Addiction, Genetics and the Human Genome Project
We know that genetics has a very strong impact on addiction, so understanding genetics can help us understand the impacts of addiction. The Human Genome Project was a very ambitious project that we hoped would let us solve many genetically based ailments, perhaps even addiction. It turns out that genetics is not as simple as we thought, and addiction is not simply about heredity/genetics. Please join me in a brief discussion of genetics and why science has a long way to go to understanding something as complex as addiction.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Addiction, Genetics and HGP” in the menu to the right.
I want to address something that I may have miscommunicated. I state that addiction changes the brain in essentially the same way regardless of the addiction. I then explain the flood of dopamine that is characteristic of opiate use. This may lead people to believe that all drugs cause this flood of dopamine. Some do flood the brain with dopamine, some prevent the re-uptake of dopamine in the brain and so cause the same net affect, some slow down cell to cell communication. Regardless of the mechanism, they all cause you to focus on the drug to the exclusion of most other things and it is from that point forward that the changes in the brain are very similar.
Introduction
Hello everyone! I have created this blog to open a discussion on new data and understandings of addiction and its impact on the brain. This information is based upon relatively new hard scientific research that has provided us with tremendous new insight into the physical changes and associated psychological changes that occur in the brain.
If you would like to read more about the purpose and structure of this blog, please click here or on “Welcome To A Light In The Addict” in the menu to the right.
Part I – The Adolescent Brain
This is the first installment in a series that provides an accessible explanation of the current understanding of addiction. We will begin this series at the typical starting point, the adolescent brain. We will discuss the features that make the adolescent brain more susceptible to addiction, particularly to addictive substances.
To access this installment, please click here or on “Part I – The Adolescent Brain” in the menu to the right.
Part II – The Dopamine Response
This is the second installment in a series of the of the science of addiction, The Dopamine Response – Addiction Stole My Brain. Installment 1 discussed the adolescent brain, so now we are getting to the meat of how addiction alters the brain. This installment discusses the function of dopamine in the brain and how addictive substances or behavior hijack the conditioning that is associated with dopamine.
To access this installment, please click here or on “Part II – The Dopamine Response” in the menu to the right.
Part III – The Dopamine Response and Neuroplasticity
This third installment in the series of the science of addiction continues the discussion of the dopamine response. Here we consider neuroplasticity as the mechanism that causes the physical changes in the brain. With this understanding, we can see how addiction progresses; why addiction is called a disease; and the current method for treating addiction.
To access this installment, please click here or on “Part III – The Dopamine Response and Neuroplasticity” in the menu to the right.
Part IV – The Limbic System and Stupid Brain Tricks
The limbic system is another area of the brain that is altered by addiction. This area of the brain controls drives and autonomic responses among other things. I believe that it is here that the need to use exerts the most control. This installment also discusses tricks that your brain uses to protect your addiction.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Part IV – The Limbic System and Stupid Brain Tricks” in the menu to the right.
Part V – Nature and Nurture Decide
Nature and nurture, genetics and environment are the factors that control at what point you will become an addict, if you choose to use. In this installment we will look at the effects of genetics and environment on who may become an addict. Why no one is safe. And why you don’t get to feel superior to addicts, just because you got lucky at genetic roulette. So buckle up, I am about to tell you some things that you would rather not hear.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Part V – Nature and Nurture Decide” in the menu to the right.
Part VI – A Summary of the Science
So, we have made it to the end of the things that I think that you need to know about the science of addiction and how it changes your brain. This section summarizes the preceding five sections. I think that it would be helpful if you read those sections and then read this to solidify your understanding of these topics. Regardless, I hope that you have found this blog informative and entertaining..ok I’ll be happy if you just found it readable. I do not intend for this to be the end of the blog. There is still much for us to consider and discuss. I hope that future topics will prompt you to add your thoughts or experiences.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Part VI – A Summary of the Science” in the menu to the right.
Misconceptions and Stigmas, Part 1
Now that we have covered the basic science, this is the first discussion topic of the blog. There are many ideas that people hold onto about addiction that science and common-sense have demonstrated are incorrect. In this installment, I have highlighted a few of my “favorite” misconceptions and discussed why they are wrong. The science may have seemed a little intimidating and unemotional but now I hope that you will feel free to add your own thoughts and experiences to the discussion.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Misconceptions and Stigmas” in the menu to the right.
Who’s to Blame for the Opioid Crisis?
This installment has a good deal of my personal philosophies along with some information. I address many of the people and institutions that have a role in the addiction crisis in the search for the ultimate scapegoat.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Who’s to Blame for the Opioid Crisis” in the menu to the right.
