Interesting Documentary on addiction
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Interesting Documentary on addiction
Aired in Canada last night :
Wasted - The Nature of Things: Science, Wildlife and Technology - CBC-TV
One of the excerpts i found really interesting was an MRI scan of an Alcoholics mind, a normal drinker's mind and a 6 year sober mind, when shown arbitrary pictures of drinks.
This is Science showing the true physical differences and what an addictive mind looks like.
Wasted - The Nature of Things: Science, Wildlife and Technology - CBC-TV
One of the excerpts i found really interesting was an MRI scan of an Alcoholics mind, a normal drinker's mind and a 6 year sober mind, when shown arbitrary pictures of drinks.
This is Science showing the true physical differences and what an addictive mind looks like.
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Originally Posted by soberwolf 
Have you heard of Daniel Amen ?
I should say that further in the documentary the analysis of the alcoholic mind has a distinct link between levels of naturally occuring dopamine in our brains. In the alcoholic brain, whether it is hereditary or not the brain has very low levels of dopamine which casts a scientific link on how alcohol "delivers" the dopamine to what would be considered normal levels in non drinkers.
In the image above, it shows even subconciously the brain's craving for alcohol because "we" have hardwired ourselves to relate alcohol with dopamine levels.
Incredible finding, and i suspect just the beginning of science developing a "cure" to go along with sobriety.
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Ahh. Sorry about the link.. yeah i guess you cant watch outside the country. Im sure it will show up on youtube somewhere, ill keep my eye open and if i find a worlwide link ill post it again.
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It was interesting, and very, ahem, sobering to see a guy with 6 plus years of sobriety relapse right in front of the cameras like that.
Had a problem when Suzuki casually said scientists believe that alcoholism was 60% genetic and 40% environmental. I think he was projecting his own beliefs as fact.
Had a problem when Suzuki casually said scientists believe that alcoholism was 60% genetic and 40% environmental. I think he was projecting his own beliefs as fact.
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Originally Posted by nomis
It was interesting, and very, ahem, sobering to see a guy with 6 plus years of sobriety relapse right in front of the cameras like that.
Had a problem when Suzuki casually said scientists believe that alcoholism was 60% genetic and 40% environmental. I think he was projecting his own beliefs as fact.
Had a problem when Suzuki casually said scientists believe that alcoholism was 60% genetic and 40% environmental. I think he was projecting his own beliefs as fact.
Yeah i didnt care for the protagonist of the doc, i was more interested in the scientific study, and specifically the link between dopamine levels.
I will venture a guess that there are way more people on the "path" of alcoholism (regardless of outcome) than society would like to admit. Issue is, like the cigarette companies once upon a time, alcohol is socially accepted drug. But at the root of the drug the outcome inevitably will lead to alcoholism. Be that 1 in 5 or 2 in 5 people who are genetically pre-desposed.
At least Science and society at large are starting to take notice: specifically that alcoholics are born without the proper natural defence mechanisms to this drug. And especially that one doesnt need to be living in a gutter before they seek help.
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Yeah, the CBC does come up with good stuff. I cut my cable a couple of years ago, but when I had it, The National was the best news program on the tube hands down. Good ol' Peter.
I agree, it was interesting to see the program make the link between dopamine levels in addicts and non-addicts. I don't think there is much wide-spread awareness of this. As the program points out, all addiction really is, is a reward-deficit brain disorder.
However, I don't believe that people are born this way. Rather it's a condition that the brain develops in response to the environment it is exposed to. One thing that science is absolutely, crystal clear on is the link between trauma and addiction. Study after study has shown a clear, graded relationship between the two. In fact the link between childhood trauma and addiction, is greater than that of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
It was mentioned that the protagonist in the show was a third generation alcoholic, thereby implying the condition must be hereditary. I would have to believe, and the program hinted at this, that as a child growing up in that household must have been at least somewhat traumatic. There is a scene where he has gathered with his siblings and they mention their father in a picture, coming off a week-long bender.
In any case, thanks for the link, it helped a Saturday morning fly by
I agree, it was interesting to see the program make the link between dopamine levels in addicts and non-addicts. I don't think there is much wide-spread awareness of this. As the program points out, all addiction really is, is a reward-deficit brain disorder.
However, I don't believe that people are born this way. Rather it's a condition that the brain develops in response to the environment it is exposed to. One thing that science is absolutely, crystal clear on is the link between trauma and addiction. Study after study has shown a clear, graded relationship between the two. In fact the link between childhood trauma and addiction, is greater than that of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
It was mentioned that the protagonist in the show was a third generation alcoholic, thereby implying the condition must be hereditary. I would have to believe, and the program hinted at this, that as a child growing up in that household must have been at least somewhat traumatic. There is a scene where he has gathered with his siblings and they mention their father in a picture, coming off a week-long bender.
In any case, thanks for the link, it helped a Saturday morning fly by
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