What is going on in my brain? What is the chemical mechanism? Why cant I just tell my brain to stop craving the substance? Why is the addiction removing all of my inhibitions?
This is hell.
In: Biology
Because addiction taps into the old and subconscious parts of our brain. This part of the brain is all about survival, habit formation, and it all happens automatically.
Its the same part of the brain that makes it hard for us to avoid bad foods, or to keep going to the gym consistently, or insert any bad habit. But with addiction, its all ramped up x1000. These drugs are signaling to that old part of the brain that what you are taking is more important than anything, for your survival and for your benefit. So all of your thoughts and efforts begin to revolve around getting that drug again. It creates a chemical cocktail in you that no experience can compete with.
This old part of the brain is really the part that’s in charge of us, whether we are addicted to something or not. And its why we can rationally know something is terrible for us, yet feel powerless to change our behaviors. Drug addicts know, using the newer parts of the brain, that this drug is the absolute worst thing for them, but they simply are unable to stop. Will power is basically a myth if you talk to neuroscientists.
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