Why drug addiction ruins people's lives...
...a recent study has shown that dopamine affects the choices we make. (well duh🙄)
The greater the expected dopamine from any activity ....the more we desire to do it ....makes sense .
A finch will choose courting over quenching thirst or eating if the opportunity arises .
Same with humans.
But the drive from dopamine from a 'hit' or expected hit, (or drink or session or purchase or whatever... etc), can be SO STRONG it can override basic needs such as hunger, thirst, work and relationships.
Basically - un natural dopamine levels from drugs, (or any addiction whether it be gambling, shopping or whatever), override our natural ablitiy to differentiate needs.
- Even drop some needs altogether....they just don't register enough dopamine to be considered personallly important🤷♀
And it's why ex addicts have trouble 'feeling' when they quit. Normal dopamine levels just don't cut it like they used to ....so nothing seems desirable any more: not food, not drink, not even love .
And it's why loving an ex addict is so hard . Their dopamine levels have been so numbed over, it takes high amounts for them to register want or desire.
Sorry .... just found it interesting 🤷♀
Edit: the good news is, (with the exclusion of some of the newer synthetic drugs), this state is usually repairable over time .
But it can take years for an addictcs body to get jack to normal fuction ....or close to.
And requires dedication.
The greater the expected dopamine from any activity ....the more we desire to do it ....makes sense .
A finch will choose courting over quenching thirst or eating if the opportunity arises .
Same with humans.
But the drive from dopamine from a 'hit' or expected hit, (or drink or session or purchase or whatever... etc), can be SO STRONG it can override basic needs such as hunger, thirst, work and relationships.
Basically - un natural dopamine levels from drugs, (or any addiction whether it be gambling, shopping or whatever), override our natural ablitiy to differentiate needs.
- Even drop some needs altogether....they just don't register enough dopamine to be considered personallly important🤷♀
And it's why ex addicts have trouble 'feeling' when they quit. Normal dopamine levels just don't cut it like they used to ....so nothing seems desirable any more: not food, not drink, not even love .
And it's why loving an ex addict is so hard . Their dopamine levels have been so numbed over, it takes high amounts for them to register want or desire.
Sorry .... just found it interesting 🤷♀
Edit: the good news is, (with the exclusion of some of the newer synthetic drugs), this state is usually repairable over time .
But it can take years for an addictcs body to get jack to normal fuction ....or close to.
And requires dedication.
