Primitive brain prevail under stress

April 3, 2014

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Understanding the Science of Stress

Stress is a serious impediment in our society it cuts across all sectors of life in humanity

You probably have seen or heard stories of people displaying almost unimaginable mighty strength (superhuman-like powers) when confronted with an emergency situation?

If you haven’t then listen to the story of Lindy shared in class one day: “She raised her hand and told of a time when her mother and sister were out working on their farm. Her mother was driving a big farm machine designed to cut the hay that was growing in their field. She didn’t see the youngster playing in the tall wheat stocks. Accidentally, she ran over her young daughter with this big farm machine. Noticing the unusual sensation as she struck her daughter, she stopped the loud engine and hurried off to see what she had run over. Realizing it was her daughter, she panicked not knowing what to do. There was no one around to help. In a moment of extreme alarm, she lifted the very heavy machine off her daughter and pulled her out with one mighty motion. Once she pulled her child out from underneath the machine, she picked her up, and ran all the way back to the farmhouse to call for help”. Afterwards, the mother collapsed from exhaustion, unable to generate any energy. In those few moments of her daughter’s peril, she had become superwoman.

How can we explain this super-human response that releases power and strength beyond anything we have imagined or previously experienced? What physical and psychological factors are responsible for these amazing abilities?

Primitive brain prevail under stress-The Science of Stress

In the last 50 years we have seen a surge of research on stress. Discovering what actually happens in your body and your mind will help you understand the mechanics behind the stress prevention and management skills you will be learning. This knowledge on the science and theory of stress is captivating and provides strong, credible support for understanding why and how stress management techniques work. Based on this knowledge you will come to understand that you use good stress management skills not just because they feel good, but because they are good science, good medicine.

Why do you feel stress in the first place? What is the purpose of this complex interaction of nerves, muscles, hormones, organs and systems that leads to such unpleasant symptoms as sore muscles, headaches and feelings of emotional upset and a host of other side effects? To answer these questions, we need to go back a few thousand years to see what life was like back then. This will help us understand how our bodies are programmed to respond to threat and danger.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Stress and the Big Bear

Put yourself in the following imaginary scenario: Imagine that you and I live in a place and time where we find no trace of modern conveniences. We have no comfortable homes, no telephones or television, no indoor plumbing, no electricity, no cars to move us around, none of our modern day comforts. For the sake of this article, let’s say that we live in caves or in huts that are out in the “wilds” of some undeveloped area.

Imagine that I have invited you over to my cave because we just killed some big animal and are having a barbeque. Several of our friends are here outside of my cave just having a pleasant time. I have supplied the group with some croquet mallets and balls and we are playing a little croquet on my front lawn. Like I said, we are having a great time.

We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves when, at some point, we notice some rustling of bushes in the distance and then, charging mightily, or hungrily, toward us emerges a huge ferocious-looking bear. This enormous creature has smelled our picnic and wants some of it for himself. He is a menacing creature that could easily put us out of commission with a single swipe of his mighty forearms.

As you imagine yourself in this scenario, one of the first thoughts that will likely pop into your mind is something like, “Uh-Oh! I am in trouble here!” “I am in danger and I am likely to experience some pain!” These immediate thoughts will be followed closely by the next thought, “RUN!” You sense the immediate need to get away from danger. You don’t want to be its dinner. Your next thought might be, “I need to kill this creature to protect my family, myself, and my friends!” “Fight”

The immediate effect of these thoughts is a physiological response that prepares the body to either run with incredible speed, or fight with incredible strength. This response is known as the fight-or-flight response.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Fight-or-Flight Response

An exciting flood of physiological processes in the body immediately takes place automatically and precisely after the initial thought of “Uh-Oh!” It is a state of physiological and psychological hyperarousal. A cascade of nervous system firings and release of stress hormones lead to immediate responses that help the person deal with danger either by fighting or running. As you read in Lindy’s story in the opening vignette, the fight-or-flight response can be activated to protect both ourselves and others when we perceive danger.

This response is amazingly complex, involving interactions between many organs and systems in our body. While it is not necessary for you to understand every detail of these complex interactions, it is important to understand the science of what is happening in your body and mind when your stress response is activated. You can use this information to guide you in developing an individualized program to prevent and manage stress.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-The Purpose of the Fight-or-Flight Response

It is interesting that the physiological stress response has only one purpose. The fight-or-flight response is designed to help us do one thing, and only one thing, very well. That one and only purpose of this response is to help us SURVIVE! Our bodies are designed for survival. When the big bear is charging at us, our system knows how to protect us from experiencing pain and death. The mechanics for sustaining us are nearly flawless. There is no other purpose for the fight-or-flight response.

