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Faryal Wasti Malcolm Campbell English 1103 03 December 2013 Self-Rewarding Martha is a mother of a little baby boy, and works full time as a baker downtown. Martha has a mother and a father who help her support her son while she is away at work. One of Marthas pass-times includes eating her kitchen wall. Thats right. Martha has been consuming the wall in her kitchen and that too for the past 3 years! Why is she doing this? What made her start? Why does she continue to, it sure as hell must not be healthy! It turns out, that Martha does not have the answers to these questions. She does not know why she depends on the drywall in her kitchen. She does not know how it all started, and she really doesnt know how to stopalthough she has desperately tried. It turns out, that all of these signs indicate that Martha has an addiction to drywall. What is an addiction? What causes such severe cases and why can individuals not come back from it? Merriam-Webster defines addiction as a compulsive need for use of a habit-forming substance, characterized by tolerance and physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addictions can range from drinking coffee every morning to heroin dependency. To get to the bottom of what causes such addictions in human beings, the neurological reasoning for what triggers certain chemical reactions in the brain will be viewed. According to Medical News Today, addictive behavior is caused when a substance releases a reward neurotransmitter through the brain, known as dopamine. Individuals with heavy addictions have relied on a dopamine releasing substance for so long that the bodys

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tolerance level has increased (How is Addiction Diagnosed). Therefore, it takes more of the addictive substance to receive pleasure, and the brain becomes incapable of releasing the dopamine neurotransmitter without the addictive substance. I had learned a bit about the reward center and dopamine in AP Psychology last year, and found it interesting that the same neurological imbalances cause addictions ranging from smoking to extremes like cocaine. It is proven that most people with an addiction are in denial about their condition. Most do not believe they have a problem, that whatever it is that they are doing is by choice and not physical or psychological need. According to Candace Plattor, a Canadian clinical psychologist, there are different methods used by addicts in denial of their problem. There is rationalizing, where one convinces him or herself that they are allowed to reward themselves time to time. There is blaming; for example, you would have cheated too if you had a wife like mine. There is minimizing, which includes thoughts such as, so what if I drink and do pot every day, at least Im not doing heroin. And the most common self-delusion- the belief that one can stop whenever they feel like it (Is Your Addiction). In fact, according to Medical News Today, the main difference between an addiction and a habit is that a habit can be controlled, and stopped whenever wanted, while an addiction cannot (How is Addiction Diagnosed). In a habit there is no psychological issue or dependency on a substance, and the brain functions the same way as a non-addicts brain. While an addicts brain physiology is completely different with increased and decreased activity in many parts, and overtime- overall function. So what are the neurological reasons behind addiction? How can some individuals discontinue their addictive habits and some not? According to the article, The Chemical Carousel, the physical appearance of an addicts and non-addicts brain is significantly different. This means that in different day to day functions, there are different reactions occurring for the

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same processes, with different effects on behavior and cognitivity. For example, two people are eating food. Although their actions are the same, their brains are different because one is an addict and the other is not. The non-addict will stop eating when full because he has normal amounts of chemical being released to inform him when to stop, while the addict will either eat too much or too little, because the chemical release has been altered due to an addictive substance. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain just past the barrier of our forehead that is involved in decision making. Primates and other animals with small-to no prefrontal cortexes, cannot think actively and abstractly (The Chemical Carousel). Now we know that alcohol and drugs can impair an individuals decision and reasoning ability quite a bit. That means these substances affect an individuals decision making and reasoning ability by affecting the prefrontal cortex of the brain (Rogers). Damage to the cortex is done once an individual takes in a harmful substance such as drugs or alcohol. This leads to the cortex being unable to function on its own. This in return, causes the poor-decision making cycle of continuing to participate in addictive behavior, because the individuals decision making center has been impaired with overusing a harming substance. The damaged cortex does not however actually cause the person to be addicted to the substance; rather it is the release of serotonin and dopamine which does. Serotonin and dopamine are the reward neurotransmitters located in the mid-brain. This means that they reinforce behavior at the neurological and chemical level. According to the primary research article, Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making, dopamine and serotonin work together to reinforce natural, unconditioned behaviors, such as eating, in humans so that we continue to carryout acts that keep us alive (Rogers). For example, food is good and it makes us feel good because dopamine is the neurotransmitter released when we eat. Eventually, we want to keep feeling this natural high, and therefore we continue to eat for the rest of our

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lives. When alcohol or drugs are consumed, they cause the mid-brain to release excess dopamine neurotransmitters, taking the individual to the next level of that feel-good state. While dopamine makes it seem like youre in a state of high, risk-taking environment, serotonin leaves one feeling relaxed and chill in a way (When the Thrill is Gone). Of course it is another feel-good neurotransmitter, so the activities that cause serotonin to be released are reinforced overtime. Dopamine and Serotonin are two neurotransmitters that were evolutionarily adapted by humans to keep us in routine of doing things that help our body remain healthy, and ultimately keep us alive. Food and sleep for example, release these neurotransmitters giving a sense of natural high and happiness, reinforcing this behavior and causing us to continue it. These are the same neurotransmitters that are released by drugs and alcohol, and when taken in excess amounts, can cause one to become dependent on them in order to feel the high. This natural high eventually causes addiction to occur overtime, if not instantaneously. For example, it can take either a couple of cigarettes with friends to become addicted to smoking, or one can fall into a bottomless pit after the first puff. It all depends on the individuals personal tolerance. There are two different types of addictions that are known of as of now. The scientifically acknowledged branch is substance addiction. Substance addiction is the abuse of some type of substance, for example drugs and alcohol as the most common. The second type of addiction is behavioral addiction, which is acting on compulsive behavior without much control. Behavioral addiction is not considered a real type of addiction by most people, including some psychologists, and is a much newer thought as compared to substance addition which has been around for a while. Examples of behavioral addiction include eating disorders, internet addiction, and hyper-sexualized behavior (The Common Denominator). Marc Lewis, Ph.D. in addicted-

