Brain is like a team of rivals. For brain to function at its best there must be a balance. Addiction is a reward deficit disorder which disturbs the brain fundamental motivational and reward system. The balance is lost somewhere. Addiction is a struggle between the prefrontal cortex (the rational and higher functioning part of the brain) with the primitive limbic system (the emotional and motivational part of the brain-reward system). Addiction exudes a huge array of behavioral problems, intrusive thoughts and cravings and ultimately results in rewiring of the brain circuits. There are very diverse chemical substance which can cause addiction for eg opiates, cocaine, amphetamine, MDMA, PCP, Marijuana, tobacco, alcohol and a whole bunch of other chemicals. One could also get addicted to a particular kind of food, love, sex, pornography etc. An addict loses control over the substance use; there is compulsive seeking and increased risk of relapse despite years of abstinence. It is now evident that despite very diverse substances which can cause addiction each of these share a common biology. The trouble is, it could take years to figure out if you’re an addict. The truth is, in some cases you may never be able to find out.
The reward system which goes back to 600 million years is very primitive and also key to survival. Our ancestors could survive because they were rewarded through their behavior- food and sex. But today our brain has easy access to a huge variety of substance which leads to skyrocketing of neurotransmitter level in the brain .We are perhaps not designed for this easy overstimulation. The brain being an extremely malleable energy rich organ gets remapped and rewired upon substance abuse. A whole new set of thought patterns and behavior are created due to the alteration in the brain circuits. Addiction arises out of the compulsion, the need, the craving to take a drug despite the negative consequences that become apparent: the loss of a job or a family, the alienation of friends or loved ones. To reach their level of pseudo normalcy different addicts have different drugs of choice.. In the absence of a proper neurochemical cocktail, addicts can suffer from anxiety, a sense of unease or a feeling of incompleteness. Finding the drug that equalizes their neurotransmitter shortage makes them feel better, at least at first.
Once the body normalizes to having a drug, or a certain level of dopamine in the system, a physical dependence develops. The brain gets damaged and rewired considerably over a period of time so much so that in order to achieve the same pleasure now a higher dosage of the substance is required.
Addiction rarely gets treated and relapse rates are extremely high. The first step towards addiction management is to observe the cravings and acknowledge them. Do not suppress your cravings. Acknowledge and refocus your attention. Recent findings have suggested that certain nutrients in food and change of space lead to refocusing from addiction and amelioration of some of the aspects of addiction. The current medicines changes brain neurochemistry but rarely address the rewiring issue. There has to be a concerted effort in addiction research which would lead to evidence based –data driven methods else one drug will replace another and the vulnerability for addiction will persist with the individual.
The reward system which goes back to 600 million years is very primitive and also key to survival. Our ancestors could survive because they were rewarded through their behavior- food and sex. But today our brain has easy access to a huge variety of substance which leads to skyrocketing of neurotransmitter level in the brain .We are perhaps not designed for this easy overstimulation. The brain being an extremely malleable energy rich organ gets remapped and rewired upon substance abuse. A whole new set of thought patterns and behavior are created due to the alteration in the brain circuits. Addiction arises out of the compulsion, the need, the craving to take a drug despite the negative consequences that become apparent: the loss of a job or a family, the alienation of friends or loved ones. To reach their level of pseudo normalcy different addicts have different drugs of choice.. In the absence of a proper neurochemical cocktail, addicts can suffer from anxiety, a sense of unease or a feeling of incompleteness. Finding the drug that equalizes their neurotransmitter shortage makes them feel better, at least at first.
Once the body normalizes to having a drug, or a certain level of dopamine in the system, a physical dependence develops. The brain gets damaged and rewired considerably over a period of time so much so that in order to achieve the same pleasure now a higher dosage of the substance is required.
Addiction rarely gets treated and relapse rates are extremely high. The first step towards addiction management is to observe the cravings and acknowledge them. Do not suppress your cravings. Acknowledge and refocus your attention. Recent findings have suggested that certain nutrients in food and change of space lead to refocusing from addiction and amelioration of some of the aspects of addiction. The current medicines changes brain neurochemistry but rarely address the rewiring issue. There has to be a concerted effort in addiction research which would lead to evidence based –data driven methods else one drug will replace another and the vulnerability for addiction will persist with the individual.