The Addiction Dopamine Connection - By Dr. Braverman

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The Addiction/Dopamine Connection - By Dr.
Braverman
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(No Transcript)
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All of us are vulnerable to the ADDICTION cycle
when we experience a deficiency in our brain
chemical, Dopamine. Disturbances in the dopamine
"reward system" are associated with addictive
behaviors. Anything you enjoy doing but can't
seem to rein in can cause a release of dopamine.
When this happens, you will initially feel that
surge of excitement, or "rush." This is true
whether the addiction is to drugs, alcohol, or
shopping. But if you're already low in dopamine
and you abuse drugs or alcohol, you'll feel less
and less satisfied with each exposure. Unfortunat
ely, now that you've experienced a good rush,
you'll keep craving the experience again. So not
only do you become addicted to the substance or
experience, but you become addicted to dopamine,
even as your brain produces less and less.
Because addiction is almost always a
self-medication model, it's exactly how the
addiction cycle begins.
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The catch is that the brain can't keep up with
demand. Instead, it strives to reach homeostasis,
or balance, so that each time you are exposed to
the addictive substance or behavior, the brain
releases less dopamine, not more. When this
happens, the euphoric feeling doesn't come back
at all. Yet low-dopamine people will still
continue to drink or smoke, in hope of it's
returning. Unfortunately, these addictions affect
every part of your health, including your
thinking. The Good News is that you can break
the cycle. You need to learn how to increase
dopamine in a more balanced approach first
choosing foods, then nutrients, and sometimes
even medications, so that alcohol, drugs, or
shopping doesn't become your only source of a
dopamine rush. By increasing levels of dopamine,
you'll be able to help yourself break the cycle
of addiction and gain control over your life.
You'll also be able to create new brain cells to
replace the ones you've destroyed in the past.
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Remember, addiction is serious and will sometimes
require professional help. We at PATH Medical can
help you to restore your brain to a balanced
chemical state.
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  Author Bio   Eric Braverman MD is a Summa Cum
Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brandeis
University and NYU Medical School, did brain
research at Harvard Medical School, and trained
at an affiliate of Yale Medical School. Dr.
Braverman is acknowledged worldwide as an expert
in brain-based diagnosis and treatment, and he
lectures to and trains doctors in anti-aging
medicine.