You do just know it. Period. If you ask the question or ever wonder...you probably are. There is no cure, there is no "recovered". Remission is a good way to put it.
I really think that there is a bit of truth in everyones interpretation.
Certainly there has to be certain and specific conditions in place to cause the brain to go into that craving addictive mode. Stress, inherent dispositions and environment are some of those factors..
When we are younger many of us were able to use and even abuse a substance without actually becoming addicted. Same drug, same person - years later, can, with a new set of conditions for the brain to tolerate kick the brain into the survival mode and addiction can result.When we are young, we have the highest amounts of dopamine and serotonin..both key players in the pattern recognition and response process...anyone watching children play, can see what joy and happiness can result from sufficient dopamine and serotonin..kids find joy in the simplest things....they have the perfect bio-balance.
as we age, as our hormones change, attitudes change based on life experience and environmental settings change, so too do these perfect levels of Dopamine and Serotonin..
without dopamine in our systems, we would be totally lethargic, and unable to react to any stimuli, even if our very lives depend on it..dopamine motivates action. Too much dopamine cant be contained inside the nucleus accumbens and overreaction to stimuli results...
Serotonin produces a sense of satiety..feelings of completeness..of having enough..being satisfied..etc...Without enough serotonin we are in a constant case of need..unhappiness..
when these two are out of whack , there is no regulatory system in place and feelings of "have to have it NOW" result..
Playing with drugs long term and playing with natural and unnatural serotonin and dopamine is playing with that delicate balance..( use of opiates, alcohol to alter our moods...)
Both Dopamine and Serotonin are neurotransmitters..but they also act as neuromodulators..Neuromodulators are basically filters, that allow more or less information to be processed.
it is the excess dopamine and serotonin OUTSIDE the nucleus accumbens that influence our ability to convert sensation into perception and perception into action ( or response )
Its the "I need" thought pattern that is the difference..Your brain under set conditions, think it needs something to survive. the fact that it isn't true, doesn't make any difference because your brain cant decipher between the conscious and subconscious thoughts- between what is real and what is perceived..
I absolutely 100% believe that all addiction..food sex, drugs, gambling are all caused by a complex chain reaction in the brain. When this system is triggered- it can cause the brain to trigger the survival mechanism....( Cravings )
The very fact that when we stop taking pills, we experience anxiety and withdrawal, teaches out brain that this is not a good thing, this is something it doesn't want to feel again. As a result, the brain releases more dopamine ( to motivates action to assure you do something about this...) and that along with low serotonin ( feelings of not having enough) cause the use of the addictive substance.
If i had to pick the biggest pre-cursor for addiction to occur i would say it is stress..under stress, the base line of dopamine and serotonin are altered, and if the stress is inescapable ( really anxious people that just cant find peace and calm and find stress everywhere..) then the levels may be altered perpetually..
If we can learn to detach and relax, the base line levels will in time go back to the predetermined perfect bio-balance...( everyone has a different balance )
Its nothing if not at least very interesting..too learn how our brains work..and I often wonder about an alcoholic or heroin addict getting amnesia...would they forget they were an addict? Hypnotherapy does work for some people and some addictions...
No matter what we think about why or how we became addicted to a substance, the one thing that everyone seems to agree on here is that addiction is not a character flaw or some kind of terrible moral weakness..
Hugs and Peace to all
Ali.
Certainly there has to be certain and specific conditions in place to cause the brain to go into that craving addictive mode. Stress, inherent dispositions and environment are some of those factors..
When we are younger many of us were able to use and even abuse a substance without actually becoming addicted. Same drug, same person - years later, can, with a new set of conditions for the brain to tolerate kick the brain into the survival mode and addiction can result.When we are young, we have the highest amounts of dopamine and serotonin..both key players in the pattern recognition and response process...anyone watching children play, can see what joy and happiness can result from sufficient dopamine and serotonin..kids find joy in the simplest things....they have the perfect bio-balance.
as we age, as our hormones change, attitudes change based on life experience and environmental settings change, so too do these perfect levels of Dopamine and Serotonin..
without dopamine in our systems, we would be totally lethargic, and unable to react to any stimuli, even if our very lives depend on it..dopamine motivates action. Too much dopamine cant be contained inside the nucleus accumbens and overreaction to stimuli results...
Serotonin produces a sense of satiety..feelings of completeness..of having enough..being satisfied..etc...Without enough serotonin we are in a constant case of need..unhappiness..
when these two are out of whack , there is no regulatory system in place and feelings of "have to have it NOW" result..
Playing with drugs long term and playing with natural and unnatural serotonin and dopamine is playing with that delicate balance..( use of opiates, alcohol to alter our moods...)
Both Dopamine and Serotonin are neurotransmitters..but they also act as neuromodulators..Neuromodulators are basically filters, that allow more or less information to be processed.
it is the excess dopamine and serotonin OUTSIDE the nucleus accumbens that influence our ability to convert sensation into perception and perception into action ( or response )
Its the "I need" thought pattern that is the difference..Your brain under set conditions, think it needs something to survive. the fact that it isn't true, doesn't make any difference because your brain cant decipher between the conscious and subconscious thoughts- between what is real and what is perceived..
I absolutely 100% believe that all addiction..food sex, drugs, gambling are all caused by a complex chain reaction in the brain. When this system is triggered- it can cause the brain to trigger the survival mechanism....( Cravings )
The very fact that when we stop taking pills, we experience anxiety and withdrawal, teaches out brain that this is not a good thing, this is something it doesn't want to feel again. As a result, the brain releases more dopamine ( to motivates action to assure you do something about this...) and that along with low serotonin ( feelings of not having enough) cause the use of the addictive substance.
If i had to pick the biggest pre-cursor for addiction to occur i would say it is stress..under stress, the base line of dopamine and serotonin are altered, and if the stress is inescapable ( really anxious people that just cant find peace and calm and find stress everywhere..) then the levels may be altered perpetually..
If we can learn to detach and relax, the base line levels will in time go back to the predetermined perfect bio-balance...( everyone has a different balance )
Its nothing if not at least very interesting..too learn how our brains work..and I often wonder about an alcoholic or heroin addict getting amnesia...would they forget they were an addict? Hypnotherapy does work for some people and some addictions...
No matter what we think about why or how we became addicted to a substance, the one thing that everyone seems to agree on here is that addiction is not a character flaw or some kind of terrible moral weakness..
Hugs and Peace to all
Ali.
It wasn't that way for me Ali...when I was younger, anything I used, I abused and became addicted too. It's that way for most addicts, sure it's a progressive disease but some, like me, progressed so much faster than I thought possible.
Lisa
Oh....hmm..there goes my theory..shot to helll...lol
thanks for reading it anyway...
hugs
Ali
Oh....hmm..there goes my theory..shot to helll...lol
thanks for reading it anyway...
hugs
Ali
Hey, there's nothing wrong with your theory, it just doesn't apply to me. lol
Have a great night honey!
Have a great night honey!
