Addiction's Neuroadaptation Gremlins
Anna explains how addiction works in the brain, specifically how the release of dopamine creates a balance between pleasure and pain, and how the brain adapts to down regulate dopamine receptors and production, leading to an overwhelming urge to use more of the drug of choice to restore balance. She likens this adaptation to "neuroadaptation gremlins" that camp out on the pain side of the balance until the urge to restore neutrality becomes almost overwhelming.In this clip
From this podcast
The Knowledge Project
The Science of Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke | Knowledge Project 159
Related Questions
How does Anna Lembke describe addiction, including the reason for withdrawal symptoms such as the dip of dopamine below the set point?
Is the pleasure-pain balance the broader scale that baseline dopamine resides on? Is someone with a higher baseline dopamine, or even a temporary spike, higher on the pleasure/motivation balance, while someone with low baseline dopamine, or a temporary drop, is on the pain/craving balance? Is it safe to say that someone addicted is chronically in the pain balance?