Behaviour Flashcards
What happens due to an addiction and what is required to change?
Repeated patterns of unhealthy behaviour become automatic and etched on the brain. They must be erased and rewired in order to change.
What analogy does the author use to describe addictive behavior?
The author compares addictive behavior to a train that is stuck on one track and must be redirected onto a new track.
What could be a reason that it is difficult to stop addictive behaviour?
Repeated patterns of behavior become almost instinctive and automatic responses on the brain, making it harder to resist those patterns.
What is an example of neural pathways in the brain that can create addiction?
Associating the emotion of stress with the reward of chocolate creates a stronger and stronger neural pathway in the brain.
What are the two things someone needs to do to give up an addiction?
They need to not reach for the addictive substance or activity and create a new neural pathway to a healthy substitute.
What are some ideas for redirecting the brain to a new track?
Replacing the addicted reaction to an emotion or a situation with a healthy reaction such as exercising, going somewhere beautiful, making a healthy snack, listening to music, reading or reciting something uplifting, meditating, or phoning or seeing a friend.
Addiction Mechanism
Addictive drugs like meth and heroin are compelling because they hijack the same precise mechanisms that makes sex compelling. Chronic dopamine elevation in addiction leads to core brain changes.
Three Cs of Addiction
- craving and preoccupation with obtaining, engaging in or recovering from the use of thesubstance or behaviour
- loss of control in using the substance or engaging in the behaviour with increasing frequency or duration, larger amounts or intensity, or in increasing the risk in use and behaviour to obtain the desired effect
- negative consequences in physical, social, occupational, financial and psychological
domains
Porn and Grey Matter
Increased porn use correlates with reduced grey matter in the reward circuitry, impacting motivation and decision-making.
Porn and Reward Circuit
More porn use weakens nerve connections between the reward circuit and prefrontal cortex, associated with impaired impulse control.
Porn and Reward Activation
Heavy porn use correlates with less reward activation when viewing sexual images, suggesting desensitization and a need for more stimulation.
Common Brain Changes in Addiction
Desensitization, sensitization, hypofrontality, and dysfunctional stress circuits are common neuroplastic changes in all addictions.
DeltaFosB in Addiction
The protein DeltaFosB initiates lasting brain changes in addiction by rewiring the reward center, reinforcing the desire for addictive behavior.
Dopamine’s Role
Dopamine, triggered by expectations, plays a crucial role in addiction. Loss of grey matter in the reward circuit contributes to porn-induced erectile dysfunction.
Desensitization in Addiction
Desensitization refers to a reduced responsiveness to pleasure, leading to a drop in dopamine and diminished sexual behavior.
