What is addiction?
Addiction is a disease in which a person continues to use a substance, or engage in a behavior compulsively, even though the continued use of that substance or behavior results in negative consequences for that person.
Why would anyone continue to do something that has negative consequences unless there is an overwhelming compulsion to do so? You know what you are doing will hurt you in some way...physically, emotionally, mentally, financially...and yet you continue to do it. What else would you call this sort of behavior? Well, I don't know about you, but I call it one of 2 things: crazy or addiction. Essentially, the brain of the addict is altered PHYSICALLY by exposure to a substance. These physical changes result in BEHAVIORAL changes that the person cannot control while their disease is active.
Does this mean they can never control their behavior or that they are not responsible for their actions?
Of course not. Anyone who is recovering from an addiction will tell you they accept responsibility for all their actions, even when they are "using". But they will also tell you they are responsible for their recovery as well. Once the diagnosis of addiction is made, and the person has gone through treatment, they are responsible for doing the things that keep them clean and sober. Going to support groups, talking with other people who are also "in recovery", reading recovery related literature...these are all of the "medications" the recovering addict must use to remain in recovery. The other important thing the recovering addict must do is to abstain from mood altering substances. Since the brain has been altered by chronic chemical use and abuse, it is possible to trigger these abnormal, out of control behaviors by using mood altering substances. This includes avoiding alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and other similar subtances.
In early recovery, the brain lacks a substance called DOPAMINE. This substance is key in experiencing pleasure. In the normal brain, a variety of t hings can cause the release of dopamine, thereby resulting in the sensation of PLEASURE. Some of these activities include sex, eating, laughing, playing sports, watching a movie, reading a good book, doing a good job, and many other things. In someone who has been abusing substances, their brain "uses up" their dopamine stores. Therefore, when they do things that would normally cause pleasure, they feel nothing! This is known as ANHEDONIA, or the inability to feel pleasure. This is one of the main reasons a person will relapse during early recovery. Nothing they do provides pleasure. But they do know this...if they take their "drug of choice", they will experience pleasure because the drug directly stimulates their pleasure centers. It takes time for their brain to begin producing enough dopamine to experience pleasure from "normal" activities. It is during this crucial early stage of recovery that relapse is most common. It is also when abstinence is most important, since it is the continued use of the substance that prevents the addicts brain from rebuilding it's dopamine stores.
For excellent information, interviews, and resources, please visit the links below. These links take you to the HBO web site where you will find information from the grounbreaking series entitled ADDICTION.
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