Another Study Showing Addiction is Brain Based
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Another Study Showing Addiction is Brain Based
And not because you have a moral failing, or are a crappy person, which makes me crazy! Even people here say that alcoholics and addicts are deeply flawed people. The science is making the old beliefs look archaic. NPR had a story on this today:
In the Experience of Doubt, a Possible Cure for Alcoholism | KQED Science
Just thought that most drinkers and addicts have been beat up enough, and this might help. When I quit drinking, I found Campral helped tremendously with the cravings and brain repair, so I could see what my drinking was doing to me.
Peace,
Nancy
In the Experience of Doubt, a Possible Cure for Alcoholism | KQED Science
Just thought that most drinkers and addicts have been beat up enough, and this might help. When I quit drinking, I found Campral helped tremendously with the cravings and brain repair, so I could see what my drinking was doing to me.
Peace,
Nancy
Recovering
Join Date: May 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 1,361
Hi Nancy
I think the flip side is that we also have to maintain responsibility for our actions. I think that is part of the healing of both ourselves and our relationships. I think it's no co-incidence that many people have found life-long sobriety through steps which confront them with what they themselves have done. I do think we have to avoid thinking 'my addiction did this or that'. At the end of the day it was me who decided to drink, and my addiction to alcohol didn't happen overnight, but occurred after repeated choices to drink.
It's a balance, I think. Certainly some people beat themselves up too much, but I've known others who never seemed to really accept personal responsibility for their actions, and that prevented them from really moving on from those actions. It also prevented others from having proper closure on the impact of the alcoholic's actions.
I don't think we should lose that sense of personal responsibility and, yes, moral culpability. It's part of learning to live a better life, and it's part of being able to apologise genuinely to others.
God bless +
Michael
I think the flip side is that we also have to maintain responsibility for our actions. I think that is part of the healing of both ourselves and our relationships. I think it's no co-incidence that many people have found life-long sobriety through steps which confront them with what they themselves have done. I do think we have to avoid thinking 'my addiction did this or that'. At the end of the day it was me who decided to drink, and my addiction to alcohol didn't happen overnight, but occurred after repeated choices to drink.
It's a balance, I think. Certainly some people beat themselves up too much, but I've known others who never seemed to really accept personal responsibility for their actions, and that prevented them from really moving on from those actions. It also prevented others from having proper closure on the impact of the alcoholic's actions.
I don't think we should lose that sense of personal responsibility and, yes, moral culpability. It's part of learning to live a better life, and it's part of being able to apologise genuinely to others.
God bless +
Michael
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I am not sure that AA says alcoholics have a moral failing, in fact I think they did much to promote the medical model which was way ahead of it's time as this foreshadowed the current research being done.
I don't think other methods expunge the moral aspect either. AVRT says that the addiction doesn't cause moral failings and if you do something immoral while under the influence then it is your personal responsibility to deal with it.
One possible downside of the medical model is that it downplays personal responsibility and that can make people feel helpless when it comes to tackling the issue. If it is a medical condition there is nothing you can do about it right? But if it is behavioural...
All of this research is great though. I love the debates on this but I think whatever helps an individual recover and whatever belief system that entails is the correct way. Everyone is different x
I don't think other methods expunge the moral aspect either. AVRT says that the addiction doesn't cause moral failings and if you do something immoral while under the influence then it is your personal responsibility to deal with it.
One possible downside of the medical model is that it downplays personal responsibility and that can make people feel helpless when it comes to tackling the issue. If it is a medical condition there is nothing you can do about it right? But if it is behavioural...
All of this research is great though. I love the debates on this but I think whatever helps an individual recover and whatever belief system that entails is the correct way. Everyone is different x
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that's mostly AA saying you are morally flawed.
If it is a medical condition there is nothing you can do about it right?
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I do not see any contradiction between personal responsibility and genetic tendencies.
I am sure it runs in families and is genetic, it does not say that you have to drink or smoke. Just says that you have tendencies for addictions.
I have once gotten pain killers based on morphine, happily just for a couple of days. I knew right away: “This is good – I could get used to this”. I am a sucker for addiction, it does not mean that I do not have personal choice, just means that I need to be careful.
I think some people have to more careful than others – I am among them and just have to accept that.
Some people just have to struggle a little more for some things than other. It is probably giving us some benefits also – just not when it comes to addiction.
I am sure it runs in families and is genetic, it does not say that you have to drink or smoke. Just says that you have tendencies for addictions.
I have once gotten pain killers based on morphine, happily just for a couple of days. I knew right away: “This is good – I could get used to this”. I am a sucker for addiction, it does not mean that I do not have personal choice, just means that I need to be careful.
I think some people have to more careful than others – I am among them and just have to accept that.
Some people just have to struggle a little more for some things than other. It is probably giving us some benefits also – just not when it comes to addiction.
