitters that gives a person an intense feeling of well being and pleasure. Although these neurotransmitters are a natural function of the brain to offset discomfort, a person’s behavior can also manipulate our body’s dopamine production. Food can raise dopamine levels by as much as 25%. The term “comfort food” takes on a whole new meaning. How many times have you reached for that piece of chocolate in times of stress for a sense of relief? Sex increases our dopamine levels by as much as 50% which may account for a growing preoccupation with sexuality and pornography. Internet pornography is one of the fastest growing addictions in our society. Drugs of abuse, however, begin to set a whole new standard for pleasure. Marijuana increases our dopamine levels by as much as a 150%; cocaine by as much as 300%; and the grand daddy of them all, “crack” cocaine and methamphetamines (crystal meth), by as much as 1100%. It is no wonder that people have become dependent on these substances for a source of pleasure. The payoff is rapid and effective.

When We Are Happy, We Are Stupid!

So, what is the problem with feeling good? The problem does not lie with the sensations of feeling good. Everybody needs to feel good. In fact feeling good is the driving force of human motivation. We need to feel good. The problem lies with what the excessive amounts of dopamine can do to our brain in the quest to feel good. Research has shown excessive amounts of dopamine in the brain actually impairs the orbital frontal cortex, the thinking part of our brain, to where our judgment becomes impaired. Think of the times that you had ever taken a risk in your life. In many of those instances, not all of course, you were feeling very confident and secure in your decision. In essence, you felt good about making the decision. How many times after taking that risk, you said to yourself, “What was I thinking?” or I don’t know what happen. I wasn’t thinking.” It may very well been the dopamine affecting your judgment. Not that the impairment is all that noticeable at first particularly if we are eating that piece of chocolate to feel a bit of comfort. The fact remains that there is some degree of impairment due to the flow of dopamine to the thinking part of the brain.

Now when it comes to drugs of abuse, it becomes a totally different story. What we are talking about now is a tidal wave of dopamine flooding the thinking part of the brain to where the thinking part of the brain begins to lose all sense of judgment, sound decision making, and control. Literally, this tidal wave of dopamine begins a process of breaking down the control functions in our brain to the point a person is not able to determine when enough is enough. In all actuality, it is at this point, the brain begins to focus on more not nearly being enough.

The Addictive Process

This addictive process starts when the brain gets that influx of dopamine from that external source, whether it is from a substance, like chocolate or cocaine, or even from a behavior such as gambling, the mind and body can stop the natural production of dopamine leaving the body depleted of these pain fighting substances. Now, what is the person left with? Remember the pain sensors? In many instances the person is left with a lot of discomfort and pain. Since it is inherent for all humans to avoid this pain and discomfort, the tendency is for the mind and body to work in simpatico in trying to get the relief to quiet these pain sensors. The problem that happens though is that the mind and the body have already established a fool proof way of relieving this pain and discomfort. Patterns of behavior have a tendency to become engrained in certain neuronal pathways of the brain. In a way, a person develops a “knee jerk” response to the pain. So one piece of chocolate becomes two, one cocktail leads to two cocktails, smoking a joint after work to relax leads to smoking a joint before work to relax, and the cycle deepens and becomes more engrained in both the mind and the body.

Drugs Are Not the Problem, They Have Been the Solution

In most instances, people stumble into this process of addiction. Although some may be more genetically predisposed and arrive at a much faster pace given their genetic makeup regardless of the time they start using, the process of addiction remains pretty much the same for all humans. The National Institute of Health estimates that approximately 85% of all adolescents are experimenting with drugs and alcohol. These statistics have not changed for the past twenty years. The question is no longer whether my kid is drinking or drugging, the more important question is whether my kid is going to whether the storm and not get trapped in the engrained patterns of neuronal behavior that lead to addiction.

The question remains, however, as to why our youth are so fascinated with experimenting with substances. Although it can be argued that our society has glamorized the use of drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and other behaviors, this argument doesn’t necessarily hold true completely since this seemingly has been an aged old phenomena.

The answer seems to lie in part to the pain sensors that we all have. Adolescence is without question a turbulent time for an individual. Given even an ideal living situation, a person still has to struggle with hormonal changes, changes in brain development, the struggle with independence, the desire to establish a sexual identity, just to name a few, which all contribute to a great deal of stress which in turn triggers a person’s pain sensors and level of discomfort. Now we add in certain external influences such as divorce, blended families, economic relocation, poverty, peer group pressure, a lack of education, and a general need to fit in and now the pain sensors are not only exposed but are conceivably being rubbed raw. This is usually the time that a person begins to experiment with substances. And the start of use is usually not directly associated with the discomfort the person may be experiencing. Typically the introduction of drug and alcohol use is innocent by itself. It usually starts with curiosity or what the person has been exposed to via the peer group or family. However, the result of this innocent curiosity renders an immediate effect. The person feels good. Although some would argue that their first experience with drugs and alcohol was not a pleasant experience, the pleasure that person experienced with fitting in or being a part of a peer group was undeniable. In either case, the person found a way to feel good. The person found a dopamine source that was immediate and effective. As a result, the person begins to cut off their natural sources of pleasure that come from life goals, relationships, family and career just to name a few. The individual slowly becomes involved in a web of deceit and obsession that eventually leads to destruction.

The Solution

The solution begins with not taking control of your addictive behavior, although this is important in the beginning, it is a matter of taking control of one’s life. It is how one balances the mind, body, and spirit in all aspects on one’s endeavors that leads to a sense of well being and that leads to the natural dopamine sources.