Primitive brain prevail under stress-Understanding the Science of Stress

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction

April 3, 2014

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction-Addiction

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction-Definition

Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc with your life. In the more serious cases, the activity of the adrenal glands is so diminished that you may have difficulty getting out of bed

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a syndrome that results when the adrenal glands function below the required level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc with your life. In the more serious cases, the activity of the adrenal glands is so diminished that you may have difficulty getting out of bed for more than a few hours per day. With each increment of reduction in adrenal function, every organ and system in your body is more profoundly affected. Changes occur in your carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system, and even sex drive. Many other alterations take place at the biochemical and cellular levels in response to and to compensate for the decrease in adrenal hormones that occurs with adrenal fatigue. Your body does its best to make up for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it does so at a price.

Some of the personal dramas, poor diet, and physical illness can all contribute to draining the adrenal resources of even the healthiest individual. Those in generally poor health, who often suffer from chronic illness or infections, are more likely to develop the problem. People who endure adverse effects from lifestyle choices such as poor diet, substance abuse, or overwork are just a susceptible.

Despite heavy caffeine intake as a desperate attempt by sufferers to restore their vitality, symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue such as chronic tiredness, depression, and general ill-health are just hard to beat. Though one may appear healthy, the effects of the syndrome may be wreaking havoc on their inner state.

Contrary to common belief, an abundance of sleep does not heal the dysfunction. Often, it only serves to complicate it. Sometimes a sufferer may only be able to be out of bed for a few hours before his dragging state forces him to return.

If the adrenal function is left untreated and continues to falter, even the organs in the body will be negatively affected. Maladies will appear in metabolisms and general body functions. A person’s sex drive will be practically non-existent. At the biochemical and cellular levels, responses to the syndrome are those of compensation. Doing its best to make up for decreases in adrenal hormones and under-functioning adrenal glands, the body is at great risk of over-extending itself. When the output of regulatory hormones has been diminished, optimal homeostasis is lost. If the body’s defenses cannot keep up, a clear case of Adrenal Fatigue will most certainly result.

Obviously, one who suffers from the associated symptoms will find it difficult to become sexually aroused. Sex is often the last thing on their mind. At best, a semi-hard erection can be achieved, often not strong enough for penetration. Besides erectile dysfunction and sexual exhaustion, one may also experience delayed orgasm disorder.

If you are feeling faded or overwhelmed, have difficulty recuperating from stress or illness, experience sexual dysfunction and don’t have energy till you’ve been up most of the day, you may have developed the syndrome. Though adrenal fatigue affects millions of people daily, the specifically-named disorder has yet to be formally recognized by modern medicine. Despite this, remedies and formulas have been developed throughout the years and have proven success in combatting Adrenal Fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction-Alcoholism and Addiction

Adrenal Fatigue can both lead to and result from alcoholism. Adrenal support enhances treatment for alcoholism and other addictions.

For many alcoholics, food and drug addicts, Adrenal Fatigue and the resulting hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) predispose them to a compulsive desire for the abused substance. The adrenals become fatigued by the continual overuse of alcohol, drugs or carbohydrates.

Alcohol is poison for the adrenals that should not be consumed by people suffering from Adrenal Fatigue. It is a naked carbohydrate in an extremely refined form that quickly finds its way into the cells of your body, forcing them to make energy at a rapid rate. This sets off a blood sugar roller coaster and uses a large number of the body’s nutrients that are not replaced by the alcohol.

The craving is driven by the body’s desperate need for quick energy that results from weak adrenals. The alcohol temporarily compensates for the signs and symptoms of hypoadrenia but leads to further Adrenal Fatigue after the effects of the alcohol have worn off, producing a further need for alcohol.

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction-Allergies

With Adrenal Fatigue there a tendency to experience allergies. People with food and environmental allergies commonly have weak adrenal function. Most allergies involve the release of histamine and other substances that produce inflammation. The more histamine that is released, the more cortisol it takes to control the inflammatory response and the harder the adrenals have to work to produce more cortisol.

Cortisol

It’s one of the primary hormones produced by the adrenal glands, is a strong anti-inflammatory, reducing inflammation. The amount of cortisol circulating in the blood is the key factor in controlling inflammation in the body.

The harder the adrenals have to work, the more fatigued they become and the less cortisol they produce, allowing histamine to inflame the tissues more. The vicious circle leads to progressively deeper Adrenal Fatigue and more allergic reactions.