Rehab, Recovery, And Treatment
Recovery is a lifelong journey that will test an addict in ways that non-addicts cannot begin to understand. Recovery goes from the agony of withdrawal, through the lengthy process of undoing what the addiction has done to their brain, to maintaining sobriety and helping others on the same journey. Throughout this journey loved-ones are challenged by the need to support and encourage the addict while not facilitating the addiction.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Rehab, Recovery, and Treatment” in the menu to the right.
This One’s for Nate and For All Who Helped Him
This post describes our son’s life as an addict in order to illustrate that many addicts do not appear to be what you think of as an addict. This is not a memorial and it does not describe our struggles. It is an addict’s life viewed from the outside and a thank you to everyone who stood beside him. While the underlying changes to an addict’s brain are comparable to other addicts, the person that you see may not be the junkie that you picture.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “This One’s for Nate..” in the menu to the right.
Song Lyrics – Insight into Addiction
This installment discusses two songs that I think give a lot of insight into addiction. Many songs about drugs glorify it but these songs give insight into the true nature of addiction. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I could not bring myself to calling rap, songs. Sorry that’s just the way I am. The songs are “She Talks to Angels” by The Black Crowes and “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Song Lyrics – Insight into Addiction” in the menu to the right.
Spirituality, The Brain, and Recovery
Everyone’s journey to recovery is their own but there are many stories that have a similar theme. Spirituality is often a driving force that helps an addict to get serious about recovery and remain there. Whether you believe it is “the Hand of God” helping the addict or the addict’s beliefs, is of little consequence. It is clear that the belief in something greater than ourselves can be a tremendous help to addicts, possibly to everyone. This is the story of one addict’s recovery based upon spirituality, in his own words. He discusses recent science regarding spirituality and the intimate connection between spirituality and the 12-step program of AA.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Spirituality, The Brain and Recovery” in the menu to the right.
Stigma of Addiction and the Damage Done
Misinformation and misconceptions are largely to blame for the stigma of addiction. This stigma has profound effects on the addict, their loved-ones, and society at large. Some people seem to see nothing wrong with treating addicts as pariahs and less than human because they mistakenly believe that addiction is a choice. Perhaps if people understood the impacts that this has, they would adopt a more compassionate view.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Stigma of Addition and the Damage Done” in the menu to the right.
Counterpoint
I listened to a TED Talk entitled, “Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong”. In this installment, I discuss the speaker’s information and interpretations. I reconsidered my understanding of addiction, BUT I haven’t significantly changed my opinion and I explain why. Addiction is a disease of the brain to which a percentage of the population is susceptible. It is important to keep an open mind but talks such as this just slow down our education of the public and weaken our battle with the addiction crisis.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Counterpoint” in the menu to the right.
The Adolescent Brain – Follow-up to Part I
Additional information has come to my attention regarding the adolescent brain and it is not good news for addiction. In this installment, I discuss this information and tie it back to our earlier understanding of the adolescent brain. Collectively, this information serves to reinforce why addiction tends to start during the adolescent years from 13 to 24. If you would like to start with the original post on the adolescent brain please click on this link .
To access this installment, please click here or click on “The Adolescent Brain – Follow-up to Part I” in the menu to the right.
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act
While you can tell from my other posts that I prefer to address the science of addiction and it’s impacts, there currently is a sweeping, bipartisan bill in the House and the Senate that attempts to address the addiction crisis. I have pulled together a generalized description of the various aspects of this bill to show what help is on the way to fight this crisis. The problem is so large that we will not get everything right the first time, but this bill appears to make an attempt to address some glaring problems.
If you would like to read more about this bill, please click here or on “The SUPPORT Bill in Congress” in the menu to the right.
Warm Hand-Offs – A Brilliant Idea
A warm hand-off is when a person in recovery goes to the hospital to help someone who has just overdosed and been revived or has otherwise hurt themselves as a result of their addiction. The person in recovery attempts to get this person into a rehab facility so that they can start or resume their journey in recovery. This is not quite as simple as it sounds, and it has many challenges but I think that it is a brilliant concept with the potential to save many who are lost.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Warm Hand-Offs” in the menu to the right.
Narcan and Friends
Narcan saved my son’s life. It has saved many lives that were virtually lost to opioid overdoses. In my last post I discussed warm hand-offs and that prompted me to write about Narcan, how it works, what it does and why people suffering from addiction don’t always respond the way the we would expect.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Narcan and Friends” in the menu to the right.
