Scientists, and to a small degree, the public are familiar with the damage to the brain caused by drug addiction. Meaning drugs introduced to the body from the outside.
Research has discovered that any addiction causes the same brain damage that drug addiction causes. Our brain is a natural pharmacy complete with computer sensors all through the body.
When a chemical is deficient, the brain sends a message to the pharmacist, who then sends the appropriate dosage to the region of the body in need. Recent research has taught us that many of the drugs on the outside of the body are also produced on the inside.
Most people know what an EpiPen is. Epinephrine is a drug used to induce the heart to run faster. It’s adrenaline from the outside. Have you ever gone on a scary ride at the fair or Disneyland? That’s adrenaline from the inside.
Cheri’s grandfather passed away from Parkinson’s disease, which is caused by a deficiency of dopamine in a key motor part of the brain. When pornography is viewed, dopamine is released by the brain. An inside drug.
Oxytocin is important in the production and release of breast milk and in producing uterine contractions necessary during childbirth. It’s an internal drug. It is responsible for human bonding and trust.
When a person is addicted, she has a rush when acting out her addiction. The rush comes from the brain pharmacy in the form of adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin each produced in large volume.
The stimulus is short lived and the body builds up a tolerance for the internal drugs. The computer sensors report back a surplus of drugs, so the brain reduces the supply. The demand is less and the body is now out of balance.
The craving, the drive, and the uncontrollable actions from this point on is part of being addicted. It’s a craving for a drug that isn’t being provided. The only path to relieve the pain is to act out the addiction again and again.
It’s a never-ending cycle. It’s painful and impossible to white knuckle the recovery with only pride as your companion.
Interesting subject. The marajuana users in my group like to talk about this.
Well explained and interesting. It takes the topic out of the emotional arena into the scientific.