Eliminating foods from the diet and exposure to substances that cause allergic reactions will help break this cycle and improve adrenal function. Food allergens interfere with daily life and are stress on the adrenals. Eliminate food allergies to restore adrenal health.

Adrenal fatigue and dysfunction-Addiction

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity

April 2, 2014

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Its Effects

alcohol consumption is a great contributor to malnutrition

Whichever way you look at it alcohol is the most abused drug and the most addictive of all known drugs in the world. The most surprising and interesting thing is that as toxic as it is, it is legalized and consumed freely. Its effect is felt in all homes directly and indirectly. Many alcoholics are malnourished, either because they ingest too little of essential nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins or because alcohol and its metabolism prevent their body from properly absorbing, digesting, and using those nutrients. As a result, alcoholics frequently experience deficiencies in proteins and vitamins, particularly vitamin A, which may contribute to liver disease and other serious alcohol–related disorders.

A complex interplay exists between a person’s alcohol consumption and nutritional status. Many people, including light to moderate drinkers who consume one to two glasses or less of an alcoholic beverage per day, consider those beverages a part of their normal diet and acquire a certain number of calories from them. When consumed in excess, however, alcohol can cause diseases by interfering with the nutritional status of the drinker. For example, alcohol can alter the intake, absorption into the body, and utilization of various nutrients. In addition, alcohol exerts some harmful effects through its breakdown (i.e., metabolism) and the resulting toxic compounds, particularly in the liver, where most of the alcohol metabolism occurs.

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Nutritional Value of Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages primarily consist of water, pure alcohol (chemically known as ethanol), and variable amounts of sugars (i.e., carbohydrates); the content of other nutrients (e.g., proteins, vitamins, or minerals) is usually negligible. Because they provide almost no nutrients, alcoholic beverages are considered “empty calories.”) Therefore, any calories provided by alcoholic beverages are derived from the carbohydrates and alcohol they contain. The carbohydrate content varies greatly among beverage types.

At least under certain conditions, however, alcohol–derived calories when consumed in substantial amounts can have less biologic value than carbohydrate–derived calories, as shown in a study in the weights of two groups of participants who received balanced diets containing equal numbers of calories. In one of the groups, 50 percent of total calories were derived from carbohydrates, whereas in the other group the calories were derived from alcohol. The study participants were observed on the metabolic ward of a hospital during the experiments. The quantity of alcohol administered did not exceed the amount routinely consumed by these volunteers.

Although all participants received the same number of calories, those in the alcohol group exhibited a decline in body weight compared with those in the carbohydrate group. Moreover, when the participants received additional calories in the form of alcohol, they did not experience any corresponding weight gain. This suggests that some of the energy contained in alcohol is “lost” or “wasted” meaning, it is not available to the body for producing or maintaining body mass.

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Nutritional Status

General observation suggests that many alcoholics do not consume a balanced diet; moreover, as mentioned earlier, excessive alcohol consumption may interfere with these alcoholics’ ability to absorb and use the nutrients they do consume. Accordingly, many alcoholics suffer from various degrees of both primary and secondary malnutrition. Primary malnutrition occurs when alcohol replaces other nutrients in the diet, resulting in overall reduced nutrient intake. Secondary malnutrition occurs when the drinker consumes adequate nutrients but alcohol interferes with the absorption of those nutrients from the intestine so they are not available to the body.

The most severe malnutrition, which is accompanied by a significant reduction in muscle mass, generally is found in those alcoholics who are hospitalized for medical complications of alcoholism (e.g., alcohol–related liver disease or other organ damage). If these patients continue to drink, they will lose additional weight; conversely, if they abstain from drinking, they will gain weight. This pattern applies to patients with and without liver disease.

Alcohol’s Effects on Digestion and Absorption of Essential Nutrients

Alcohol consumption, particularly at heavy drinking levels, not only influences the drinker’s diet but also affects the metabolism of those nutrients that are consumed. Thus, even if the drinker ingests sufficient proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, deficiencies may develop if those nutrients are not adequately absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood, are not broken down properly, and/or are not used effectively by the body’s cells. Two classes of nutrients for which such problems occur are proteins and vitamins.

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Amino Acids and Proteins

Proteins are essential components of all cells. They help maintain the cell’s structure, transport certain substances in and out of cells, and act as enzymes that mediate almost all biochemical reactions occurring in the cells. Proteins are composed of approximately 20 different building blocks called amino acids. Many of these amino acids can be produced by the body itself from various precursors or are recycled when proteins that are damaged or are no longer needed are broken down or degraded. Other amino acids however, must be acquired through diet. Alcohol can interfere with the uptake of these essential amino acids.