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brains suggests that behavioral addictions should be officially accepted as a type of addiction because the brain processes involved are the same in substance addiction as well. Lewis states that the commonality between the two types of addictions is the compulsion that the addicts have (The Common Denominator). Behavior addicts can be compulsive gamers, while substance addicts can be compulsive smokers. Both have the same parts of their brain activated and impacted by these two branches of addiction. Dr. James Fineberg, a well-recognized researcher, says that the ventral regions of the prefrontal cortex, show less connection over time, and the brains ability to control itself becomes less to nonexistent- depending on the extremity of the addiction (The Common Denominator). This can be seen in the previous information given, that the prefrontal cortex- the decision making part of the brain- is impaired when under substance abuse. Now we know that this neurological reasoning is the same for behavioral addiction as well. Addicts show increased brain activity in the amygdala oblongata, which is the part of the brain which controls emotional conditioning. There is also a lower activation in the nucleus accumbens, which is the part of the brain that seeks rewards (The Common Denominator). The emotional attachment to a substance or behavior constitutes for the compulsive behavior in an addict. There is always a need for the addictive substance whether it is the internet or a cigarette. Once the body has a higher tolerance of the addictive behavior or substance, there is more required to receive the reward that the nucleus accumbens causes your body to seek. This results in a cycle of addictive behavior because a proper decision cannot be made, there is emotional attachment to the addiction, and more is needed every time. The different neurological chemicals involved in addiction are now known, and how they work to create an addict. However, what about those of us who do not become addicts? What

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about the individuals who can actually try a cigarette once or twice and realize its not for them while most individuals get hooked after one hit? According to Harvard Health, some people have reward systems that are more vulnerable to stress, and therefore cause addictive behavior to occur quicker. Studies show a correlation of addictions being higher in those individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and are antisocial or have borderline personality disorder (The Addicted Brain). From prior knowledge of the brains physiology that Ive learned from AP Psychology, all of the disorders listed above are hereditary to some extent, meaning that people can be predisposed to addiction. In a twin and adoption study form Harvard, it was shown that about 50% of addiction was hereditary. Tests were also done on mice and those with an extra gene for production of a nerve cell protein were more vulnerable to a cocaine addiction. There is also a gene that reduces the amount of dopamine released when an addictive substance is taken, which is considered a genetic defense against addiction (The Addicted Brain). Environmental factors that create addicts also have to do with the brain. The prefrontal cortex helps an individual determine when it would be unwise to take a drug due to the amount of pleasure that is recorded by the nucleus accumbens. It then suppresses the urge (The Addicted Brain). So naturally, if the prefrontal cortex is not working properly due to the effect of drugs, it cannot keep an individual in check- suppressing the need to take in an addictive substance despite the overflow of the brains feel-good neurotransmitters. From AP Psychology I learned that the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed in young adults, which could then explain why addictions are easily developed at a younger age. The difference between an adolescent picking drinking and an adult drinking is that the adolescent will get hooked on the feeling of being drunk, while the adult can be responsible and only drink a few times when appropriate. Also, a statistic showed that a person who does not smoke before the prefrontal cortex is developed,

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around the age of 21, then will most probably never get addicted to nicotine (The Addicted Brain). So a person is addicted to some type of substance that is putting their life in jeopardy. Now what? Most likely this individual will seek help at some point, either on their own or because of pressure from family and friends. Researchers from Harvard University have tested a drug that binds to dopamine receptors and prevents addictive drugs from acting. However, these drugs interfere with the bodys natural reward system and can majorly disrupt an individual (The Addicted Brain). Personally, I believe that this drug could make getting over an addiction much easier for many people at some point in time, if it is altered and tested to only prevent addictive substances from reaching the dopamine receptors. As of now, I think that the losses outweigh the benefits because although there are more difficult ways to get over an addiction, at least they do not mess with the bodys natural reward system- which basically gives us the desire and will to live. Safer alternatives to this drug are therapy, rehabilitation centers, and lots of support from loved ones. The biggest problem for recovering addicts is eventually relapsing According to drugabuse.org, forty to sixty percent of recovering addicts relapse at some point in their lives, and they should be treated and taken care of the same way as they would if it was their first time as an addict (Addiction Science). The damage to the brain has been done at this point and it is very difficult to not go back to the addictive substance, but it is not impossible if treated early on.

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Work Cited "Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care." Relapse Rates for Drug Addiction Are Similar to Those of Other Well-characterized Chronic Illnesses. National Institute on Drug Abuse, July 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. "All About Addiction." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. "How Is Addiction Diagnosed." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. "Is Your Addiction Making Your Life Miserable?" Addictions Counselling, Vancouver, BC, Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders, Alcohol, Addictive Behaviour. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Lewis, Mark. "The Common Denominator." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 01 July 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. Lewis, Mark. "When the Thrill Is Gone: Reward Deficiency Syndrome." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.
Merriam-Webster. Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.

Rogers, Robert D. "Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. "The Addicted Brain." Harvard Health Publications. Harvard Medical School, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013. "The Chemical Carousel." The Chemical Carousel. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.