Recovery and Relapse
Recovery and Relapse
Recovery and Relapse
Addiction is a disease in which people develop a tolerance for their drug of choice, making the possibility of recovery more difficult with each passing day. It can be accomplished though and takes motivation from internal sources to push a person towards recovery. It also takes the pulling of something external in order to give the person a goal in which to reach for. Addiction can encompass many different avenues, and there are many different avenues a person can take to reach it, and different avenues a person can take to be free. What must be remembered is that the rewards for living a sober life are many, and they should be considered as motivation to remain clean and sober.
The Brain In order to understand about recovery, one must first understand about addiction. Drug addiction is thought to be a combination of both biological and psychological factors, including the Dopamine Theory (Pinel, 2007). The Dopamine Theory is one in which the hypothesis states that addicts have reduced dopamine levels when not using drugs, which makes it extremely difficult for them to stop using for any length of time (Pinel). There is much evidence supporting this theory, there is also evidence supporting the theory that sex and food also increase the release of dopamine in the brain as natural reinforcers. The neurotransmitters are constantly working in the brain, releasing their chemicals which are needed for healthy living. Too much of one of too little of one throws the body into an unbalance state, whether it is before or after drug use. When a person is first in recovery from drugs, their biological makeup is considerably out of sync. What is normal for them due to the drug use is not normal for others, and their brains are reacting as if in a “crash”. The production of dopamine is lessened, and they feel lethargic and often depressed due to the lack of drugs in their systems. Sometimes their serotonin and endorphin
Recovery and Relapse
Addiction is a disease in which people develop a tolerance for their drug of choice, making the possibility of recovery more difficult with each passing day. It can be accomplished though and takes motivation from internal sources to push a person towards recovery. It also takes the pulling of something external in order to give the person a goal in which to reach for. Addiction can encompass many different avenues, and there are many different avenues a person can take to reach it, and different avenues a person can take to be free. What must be remembered is that the rewards for living a sober life are many, and they should be considered as motivation to remain clean and sober.
The Brain In order to understand about recovery, one must first understand about addiction. Drug addiction is thought to be a combination of both biological and psychological factors, including the Dopamine Theory (Pinel, 2007). The Dopamine Theory is one in which the hypothesis states that addicts have reduced dopamine levels when not using drugs, which makes it extremely difficult for them to stop using for any length of time (Pinel). There is much evidence supporting this theory, there is also evidence supporting the theory that sex and food also increase the release of dopamine in the brain as natural reinforcers. The neurotransmitters are constantly working in the brain, releasing their chemicals which are needed for healthy living. Too much of one of too little of one throws the body into an unbalance state, whether it is before or after drug use. When a person is first in recovery from drugs, their biological makeup is considerably out of sync. What is normal for them due to the drug use is not normal for others, and their brains are reacting as if in a “crash”. The production of dopamine is lessened, and they feel lethargic and often depressed due to the lack of drugs in their systems. Sometimes their serotonin and endorphin
References: Comer, R.J. (2005). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Deckers, L. (2010). Motivation, Biological, Psychological, and Environmental (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Pinel, P. J. (2007). Basics of biopsychology . Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.