Addiction is more complicated than we used to think, and here's what you need to know to move forward.
Talking Points:
- Addiction is now considered a disease that changes the brain. To prevent this disease and understand how to treat it, it’s important for everyone to understand how addictions form.
- Psychologists are still researching the nature of each type of addiction, one thing is certain: The brain responds to all sorts of pleasurable substances or activities in a similar way. So that can mean drugs and alcohol or things like eating and shopping.
- No matter what causes pleasure, the brain registers it by releasing dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, which is a cluster of nerve cells in the middle of the brain, beneath the cerebral cortex. The likelihood of becoming addicted to a particular substance or behavior depends on how quickly it increases the dopamine levels in the brain.
- Over time, our brains “turn down the volume” on dopamine release. This ultimately requires more and more of a drug or addictive activity to get the same amount of dopamine released that would have been before addiction set in.
- Steps to overcome addiction:
- Admit you have an addiction and want to get past it, you have to establish why you want to quit.
- Develop a realistic action plan. Wean yourself from your addiction slowly.
- Identify your triggers. A trigger is anything that causes you to think of your addiction and might cause you to relapse.
- Find something to replace your addiction. Once your addiction is gone, you may find it difficult to fill your time.
- Distance yourself as much as you can from your addiction. Admit your problem to yourself and to a trusted friend or confidant.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What sort of addictive tendencies have you struggled with, even if you are not addicted presently?
- What do you think of the statement that addiction is not just about willpower, but it is a disease? How does your view change how you react to addiction?
- What are “triggers” you’ve seen in yourself or others? What steps are needed to avoid these triggers?
- Why is it important to find a confidant and to admit to yourself that you have an addiction?
- Is it possible to break an addiction without admitting you have one? Why or why not?
- Do you agree that quitting “cold turkey” doesn’t work? Why or why not?
- What’s the most important reason to break your addiction or to help someone else through theirs? Explain.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
