2. Addiction The characteristics of addiction are as follows Craving for the object of addiction Loss of control over its use Continual involvement with the it despite adverse consequences (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 1-3, 2011)
3. Addiction Cont. Addiction: 1. Is especially strong 2. Occurs in a particular context and set of social relationships that triggers the anticipation of pleasure and a strong drive to satisfy the desire 3. Is socially unacceptable, usually because it threatens the welfare of the individual or challenges some set of social norms. (Foddy& Savulescu, 29-32, 2011)
4. How can the daily use of a drug or doing an activity form an addiction? Located in the nucleus accumbens the brains pleasure center a small group of nerve cells right under the cerebral cortex Dopamine! Chemically, pleasure is known as the neurotransmitter Dopamine. (Harvard Mental Health Letter ,1-3, 2011)
5. Addiction The brain registers all pleasures the same way, whether it is really good food, a drug, getting paid, or having sex. When a person abuses an addictive drug, the cells in the brain release two to ten times the normal amount of dopamine that natural rewards do. This also happens faster and more reliably This is how addiction high-jacks the brain (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 1-3, 2011)
6. Adaptations Addiction causes a personโs brain receptors to become overwhelmed. The result of this, is the brain producing a smaller amount of dopamine or shutting down dopamine receptors . This is similar to turning down the volume on the television when itโs too loud Because of this, dopamine is no longer as fulfilling to the nucleus accumbens (the brainโs reward center). All of this results in an addictโs usual drug of choice (DOC) not being as pleasurable as it once was. (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 1-3, 2011).
7. So now itโs not enoughโฆ When an addictโs usual DOC loses euphoric stimulation, the addict has a few options. They can: Up the dosage in the attempt to regain the once rewarding high Choose a different DOC Or suffer withdrawals
8. Withdrawals Usually the absence of the drug or behavior results in the addict suffering from withdrawal symptoms. These can include: Irritability - Nausea Vomiting - Diarrhea Cold sweats - Joint and muscle pain Anxiety - Increased heart rate
9. Cravings Repeated drug use produces a long-lasting physical and chemical rewiring of the brain that appears to drive tolerance and cravings. Stress causes release of hormones that bind specific receptors in the pleasure circuit and this is likely to cause cravings. (Linden ) (Linden, 2011 )
10. This is what happensโฆ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIqijmzJ9SI&NR=1 (Youtube, Facts about drug addiction, 2011)
11. Annotated Bibliography 1. Foddy, Bennett, and Julian Savulescu. "Addiction Is Not An Affliction: Addictive Desires Are Merely Pleasure- Oriented Desires." American Journal of Bioethics 7.1 (2007): 29-32. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. The definition of addiction isn't clear and concise. I wanted to provide two definitions so that the audience could have a better understanding of the idea of addiction. I found that this source had a very good understanding of the main points of addiction. "How addiction hijacks the brain." Harvard Mental Health Letter28.1 (2011): 1-3. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. This source broke down the steps the brain takes to form an addiction. It was easy to read so I could understand the material and gave me a guide for the slide show. It also provided the majority of the subject matter in the power point. 3. Linden, David. The Compass of Pleasure. 1st ed. New York, New York: Viking Adult, 2011. Print. I read three chapters of the book so I could get an idea about what will trigger the addict to relapse. I needed to find what caused cravings in the addict. The idea of stress as a trigger was just what I needed. 4. "Facts About Drug Addiction." youtube. Web. 7 Aug 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIqijmzJ9SI&NR=1>. The video I added at the end was something I thought would sum up the power point perfectlly. The visual shows the audience the process of the dopamine receptors interacting with a drug and explains the process of the chemical aspect of addiction.
