brain's reward
This midbrain neurotransmitter signals that an experience is important for survival and "better than expected."
What is dopamine?
Genetics account for roughly this percentage of a person's vulnerability to developing an addiction.
What is 40% to 60%?
The common argument claims addiction is not a disease because taking drugs is an action and therefore a voluntary one of this.
What is choice?
When the brain's pleasure threshold is reset by stress, normal rewards fail to register, resulting in this condition of joylessness.
What is anhedonia?
The three primary clinical symptoms of addiction are craving, persistent use despite negative consequences, and loss of this.
What is loss of control?
This neurotransmitter acts like a flash flood, storing intense contextual memories and environmental cues connected to drug use.
What is glutamate?
Individuals with these types of genetic response drink more to feel the same effect and carry a higher risk for addiction.
What are low-responders?
To try and disprove the disease model, the choice argument suggests an addict would stop if faced with this extreme threat.
What is a gun to the head
This stress hormone and anti-reward chemical floods the body, making normal pleasures unregister.
What is cortisol?
This term describes the reduction in normal function of the prefrontal/frontal cortex seen in chronic addiction.
What is hypofrontality?
Dr. McCauley uses this scenic state's national parks as a visual metaphor for the geography of the human brain.
What is Utah?
Dr. McCauley contrasts "soft rock" vulnerable genes with these resilient genetic blueprints that handle stress better.
What are "hard rock" genes?
The disease model defeats the choice argument because even under extreme threat, the patient still experiences involuntary this.
What is craving?
This specific stress-related acronym (factor/hormone) drives the brain to seek out drugs just to feel baseline relief.
What is CRF (Corticotropin-releasing factor)
This is the amazing capacity of the brain to form new neural pathways and heal itself during sustained abstinence.
What is neuroplasticity?