Patients with chronic liver failure also exhibit a number of defects in protein metabolism. These include decreased production of proteins in the liver that are secreted into the blood decreased urea synthesis, and decreased metabolism of a group of amino acids called aromatic amino acids. These defects have important clinical consequences:

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Vitamins

Vitamins are molecules that are present in small amounts in various foods and are essential for normal metabolism; insufficient vitamin levels in the body can lead to serious diseases. Alcoholics, even without liver disease, tend to have clinical and/or laboratory signs of deficiencies in certain vitamins, particularly vitamins B₁ (thiamine), B₂ (riboflavin), B₆ (pyridoxine), and C (ascorbic acid), as well as folic acid. The severity of these deficiencies correlates with the amount of alcohol consumed and with the corresponding decrease in vitamin intake.

A Person’s Nutrition Affects Liver Function

Malnutrition, regardless of its causes, can lead to liver damage and impaired liver function. For example, children in underdeveloped countries whose diets do not contain enough protein can develop a disease called kwashiorkor. One symptom of this disorder is the accumulation of fat in the liver, a condition known as fatty liver. Studies performed during and after World War II indicated that severe malnutrition also could lead to liver injury in adults. However, in these cases other factors, including exposure to certain toxins or parasites that are prevalent in war–ravaged or underdeveloped countries, may have exacerbated the relationship between liver injury and poor nutrition.

Because malnutrition also is common in alcoholics, clinicians initially thought that malnutrition, rather than alcohol itself, was responsible for alcohol–induced liver injury. Over the past 40 years, however, a more balanced view has evolved. Studies in humans, primates, and rodents have established that alcohol can cause liver damage even in well–nourished people.

It is becoming clear that nutritional effects and the toxic effects of alcohol often are intertwined at the biochemical level. For example, alcohol induces the MEOS to break down alcohol. Similarly, alcohol promotes the breakdown of nutrients such as vitamin A, of which alcoholics may already consume too little with their diet.

Alcohol causes malnutrition and liver toxicity-Its Effects

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression

April 2, 2014

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-The truth revealed

Consequences of addiction are very traumatic especially if based on sexual abuse

Sexual dysfunction is defined as a disturbance in or pain during, the sexual response. This problem is more difficult to diagnose and treat in women than it is in men because of the intricacy of the female sexual response. The Sexual Function Health Council of the American Foundation of Urologic Disease recently revised the preexisting definitions and classifications of FSD. Medical risk factors, etiologies, and psychological aspects were classified into four categories of FSD: hypoactive sexual desire, arousal, orgasmic disorders, and sexual pain disorders.

Hypoactive sexual desire is the persistent or recurrent deficiency (or absence) of sexual fantasies or thoughts and/or the lack of receptivity to sexual activity.
Sexual arousal disorder is the persistent or recurrent inability to achieve or maintain sufficient sexual excitement, expressed as a lack of excitement or a lack of genital or other somatic responses.
Orgasmic disorder is the persistent or recurrent difficulty, delay, or absence of attaining orgasm after sufficient sexual stimulation and arousal.
Sexual pain disorder includes dyspareunia (genital pain associated with sexual intercourse); vaginismus (involuntary spasm of the vaginal musculature that causes interference with vaginal penetration), and noncoital sexual pain disorder (genital pain induced by noncoital sexual stimulation).

Each of these definitions has three additional subtypes: lifelong versus acquired; generalized versus situational; and of organic, psychogenic, mixed, or unknown causative origin. For the purpose of this article we will be discoussing women generally in relation to addiction and sex

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-Women and Sexual Addiction

Characteristics

Before we look into the problem of female sexual addiction it’s important to note that many women are not comfortable with the shame inducing label of being a female sex addict. Believe me if men are apprehensive to seek treatment because of the shame infested label, then women are twice as much less likely. Look at the expression of this woman, “Why is this called sexual addiction. I hate that label. It’s not about the sex at all. Sex is just what I have to give to be loved, touched and nurtured and the assurance that I’m okay.” Many women would like to see the label of sexual addiction changed to a more accurate phraseology such as “Intimacy Disorder”.

