Sunday Musings - July 16, 2023
I often listen to a podcast while at the gym. There are several I listen to on a weekly basis or whenever a new episode is available. One of those podcasts is Hidden Brain which is hosted by Shankar Vedantam. The episode of July 10, 2023, featured a discussion with psychiatrist, Dr. Anna Lambke. The episode is entitled “The Paradox of Pleasure” Dr. Lambke addresses the brain science of addiction; the fact that the brain must always return to homeostasis. When we humans have an experience which triggers the release of dopamine in the brain’s reward pathway - the pleasure-pain balance is to the side of pleasure. Once one has experienced what has been associated with pleasure the pleasure pain balance needs to return to homeostasis. The attempt to return to homeostasis may be met with discomfort and sometimes an acute pain/dopamine deficit. Dr. Lambke uses the analogy of a teeter totter.
I have often maintained that one can become addicted to sex, alcohol, other drugs, shopping, food, gambling or a host of other activities or substances. Dr. Lambke validates this belief. She, for instance, became addicted to romance novels. Despite her profession and her love of the use of good writing, she became addicted to often badly written romance novels which were written to trigger lust and other related emotions. She eventually was bringing them to work and ignoring family and work responsibilities. She may have still been high functioning. but she was certainly not at her best. I love this example because it does not involve illegal activities or any activities which one would normally consider unethical or immoral. Reading romance novels or any other type of writing can be a harmless pastime. When one becomes so uncomfortable that one feels compelled to ignore other responsibilities and engage in a particular activity, we know that the brain is struggling to maintain homeostasis. Dr. Lambke was able to afford all the romance novels she could consume. Libraries, new and used bookstores, and Alexa were only too happy to accommodate her needs. She had an income which did not require her to steal any books. Had the drug of choice been heroin, crack, gambling, or sexual activity she could have been caught and labeled a criminal. Once she labeled her behavior, she was able to get the help she needed. Healing was not without discomfort as the brain experienced a dopamine deficit. Eventually her brain could return to non-addictive functioning. This does not mean she was immune from further addictive behavior. We can all get hooked.
In many parts of the world access to potential addictions is more available than ever often regardless of income or other resources. Wealthy people have, throughout much of history (some thousands of years at least) engaged in a variety of addictive behaviors. Poor people were limited by funds and availability. Today availability for many is much less an issue.
Dr. Lambke confirms my belief that we need to think in broader, non-judgmental terms about the “disease” of addiction. Addiction does not visit because one is weak, immoral, bad, or otherwise an undesirable member of the community. Labeling addicts as criminals - especially those who are poor and cannot either hide their behavior, buy off officials, or hire very expensive, clever attorneys - does not serve the addict or the community at large. Incarceration and treating people as less than does not heal or benefit anyone. It is true that some people might get better in jail but that is despite their being labeled and treated as criminals and undesirables. Jail/prison is very traumatic. One may survive it but not without deep painful scars.
One does not wake up on day deciding that one wants some behavior or substance to attempt to destroy one’s life and the life of all those one’s life encounters. One certainly may be predisposed to addictive behavior because of genetics or early trauma. It is true that, as humans, with the brain that we are given, we are vulnerable to addictive behavior. Too much dopamine triggered by some substance or behavior can easily kidnap any of us. We have also created a culture which, for many of us, greatly increases the opportunity for addiction. Cell phones, computers, shopping access, credit cards, processed food and host of other substances and systems are poised to create the dopamine imbalance which can lead to addiction.
Human brain plus availability equals vulnerability. It is a simple mathematical formula. It is way past time that we face this reality and find more effective and humane preventive and treatment strategies. Criminalizing the reality which we would rather not face has not worked, will never work and should not be an option.
Written July 16, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Dr. Lembk’s book is "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in The Age of Indulgence."
I often listen to a podcast while at the gym. There are several I listen to on a weekly basis or whenever a new episode is available. One of those podcasts is Hidden Brain which is hosted by Shankar Vedantam. The episode of July 10, 2023, featured a discussion with psychiatrist, Dr. Anna Lambke. The episode is entitled “The Paradox of Pleasure” Dr. Lambke addresses the brain science of addiction; the fact that the brain must always return to homeostasis. When we humans have an experience which triggers the release of dopamine in the brain’s reward pathway - the pleasure-pain balance is to the side of pleasure. Once one has experienced what has been associated with pleasure the pleasure pain balance needs to return to homeostasis. The attempt to return to homeostasis may be met with discomfort and sometimes an acute pain/dopamine deficit. Dr. Lambke uses the analogy of a teeter totter.
I have often maintained that one can become addicted to sex, alcohol, other drugs, shopping, food, gambling or a host of other activities or substances. Dr. Lambke validates this belief. She, for instance, became addicted to romance novels. Despite her profession and her love of the use of good writing, she became addicted to often badly written romance novels which were written to trigger lust and other related emotions. She eventually was bringing them to work and ignoring family and work responsibilities. She may have still been high functioning. but she was certainly not at her best. I love this example because it does not involve illegal activities or any activities which one would normally consider unethical or immoral. Reading romance novels or any other type of writing can be a harmless pastime. When one becomes so uncomfortable that one feels compelled to ignore other responsibilities and engage in a particular activity, we know that the brain is struggling to maintain homeostasis. Dr. Lambke was able to afford all the romance novels she could consume. Libraries, new and used bookstores, and Alexa were only too happy to accommodate her needs. She had an income which did not require her to steal any books. Had the drug of choice been heroin, crack, gambling, or sexual activity she could have been caught and labeled a criminal. Once she labeled her behavior, she was able to get the help she needed. Healing was not without discomfort as the brain experienced a dopamine deficit. Eventually her brain could return to non-addictive functioning. This does not mean she was immune from further addictive behavior. We can all get hooked.
In many parts of the world access to potential addictions is more available than ever often regardless of income or other resources. Wealthy people have, throughout much of history (some thousands of years at least) engaged in a variety of addictive behaviors. Poor people were limited by funds and availability. Today availability for many is much less an issue.
Dr. Lambke confirms my belief that we need to think in broader, non-judgmental terms about the “disease” of addiction. Addiction does not visit because one is weak, immoral, bad, or otherwise an undesirable member of the community. Labeling addicts as criminals - especially those who are poor and cannot either hide their behavior, buy off officials, or hire very expensive, clever attorneys - does not serve the addict or the community at large. Incarceration and treating people as less than does not heal or benefit anyone. It is true that some people might get better in jail but that is despite their being labeled and treated as criminals and undesirables. Jail/prison is very traumatic. One may survive it but not without deep painful scars.
One does not wake up on day deciding that one wants some behavior or substance to attempt to destroy one’s life and the life of all those one’s life encounters. One certainly may be predisposed to addictive behavior because of genetics or early trauma. It is true that, as humans, with the brain that we are given, we are vulnerable to addictive behavior. Too much dopamine triggered by some substance or behavior can easily kidnap any of us. We have also created a culture which, for many of us, greatly increases the opportunity for addiction. Cell phones, computers, shopping access, credit cards, processed food and host of other substances and systems are poised to create the dopamine imbalance which can lead to addiction.
Human brain plus availability equals vulnerability. It is a simple mathematical formula. It is way past time that we face this reality and find more effective and humane preventive and treatment strategies. Criminalizing the reality which we would rather not face has not worked, will never work and should not be an option.
Written July 16, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Dr. Lembk’s book is "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in The Age of Indulgence."
RSS Feed