The Physiology of Addiction

On the topic of addiction, the late stand-up comedian and irreverent social critic, George Carlin is once quoted as saying, “just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.” Implied in his statement is the idea that like many of humankind’s tribulations, the causes and ramifications of addiction are varied, complicated and to a great extent, not fully understood. What we know for sure is that, if unaddressed and left to progress naturally, addiction will negatively impact a person’s relationship with friends‒family‒employers, put them at greater risk for legal and financial issues, result in feelings of guilt and shame, increase the likelihood of developing serious health problems, and may even lead to premature death. Addiction can take the form of physical and psychological dependence of a substance like alcohol, drugs, prescription medications, aerosol inhalants and the like. It can also be viewed as continuing to be engaged in an activity, despite the negative consequences that result from it. http://truthaboutcellulite.iscookin.com/

These include, but are not limited to: gambling, sex or pornography, the internet, cutting or self-mutilation, hoarding, exercising, binging and purging. The cause of addiction is multi-factorial and encompasses biological, psychological and environmental factors. The goal of this article is not to address all of these aspects in detail, but instead, to hone in specifically on substance abuse and the physiology that accompanies it. Defining Addiction What is an addiction? Unfortunately, attempting to answer this can be as difficult as battling the disease itself. Yes I said disease, because according to a 1992 article authored by Morse & Flavin, and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 68, No. 8: “Addiction is a primary, progressive, chronic DISEASE with genetic, psychosocial and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations.” [AddictionRecoveryBasics.com] In reality there are as many definitions for addiction, as there are addictive substances and the disorders they create. Here’s what the American Society of Addiction Medicine says on the topic: “Addiction is a primary, chronic DISEASE of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations.” [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction] Even the American Medical Association agrees with the term, officially classifying ALCOHOL abuse as a disease in 1966 and the same for DRUG abuse in 1974. In conventional medicine, a disorder is recognized as a disease, only if it meets the medical model for disease which has four criteria. Specifically, the condition must be… • Primary – a disorder of its own; not resulting from another disease • Progressive – gets worse over time • Chronic – continues for a long time • Fatal – if allowed to progress will result in complications that can lead to death Wired to Survive Like other animals on this planet, humans are driven by two primal motivators – pain and pleasure. This immutable truth of human existence allows us not only to survive, but to thrive as a species. In a very real sense, humans are hard-wired to seek reward and avoid discomfort, making pleasure-seeking and pain-avoidance a normal, natural, instinctive human trait. For instance, our fear of heights lets us know that it’s dangerous to get too close to the edge of a cliff, less we slip and fall. Additionally, our avoidance of predators lets us know to stay away from lions and alligators in the wild, less we become their prey for the day. http://truthaboutcellulite.craftsaholic.com/

Conversely, our drive to consume food keeps us nourished and alive, as does our instinctual desire for sex, which helps us propagate the species. CNS – The Master Communicator This process is controlled by the Central Nervous System (CNS) which consists of two main components, the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is responsible for integrating sensory information and responding accordingly. It does so by producing and releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters which facilitate the transmission of signals from one nerve cell (neuron) to another, across a microscopic gap called a synapse. In the brain, these chemical messengers fall into two categories, excitatory, which stimulate the receptors receiving a message, and inhibitory, which help block the message from being transmitted. Release one type of neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft and you feel confident, excited and ready to take on the world. Release another and you feel calm, relaxed and happy. Both are equally important and both must be in balance for the body to function properly. For example, dopamine, a key neurotransmitter that has both excitatory and inhibitory receptors, plays an important role in mental health. Too much dopamine in the brain can lead to schizophrenia, and too little is associated with Parkinson’s. The Addicted Brain In a healthy brain, the production, release and uptake of these behavior-influencing chemicals is carefully orchestrated, with mechanisms in place to assure that the neurons release and receive the correct neurotransmitter, in the right amount, at the appropriate time. In someone with an addiction, alcohol, drugs and other substances of abuse target the CNS and mount a hostile takeover of sorts over the pain–pleasure centers of the brain. According to a 2004 article in Scientific America titled; “The Addicted Brain”, research shows that chronic use “induces changes in the structure and function of the system’s neurons that last for weeks, months or years.” In chronic abusers, these biochemical changes can become permanent and turn desire into dependence which then turns into compulsion. As anyone who’s suffered with years of addiction will tell you, the insidiousness of this disease is that many addicts feel compelled to continue using, despite the consequences… just to feel normal. This is a big reason why so many who have fallen into addiction find it so difficult to get and stay clean.http://truthaboutcellulite.beautifulmakings.com/