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Overcoming Addictions
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Overcoming Addictions
Understanding Addiction in Laymen’s Terms
Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can be controlled to
some extent and also a brain disease. And since some testing with functional
magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) found that all addictions tend to cause nearly
the same reactions inside the brain, there could be one type of control model
for addiction health-related issues. In other words, just as there is one
disorder or disease labeled asthma, there would be one for addiction, covering
all addictions; gambling, smoking, overeating, drugs, etc. Then one main
treatment strategy or plan could be used to treat all addictions.
How addiction works in a nutshell is like this. The brain, the center of the
body’s nervous system, handles addiction by increasing dopamine levels in
response to increased reactions from behaviors, also referred to as compulsions,
like gambling or over eating, and / or in response to increased repeated
substance abuse, like from cocaine or alcohol. And this addiction affects the
three functioning processes of the nervous system; sensing, perceiving and
reacting. How? Let’s take a quick peak…
Dopamine, the chemical transmitter to the “pleasure center,” the place where
survival instincts like eating and reproduction focus in the brain, activates
cells individually or energizes them. Each energized cell in turn energizes
another cell, and so on down the line, resulting in a spontaneous or systematic
process of ecstasy or elation.
The problem is the brain doesn’t realize what it is that is causing the ecstasy
reaction. So when this flutter of activity increases the creation of dopamine
for the negative behaviors and substances like drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.,
it neglects the natural survival instinct reaction mechanisms, replacing them
with the ecstasy instead.
Note that also, depending upon the addiction, nervous system functions are
altered. So sensing, perceiving and reacting functions of individuals are
impeded. For example, alcohol is a depressant and slows down all of these
functions. So a drunk driver facing an immediate collision will in all
likelihood react slower than a healthy, alert driver. And whether or not the
addictive substances are inhaled, going into the lung system; or injected,
traveling via the blood system; or swallowed, entering the digestive system,
also affects different bodily reactions, responses and overall health.
One long-term effect is an increased tolerance level with dopamine reaching out
into other brain areas that cloud judgment and behavioral considerations and
choices. And ultimately depression results, even amidst opposing or negative
stimuli, like the negative effects of narcotics on behaviors and on the body /
mind and like trying to withdrawal or discontinue use.
Note: other long-term effects can include changing of the brain’s shape and
possible permanent brain damage, depending upon the addiction and length of
compulsive activity. And other health problems like cancer from cigarette
smoking can result.
Addiction summed up is: compulsive behavior despite negative consequences.
OTHER FACTORS IN ADDICTION
Of course no two people are 100 percent the same. So since internal genetic and
external environmental and behavioral factors and influences vary, so can
addiction issues with each person. In other words, a child born of an alcoholic
parent may have an altered or different brain chemistry or make up than a child
not born of an alcoholic. However, other factors need to be taken into account
with regards to whether or not and to what extent the child is susceptible to
addictive behaviors or substances. For instance, genetics, mental state and the
environmental setting of the child, especially during early developmental years
could all play key roles as to how the child or growing adult will react when
confronted with certain behaviors or instances.
So take for example a soldier. Surviving temporarily on the only remedy
available in hostile territory, he becomes addicted to morphine while outside
his element or home environment. Later he returns to his home environment. Will
he stay addicted to the morphine? Will it be difficult to stop using it?
The answers vary, depending upon the soldier’s predisposition or susceptibility
to addiction; his home environment, his mental state, his genetics with family
history, and other factors. In other words, if he came from a background of
living long-term with a family of addicts, socialized with addicts in his
neighborhood and school environments, and already battled with smoking
cigarettes, marijuana and other substances routinely, this soldier may have a
difficult time withdrawing from morphine. Whereas, a soldier who had never seen
addiction up close before, either in his family, neighbors, school friends,
etc., and who otherwise came back with a fairly healthy mental state, may be
able to stop using morphine with little or no problems and get back to his
“normal” routine.
Which leads to, “How can you tell if someone is addicted or not?
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