Addiction Facts
What is addiction?
A disease!
Where are madeleine cookies from?
France.
What 2 areas are important when it comes to addiction?
The midbrain and the frontal cortex.
What can cause relapse?
1.) Drugs.
2.) Drug cues.
3.) Stress
What is used in the video as an analogy for drug use and dopamine response?
The gumball.
1.) 2 gumballs = high dopamine
2.) Later, 1 gumball = lower dopamine
3.) Later, 0 gumballs = even less dopamine.
What is the simple part of the brain that is responsible our survival needs and "getting us through the next 15 second?"
The midbrain.
When does substance use become a disease?
When substance use is a higher priority than other survival needs such as eating or sleeping.
Doctor's in the past were unable to identify addiction as a disease. What are the consequences of this today?
Criminalizing addiction and high incarceration rates.
What is involuntary memory?
Memories that have long been stored away and are suddenly triggered by stimuli.
What is the "choice argument?" What defeats the choice argument?
A theory which states that an individual that is addicted to any substance can stop whenever they want to if given motivation. Flawed theory that fails to incorporate new research.
Cravings defeat choice argument.
Things like an unstable upbringing, culture, and other environmental factors are NOT what?
They are NOT the cause of addiction. True, they can contribute to substance use, however they are ultimately not the cause of substance use.
What chemicals are released in the brain while experiencing pleasure?
Dopamine (pleasure and reward).
Glutamate (memory).
What is the the disease model? How does addiction fit the disease model?
1.) Organ. 2.) Defect. 3.) Symptoms.
1.) Midbrain. 2.) Stress induced hedonic dysfunction. 3.) Loss of control. Craving. Consistent use despite symptoms.
What is the dopamine hypothesis?
All addictive drugs, regardless of legality or strength, releases dopamine in the brain.
What part of the brain is responsible for decision making?
The frontal cortex.