Now the rise of sexual addiction in women is evidenced by the following statistics from various researches:

About 9.4 million Women check out adult websites every month and some of those sites include child pornography.
The ratio of women to men in chat rooms is two to one. Women are converting these conversations into real life affairs at twice the rate of men.
About 13% of women (20% of men) admit to accessing porn while at work.

From these finding, women are catching up to men with online porn addiction. There are no signs of slowing down of the pervasiveness of the problem of women struggling with sexual addiction.

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-Symptoms

Someone with a high sex drive is satisfied with sex. For them it’s not about getting a temporary fix or temporary relief. For someone who is addicted, immediately following a climax experience they still feel somewhat empty or somewhat depressed that it didn’t really give them what they were ultimately seeking in the first place, which are a fulfilling, completed, and a genuine intimate experience. For an addict, sex is more of a fix for something.

Let us learn from one lady (Anne) for a behavior to qualify as an addiction, the following components are essential:

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-Uncontrolladable compulsion

Feelings of “I can’t stop. I keep doing what I don’t want to do,” pervade the mind of a sex addict. They feel powerless to stop and that it is out of their control. According to Anne, you will always hear an addict say, “I know what I’m doing is wrong; I want to stop, but I can’t.” That was certainly true for her. Raised in a pastor’s home she went to church all of her life. She knew that the multiple affairs she engaged in were wrong due to the incredible shame she felt afterwards. She wanted to stop but simply could not.

Obsessive thoughts

Hooking up with someone is all you think about. Experiencing high of skin on skin contact and the illusion that only sex can bring intimacy consume an inordinate amount of your daily thoughts. A person that is sexually addicted spends an abnormal amount of their time on either being sexual, recovering from being sexual, figuring out how to hide that they’ve been sexual, or rummaging through their mind for a plan for their next sexual encounter. As Anne puts it, “It’s like a little bird sitting on your shoulder; it’s always with you, either as guilt and shame or the planning and preparation. Some part is always with you.”

Continuance of immoral sexual behavior despite adverse consequences

Even though Anne was diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by an STD, almost died because of massive hemorrhaging from a resulting surgery, lost her first marriage because of her illicit affairs, endangered a second marriage through her continued struggle with sexual addiction, and having her two children immensely angry with her for making them a part of an addicted family she still could not stop. Even after all these destructive experiences and consequences she still felt powerless over the disease. When a person continues their destructive behavior in spite of adverse consequences, then that is a clear sign of sexual addiction.

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-Tolerance

The ability to tolerate higher levels of something we hadn’t originally been accustomed to occur through a process called “The Law of Diminishing Returns.” When a couple first dates they may venture out and hold hands. It provides somewhat of a thrilling and satisfying experience. After a while, a person may become “ho-hum” with holding hands because it doesn’t return the same thrilling effect it once did so they up the ante and progress towards kissing. After a while, this too has its excitement wear off and behaviors such as heavy petting and eventually intercourse will occur in order to experience the initial “high” that comes with a new experience. An alcoholic experienced the same thing at some point drinking a couple bottles of beers eventually doesn’t return the same pleasure that drinking 3 used to so they have to try 6 or more.

Part of the tolerance effect is based in a purely neurochemical change in the brain. We are essentially fighting our own brain chemistry. This is what makes addicts adrenaline junkies. They are addicted to their own brain’s drugs (chemicals released) that are produced through sexual experiences. So if the high of one kind of behavior isn’t enough, then it will either take more and more of that same kind of behavior or it will take going on to other, higher risk behaviors to get the same effect. This is why some people even engage in more licentious behavior such as threesomes, orgies, and even Level II and Level III illegal behaviors.

Addiction causes sexual dysfunction and aggression-The truth revealed

Dopamine and Addiction

April 1, 2014

Dopamine and Addiction-Their roles

The brain is affected by both genes and environmental factors

Dopamine is neurotransmitter in the brain that plays vital roles in a variety of different behaviors. The major behaviors dopamine affects are movement, cognition, pleasure, and motivation. Dopamine is an essential component of the basal ganglia motor loop, as well as the neurotransmitter responsible for controlling the exchange of information from one brain area to another. However, it is the role that dopamine plays in pleasure and motivation that attracts the most neurobiologists attention.