Narcan and Friends – Part 2
Narcan’s friends, the drugs used in Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) are somewhat controversial. They consist of several drugs that are used to help those suffering from addiction get into long-term recovery. They do not cure you, nothing that we have yet found can. But they may save they lives of people we would have lost because they were unable to stay in recovery even with support and counselling.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Narcan and Friends Part 2” in the menu to the right.
Misconceptions and Stigmas, Part 2
I believe that the first challenge that we must face regarding addiction is educating the public so that they understand, have empathy, and genuinely want to help those suffering from addiction. Just like nearly every topic of discussion these days, there is much misinformation spread by people who do not understand addiction but have opinions, nonetheless. In this post, I address a few of the oft repeated statements and why they are incorrect. I hope that you will feel free to add your own thoughts and experiences to this discussion.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Misconceptions and Stigmas 2” in the menu to the right.
Twelve Reasons
Let’s take a look at one of the biggest stumbling blocks to defeating the addiction crisis gripping our country and the world. That is, the persistent belief that addiction is not a disease, it is a choice. All of the experts in the world cannot make you agree with a concept if you choose not to. But here are twelve things that changed my mind and convinced me that it truly is a disease of the mind, brain damage if you will.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Twelve Reasons” in the menu to the right.
Enabling or Accommodating
It is heartbreaking to watch someone you love destroying themselves and not know if what you are doing is helping them or helping their addiction. There is not a simple answer to this dilemma. If there was, I would share it with the world. BUT I do have some thoughts starting with: Take care of yourself and do not protect your loved-one with substance use disorder from the consequences of their own actions.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Enabling or Accommodating” in the menu to the right.
Variability and Uniqueness
We humans are walking contradictions. We want a simple, universal explanation or answer to every problem, yet we are so complex and varied that it is virtually impossible to apply a single answer to anything that involves humans. This cannot be more true than when dealing with the issues associated with addiction. Fortunately, it appears that we are moving away from simple answers and acknowledging our uniqueness.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Variability” in the menu to the right.
Analogies
As I have worked to help people understand how addiction changes your brain, either through discussions or this blog, I have learned that analogies can be one of the most effective ways of conveying certain ideas. For this post, I have pulled together some of the more meaningful analogies and thought experiments that I have used. Things like: “dopamine and Pavlov’s dog”; “no brakes”; “no longer a cucumber”; and “dying of thirst”.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Analogies” in the menu to the right.
Part Va – Nature and Nurture Revisited
I have recently read about epigenetics and that has caused me to revise some of my thoughts on the roles of heredity and environment on addiction. Epigenetics says that genes do not rigidly determine exactly who you will be, rather some genes may be turned on or off based on environment. Some genes may even behave differently based on signals from other genes. Now I see that heredity and environment are not independent. This interaction between the two better explains some characteristics of addiction.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Part Va – Nature and Nurture Revisited” in the menu to the right.
Who’s to Blame? Revisited
In a prior post, I presented my opinions on the search for the ultimate scapegoat for the opiate crisis. With newer revelations about Purdue Pharma’s role I wanted to revisit this issue. I discuss a book that I read called Dreamland by Sam Quinones that describes the birth and growth of our current opiate crisis and how that impacts my opinions.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Who’s to Blame? Revisited” in the menu to the right.
Adaptation and Tolerance
The explanation of tolerance as merely turning off dopamine receptors may not be adequate. Tolerance may also be the result of the brain failing to be able to keep up with the demand for dopamine as a result of continued drug misuse. Cleary, the brain adapts to the presence of the drug and this too may cause tolerance.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Adaptation and Tolerance” in the menu to the right.
Help, I Need Somebody
Isolation is one of the greatest challenges for people who have loved ones struggling with addiction. If you are not struggling alongside a loved one with a substance use disorder, I have some suggestions. For those that are struggling, I have some suggestions as well. Most importantly for everyone, I hope that you will get out and help those less fortunate in whatever way you see fit. It will likely help you more than it will help them.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Help, I Need Somebody” in the menu to the right.
*NEW* Stirring the Shit Pot – Safe Injection Sites
The topic of safe injection sites stirs a lot of strong feelings. Someone who’s knowledge and experience with addiction I greatly respect, said that he is in favor of safe injection sites. This made me reconsider how I feel about this and why. Safe injection sites are not the answer to the addiction crisis that we face but they may be the answer to reducing the number of deaths. Please join me while I share my thoughts on this topic and then share yours.
To access this installment, please click here or click on “Stirring the Shit Pot – Safe Injection Sites” in the menu to the right.