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Hi again,
I personally didn't find AA helpful. I used Women for Sobriety, which is all about personal responsibility. But I know millions of people have been helped by AA, so I am NOT here to bash it and i try to keep my bias out of it.
i think these new studies show why there is such a high rate of relapse in all programs, even my program, WFS. If alcoholism is somehow predisposed in some of us, and then destroys the prefrontal cortex, which we need to make good decisions, no wonder we will die drinking. And the study is not even addressing the personal responsibility part, just why some people can drink and never develop an issue, and others do. I find the brain research fascinating, as I think many behavioral issues are medical, and many medical issues are emotional.
Nancy
I personally didn't find AA helpful. I used Women for Sobriety, which is all about personal responsibility. But I know millions of people have been helped by AA, so I am NOT here to bash it and i try to keep my bias out of it.
i think these new studies show why there is such a high rate of relapse in all programs, even my program, WFS. If alcoholism is somehow predisposed in some of us, and then destroys the prefrontal cortex, which we need to make good decisions, no wonder we will die drinking. And the study is not even addressing the personal responsibility part, just why some people can drink and never develop an issue, and others do. I find the brain research fascinating, as I think many behavioral issues are medical, and many medical issues are emotional.
Nancy
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There are also studies that show that you can change your brain by mediation – the brain is plastic.
I do not believe we are stuck with what we have, I do not believe we can fight what we have with will power alone either.
I do think if we are sensible and make some changes to ours lives we can avoid our addiction despite our tendencies.
I do not believe we are stuck with what we have, I do not believe we can fight what we have with will power alone either.
I do think if we are sensible and make some changes to ours lives we can avoid our addiction despite our tendencies.
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Sorry, I just meant that some people sometimes use that theory as an excuse. The 'I can't help it' approach.
Thanks for the post Nancylee.
soberhawk - True dat!
EndGame
Join Date: Jun 2013
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There's a lot of conflict on this issue, and medical science is not yet capable of saying more than alcohol affects and is affected by brain functions. I've worked in neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry for many years, and I've coordinated and participated in major research projects on alcoholism, dealing with both brain and behaviors.
Suggesting that alcoholism is a brain disease doesn't let us off the hook for our behaviors; nor does it mean we can't benefit from treatment or other kinds of help.
What's important for me is that I cannot control my drinking, and that drinking leads to loss, heartache and tears. That this condition is difficult to overcome is not the same as concluding that we can't benefit from outside help. We are responsible for the consequences of our actions, regardless of how our brains are wired. The only legal exception is when we're incapable of knowing right from wrong. But the law has nothing to with with personal responsibility beyond penalizing us when we overstep the legal bounds of behavior.
Suggesting that alcoholism is a brain disease doesn't let us off the hook for our behaviors; nor does it mean we can't benefit from treatment or other kinds of help.
What's important for me is that I cannot control my drinking, and that drinking leads to loss, heartache and tears. That this condition is difficult to overcome is not the same as concluding that we can't benefit from outside help. We are responsible for the consequences of our actions, regardless of how our brains are wired. The only legal exception is when we're incapable of knowing right from wrong. But the law has nothing to with with personal responsibility beyond penalizing us when we overstep the legal bounds of behavior.
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Originally Posted by soberhawk 
There are also studies that show that you can change your brain by mediation – the brain is plastic.
I do not believe we are stuck with what we have, I do not believe we can fight what we have with will power alone either.
I do think if we are sensible and make some changes to ours lives we can avoid our addiction despite our tendencies.
I do not believe we are stuck with what we have, I do not believe we can fight what we have with will power alone either.
I do think if we are sensible and make some changes to ours lives we can avoid our addiction despite our tendencies.
I also do not believe that we are stuck with anything except lots of choices. I personally do not believe in the genetic predisposition theory either. My personal belief is that its related more to pre-exposure to someone else's behaviors and lack of coping skills.
Just think if all children were taught from an early age the power of their choices and the responsibility and consequences that come with them.
I chose to stop drinking and doing drugs in 1997, it was my choice. Now, do I think that I had help, most definitely.
I also know that on that day I had made a choice from deep within my soul to change my life. I personally think that a true desire must be there for any long term change to be successful.
There are many theories related to addiction, they are like a**holes, they are everywhere ;-)
I can't drink alcohol, period!
Love,
CS
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A couple of things. EndGame, they are finding lots of physical conditions in the brain now that make alcohol addiction more likely. I am not saying that choice doesn't play a part in in, but I am saying that being an addict doesn't mean you are morally flawed, weak, or bad. Most of us started drinking before we even know that there was a medical or family component. We are, of course, still responsible for our actions. The article discussed ways to fight addiction, including medications.
And ChooseSobriety, I am adopted. My adoptive family has no addiction issues, while my birth family has many alcoholics. I wasn't exposed to excessive alcohol use, but also didn't know to avoid drinking because my family had alcoholics. So it is more than exposure in my case. It seems to have been hard wired.
Nancy
And ChooseSobriety, I am adopted. My adoptive family has no addiction issues, while my birth family has many alcoholics. I wasn't exposed to excessive alcohol use, but also didn't know to avoid drinking because my family had alcoholics. So it is more than exposure in my case. It seems to have been hard wired.
