Functional Science Flashcards
What is Dopamine
A neurotransmitter (a molecule that bridges the gap between neurons) it’s associated with pleasure
How does dopamine deviation work
Dopamine is always being released but doing something pleasurable causes a temporary spike in dopamine and something hard creates a temporary loss of dopamine. This is then met with an equal and opposite reaction
What type of person is most vulnerable to addiction
Impulsive people
What does the constant chase of pleasure suggest
Escape of pain or boredom in their life
Why are high dopamine activities so addictive
Because you know pain comes after pleasure you keep indulging in pleasure to put off the inevitable pain
What is it called when your baseline dopamine level lowers
Anhedonia
What causes anhedonia
Overindulging in high dopamine activities so much that your body lowers your dopamine levels permanently
On what time scale is it best to think about addiction on
1 day or it will seem to overwhelming
Generally how long does it take to overcome an addiction
30 days
What is a trigger
Something that makes you think of your addiction which releases a tiny dopamine spike then a tiny dopamine deficit causing cravings
What habit is essential for overcoming addiction
Telling the truth
What effect to psychedelics have on addiction
They can help you evaluate your life but they aren’t normally worth the small help they provide
Name 3 psychedelics
Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy or molly) and LSD (acid)
What are psychedelics
A group of drugs that induce hallucinations and feeling of euphoria
Can you be permanently addicted
Yes, if your overindulge so much that your dopamine scale breaks and you can’t return to baseline dopamine release
