Translating Accurate Diagnosis into Effective Treatment, Part Two The way addicts and alcoholics themselves talk about their condition (“an emotional disease,” “a parasite the feeds on our emotions”, “an emotional cancer,” “a fear based disease”) is rarely considered in theories of addiction. Within the frame of the current […]
In my PhD I was attempting, to show, that there is an inherent decision making deficit in a variety of addictions and that this is due to an emotional processing deficit which means the prefrontal cortical, rational areas of the brain are not recruited in relatively simple task […]
“Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. Addiction is […]
A Neuro-anatomical Model Altered stress systems progressively impact on dopaminergic networks to cause the neuro-anatomical “brain signatures” of addiction (17). Reward – stress prgressively activates the dorsal striatum (DS) (87) and substance-related cues elicit dopamine release in DS (88) in line with addiction severity, suggesting the […]
Towards a psycho-neuro-endocrinological theory of addiction Our model posits that increasingly excessive levels of stress impact on dopaminergic systems to produce neuro-anatomical alterations in the brain which reflect addiction severity and increasingly limited cortical and explicit control over behaviour. The brain progressively “implodes” towards sub-cortical, compulsive and […]
Theoretical challenges to the negative reinforcement model The preoccupation-anticipation phase, seen as one of dopaminergic positive reinforcement, can be critiqued in terms of a “premorbid allostasis” – although clinical and epidemiological studies suggests a dose-dependent relationship between accumulated lifetime adversity and addiction risk (8, 37-40) and […]
Negative Reinforcement Whereas positive reinforcement occurs when presentation of a drug increases the probability of a response to obtain the drug, negative reinforcement occurs with alleviation of an existing aversive state or alleviation of a drug-generated aversive state (e.g., withdrawal). Negative reinforcement models (17, 18) centre […]
Theoretical challenges to positive reinforcement models:- Lack of evidence for increased brain levels of dopamine in the addiction cycle – the increase in dopamine receptors, that the IS model proposes, is not demonstrated in human studies which demonstrate down-regulation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system in alcohol, […]
There are two main dopamine models of addiction. 1. one that says dopamine increases in the addiction cycle leading to a “pathological wanting” 2. That dopamine decreases so that addicted people are seeking more dopamine. As you can see these two models are diametrically opposing and seemingly irreconcilable. 1. […]
In the next few weeks we will be asking and attempting to give answers to the following questions 1. What is addictive behaviour? 2. How is it defined? 3. What are the neurobiological models of addiction – dopaminergic positive reinforcement models, stress based negative reinforcement models and thirdly […]
Engaging the unconscious in everyday life with Chuck Bender
BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
It started when I gave up smoking and went from there!
mostly poetry, partly peculiar.
Mostly addiction and recovery stuff
Practical Lessons for Everyday Life
This blog is about my journey towards a life grounded in balance, gratitude, creativity, and love.
The Courage To Shift is my Life Coach business that focuses on moving the client from victim, to VICTOR, regardless of their personal goals! Is there anything in life that you would like more of?
never judge a girl by her weight
Heal the past. Free the present. Bless the future.
Espiritu en Fuego -- A Fiery Spirit Expressing Herself
Ditching the drink and waking up
Transmissions from the heart, because in the end, we're all just walking each other home.
Life, Sober
Inside The Alcoholic Brain 
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