In certain areas of the brain when dopamine is released it gives one the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. These feelings of satisfaction become desired, and the person will grow a desire for the satisfaction. To satisfy that desire the person will repeat behaviors that cause the release of dopamine. For example food and sex release dopamine. That is why people want food even though their body does not need it and why people sometimes need sex. These two behaviors scientifically make sense since the body needs food to survive, and humans need to have sex to allow the race to survive. However, other, less natural behaviors have the same effect on one’s dopamine levels, and at times can even be more powerful. Often these behaviors can result in addiction due their effect on dopamine, and that addiction can have negative effects on a person’s well-being. Two of such behaviors are

Dopamine and Addiction-Cocaine

Cocaine is by far the more severe of the two in terms of addiction. Cocaine chemically inhibits the natural dopamine cycle. Normally, after dopamine is released, it is recycled back into a dopamine transmitting neuron. However, cocaine binds to the dopamine, and does not allow it to be recycled. Thus there is a buildup of dopamine, and it floods certain neural areas. The flood ends after about 30 minutes, and the person is left yearning to feel as he or she once did. That is how the addiction begins. With time adaptation builds up due to the fact that the person is consistently behaving in the same way that he or she had the first time. However, the individual cannot, because dopamine is also released when something pleasurable yet unexpected occurs. During the first time, the person expects the effect, thus less dopamine is released, and the experience is less satisfying. This cause explains why gambling releases dopamine.

Many studies have been done which targeted neural response to rewards. The findings were in agreement that when one performed an action repeatedly, and is given a reward randomly, the dopamine levels rises. If the reward is administered for example every four times the action was performed, the dopamine levels remained constant. Whereas when no reward is given dopamine levels dropped. These random rewards can be seen in gambling and since the outcome is based on chance, one does may not know prior if he or she will win. Therefore, if he or she wins, dopamine levels increases. However, unlike cocaine, gambling causes addiction in relatively low levels of participants. This is because Cocaine’s chemical input is much more influential on dopamine levels than gambling’s behavioral input meaning only people whose dopamine levels are low, become addicted to gambling.

Dopamine and Addiction-Variance in dopamine levels

This is may be due to genetics, environment related or a combination of factors. A study concluded that pathological gamblers most often experienced traumatizing experiences when they were younger. Since most people who became addicted to gambling have low dopamine levels, and also that same group usually has endured a traumatic experience, it was concluded the overall dopamine levels can change due to environmental factors. This supports the opinion that both the mind and the brain can change due to environmental factors.

However, another study has discovered that a gene related to dopamine is sported twice as often in pathological gamblers than non-gamblers. This view supports the observation that dopamine levels are genetic. We can therefore come up with two possible observations. Either both genetics and environmental factors effect ones brain anatomy and mind simultaneously, or that environmental factors can affect genes which in turn affect ones brain and mind.

Dopamine and Addiction-Why is risk and reward a trigger for the release of dopamine?
It’s scientifically logical that sex and food release dopamine, because they are essential for life the life of human beings. Risk and reward are not. It is believed that everything happens for a reason; meaning, there must be a scientific explanation for the increase of dopamine levels as a result of risk and reward. Let us look at it this way, that the human race is different from other species on this planet not only by its ability to reason, but also its ability to create and be innovative. Therefore nature dictates that humans be creative and innovative, and for this to happen a person should have some level of satisfaction when one accomplishes an innovation.

To accomplish an innovation one has to take risks. It is risky to try to do something that no other being on earth has ever accomplished. Therefore, there must be a reward other than material that one gets when he or she accomplishes the innovation, otherwise that person would not take the risk. The reward here is the release of dopamine and the feeling of satisfaction. The problem with this process is that not only can one be satisfied after a major risk and accomplishment, but that one can also be satisfied through constant minute risks and accomplishments. Gambling is an example of this.

The feeling of satisfaction that dopamine exhibits are so strong that one can often lose his or her ability to reason in order to achieve satisfaction. It is then the unconscious that takes over and begins to make certain decisions. The brain develops neural circuits that unconsciously assess reward. Since dopamine plays an active role in these circuits, people will act in what they think is in their best interest, when in fact the only interest it satisfies is the release of dopamine. This can be exemplified in gambling where one insists on gambling even though he or she knows that the odds are against them.

This is the case in all casino games, where the games are structured for the house to win. Probability and reason no longer are the most important factors in decision making. The unconscious need for the release of dopamine becomes most important. This supports the observation that the unconscious plays a vital role in decision making.

From this article of dopamine and addiction we can make some fair general observations about the brain that:

Both a chemical (cocaine) and a behavior (gambling) can have the same effect on the brain.
The brain is affected by both genes and environmental factors, and that most likely the environmental factors affect genes which affect the brain.
Dopamine makes humans take risks so that they may achieve greater innovations.
Through gambling the unconscious is constantly making important decisions.

Dopamine and Addiction-Their roles

Category Archives: Women Health