Nancy
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Originally Posted by nancylee
NPR had a story on this today:
"The next step was changing that brain circuit. And this is where a recent technology called optogenetics, developed nearby at Stanford University, comes in. It lets researches turn brain cells off and on remotely, using a beam of light.
“We can shine light into these connections and specifically turn off just a few of the many thousands of wires of the brain,” says Hopf. “That’s sufficient to dramatically reduce their compulsive drinking.”
"The next step was changing that brain circuit. And this is where a recent technology called optogenetics, developed nearby at Stanford University, comes in. It lets researches turn brain cells off and on remotely, using a beam of light.
“We can shine light into these connections and specifically turn off just a few of the many thousands of wires of the brain,” says Hopf. “That’s sufficient to dramatically reduce their compulsive drinking.”
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I'm so thankful that science has given us insight into addiction and that it is very much a brain disease. A few decades ago, I think society viewed alcoholics as morally inept and bad people. 
But that doesn't mean we don't take responsibility for our actions and especially our recovery. One of my treatment counselors put it like this: We aren't responsible for our addiction, but we are responsible for our recovery.
It's a bit simplistic, but it makes sense. We can't control our alcohol and our disease will cause us to drink again if we don't get help. BUT we can do things for our recovery every day, whether that be reading something, going to meetings, exercising, getting another hobby, seeing a doctor, taking medication--it really doesn't matter as long as it contributes to a sober lifestyle.
We may have a disease but with help, we don't have to be sick.
But that doesn't mean we don't take responsibility for our actions and especially our recovery. One of my treatment counselors put it like this: We aren't responsible for our addiction, but we are responsible for our recovery.
It's a bit simplistic, but it makes sense. We can't control our alcohol and our disease will cause us to drink again if we don't get help. BUT we can do things for our recovery every day, whether that be reading something, going to meetings, exercising, getting another hobby, seeing a doctor, taking medication--it really doesn't matter as long as it contributes to a sober lifestyle.
We may have a disease but with help, we don't have to be sick.
Sober Alcoholic
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Boleo, I found the quote below interesting.
For the rest of my life I will reflect on what light is. (Albert Einstein. 1917)
I suspect that light (literally) is more important to understanding the nature of things than most people realize.
My apologies for being a bit
.... 
For the rest of my life I will reflect on what light is. (Albert Einstein. 1917)
I suspect that light (literally) is more important to understanding the nature of things than most people realize.
My apologies for being a bit
.... Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Dallas
Posts: 86
And ChooseSobriety, I am adopted. My adoptive family has no addiction issues, while my birth family has many alcoholics. I wasn't exposed to excessive alcohol use, but also didn't know to avoid drinking because my family had alcoholics. So it is more than exposure in my case. It seems to have been hard wired.
Nancy[/QUOTE]
Hello nancylee :-)
When I used the term pre-exposure I was directing it more towards not being taught coping skills as well as the consequences and accountability of our choices. I grew up around many heavy drinkers during my childhood years and many since then too ;-)
My father was a heavy drinker as well and he passed when I was 9 years old, ironically not because of alcohol. I had never given the term predisposed much thought until I went to a few AA meetings.
Ultimately it was my deceased father and my young two tear old son that led me to make the choice to stop drinking. Predisposed or pre-exposed had nothing to do with me stepping into my personal power and becoming a driver of the bus in lieu of a passenger.
Today, I can not continue to blame others for my personal choices, I refuse to give anyone or anything that much power over my thoughts which will ultimately become my choices if not redirected.
Thanks so much for sharing nancylee!
Love,
CS
Nancy[/QUOTE]
Hello nancylee :-)
When I used the term pre-exposure I was directing it more towards not being taught coping skills as well as the consequences and accountability of our choices. I grew up around many heavy drinkers during my childhood years and many since then too ;-)
My father was a heavy drinker as well and he passed when I was 9 years old, ironically not because of alcohol. I had never given the term predisposed much thought until I went to a few AA meetings.
Ultimately it was my deceased father and my young two tear old son that led me to make the choice to stop drinking. Predisposed or pre-exposed had nothing to do with me stepping into my personal power and becoming a driver of the bus in lieu of a passenger.
Today, I can not continue to blame others for my personal choices, I refuse to give anyone or anything that much power over my thoughts which will ultimately become my choices if not redirected.
Thanks so much for sharing nancylee!
Love,
CS
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Join Date: Jan 2013
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Originally Posted by awuh1
Boleo, I found the quote below interesting.
For the rest of my life I will reflect on what light is. (Albert Einstein. 1917)
I suspect that light (literally) is more important to understanding the nature of things than most people realize.
My apologies for being a bit ....
For the rest of my life I will reflect on what light is. (Albert Einstein. 1917)
I suspect that light (literally) is more important to understanding the nature of things than most people realize.
My apologies for being a bit
.... Love,
CS
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