Addiction to Experience
Today’s Agenda:
Lecture: Part A: Addiction to Experience
Quiz 1
Let’s look at the quote…
Some to dance, some to make bonfires, each man to what sport and revels his addiction leads
him.
- Shakespeare
Milkman and Sunderwirth
 Milkman, H. (Professor / Psychology )
 Sunderwirth, S. (Professor / Organic Chemistry)
 Key theme – We are compelled by repetitious behaviors to become energized, to relax, to
imagine.
Craving for Ecstasy
Ancient Origins?
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What we searching for?
Craving for Ecstasy
 Addictive behaviors hi-jack the brain neurotransmission system(e.g., dopamine / meth)
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Internal opiates (i.e., enkephalin; endorphins)
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This is true for all behaviors
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Seemingly innocent to the illicit
The Addictive Personality
Who is Most at Risk
Risk Factors
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Early aggressive behaviors
Poor social skills
Lack of parental supervision
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Substance abuse
Drug availability
Poverty
Protective Factors
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Self-control
Positive Relationships
Parental monitoring / support
Academic competence
Anti-drug use policies
Strong neighborhood attachment
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More risk factors greater chance of entering into risky behaviors leads to compulsion
Euphoric / Dysphoric Cycle
Drug and Activities of Choice
 Genetics > behavioral style > stress
 “Not Good Enough Self”
 Surrender to something outside ourselves
 This surrender often depends on our way of coping with stress
 Certain personalities appear to gravitate toward certain addictive behaviors to shore up
stress and ameliorate “not good enough self”
The Serendipitous Event
 We find our drug of choice – reduce stress / inner turmoil
 Incipient Addicts – experience compulsions and loss of control long before ingesting
psychoactive substances
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For instance, family problems, school truancy / violence / crime / interpersonal relations, parsuicidal behaviors
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Three avenues of experience to ameliorate psychic pain
Antidotes for Psychic Pain
 Satiation, arousal, and fantasy
 These antidotes may have origins in first years of life
 Childhood experiences and genetics foundation of adult compulsion
 Our three antidotes correlate with drug of choice
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Depressants
Stimulants
Hallucinogens
Milkman and Sunderwirth (2009) hold that:
 People don’t become addicted to drugs or mood altering activities as such, but rather to the
satiation, arousal, or fantasy experiences that can be achieved through them.
Satiation Addict “Soother”
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Binge on food
Television
Choice of drug – depressants (alcohol, benzodiazepines)
Striking similarity to child during first year of life (food and warmth
Pharmacologic defense against user’s own aggressive drives
Similar to opiates
Arousal Addict “Sensation Seekers”
 Seek stimulation / risk takers / live on the edge
 Gamblers
 Cocaine and amphetamine users
 Can be criminals
 Seek to be active and potent in their environment (boastful)
 Their vast expenditures of mental and physical energy are designed to deny underlying fear
and helplessness
Fantasy Addict: “Dreamer / Mystic”
 Favors repetitive activation of right-hemisphere thinking
 Preoccupation with altered reality
 Mystical insights / pursuit of merge with divine
 LSD
 Mushrooms
 High potent marijuana
 Try to overcome fears by creating fantasies in which they are effective and important
The Brain, Antidotes, and Behavior
Basic Neuro-Chemistry
 Brain an electrical-chemical computer
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Process of communication between neurons (neurotransmission)
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Largely responsible for brain functions that determine what we are (i.e., personality, intellect,
and character)
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We are our neurotransmission
Pre – Postsynaptic Neuron
Lock and Key, Release, Block
 Neurotransmitters released from presynaptic attach themselves to the receptors in the
postsynaptic much like a lock and key
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Some drugs will increase the activation of neurotransmitter release (amphetamine)
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While others will block the reuptake of neurotransmitters (cocaine) expanding the available
dopamine in the synapse.
Blum’s Reward Cascade
Drugs, Dopamine Levels, Nucleus Accumbens
Activity, Dopamine Level, and Nucleus Accumbens
Drugs and Dopamine Release
 Amphetamine 900%
 Cocaine
200%
 Heroine
160%
 Marijuana 130%
 Nicotine 100%
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Drugs to fight Drugs
Vigabatrin – Used to stop cocaine cravings
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Campral – reduce cravings (alcohol)
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Naltrexone (blocks intoxicating affects of alcohol)
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Vivitrol (longer last than the Naltrexone – injectable)