Do you wonder why you or your family member became addicted? I know I do. This is the million dollar question.
The thing is this disease has been a mystery to all of us for many years. As a parent, I have often wondered why some kids who experiment along with their friends, become addicted while others survive unscathed. Why addiction occurs in some families and not others is one that we would all love a concrete answer to.
We want to understand the deep rooted cause. If we had the answer to this question, many lives could be saved from this emotional destructive disease.
Suzanne Wu wrote an article for the USC Trojan Family Publication about the research this university is doing to learn more about the cause of addiction which challenges conventional wisdom. It’s reassuring to know that universities such as USC (University of Southern California) are putting dollars toward the disease, and that they are doing in depth research on the mystery of addiction.
Although many would like to believe that addiction is on the fringe of society, one researcher Steven Sussman, who claims he was a workaholic at one point, recently published an article that tried to explain 83 studies about addiction. He shared his finding that in a given year 47 percent of the U.S. adult population will suffer from an addiction – a severe addiction.
That is startling news that almost one half of the population will be affected by this disease. I’m not sure this is a statistic that the general population is aware of. These addictions would include more than just drugs or alcohol.
From the website, Masters in Public Health the top ten addictions in 2010 were media (any form of mass media) tobacco (nicotine), alcohol, marijuana, food, gambling, prescription drugs, bulimia, Cocaine, and Hallucinogens.
As Sussman notes, some addictions, such as those that do not have legal consequences or others such as addicted retirees may be harder to track. Some addictions cause more problems for the addict and society than others.
Listed below are some of the findings from the researchers listed in Suzanne’s article on USC addiction research, which I found particularly interesting.
• Alcoholism alone costs the United States an estimated $185 billion per year. (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
• Addiction is a disease of decision-making and bad choices…Addiction is a failure to learn from mistakes.
• Substance and behavioral addictions tap into a core brain system: the mesolimbic pathway governing pleasure and reward.
• Addiction is governed by nothing less the pursuit of happiness. We are all wired to want to feel good.
• Different addictions work on the brain in different ways.
• Impulsive tendencies is a trait that has a high correlation with addiction.
• Addiction is the result of both genes and opportunity – of nature and nurture.
• One researcher found that from 2000 to 2007, when high-speed Internet access had the highest expansion, was also the largest increase in hopsital admissions for prescription drug abuse.
• There are also genetic causes for addiction. Opiate addiction was linked to the presence of chromosome 14q, a genetic predisposition much more prevalent among certain ethnic groups.
• Early adolescence, family and social environment is the most critical indicator of whether a child will try alcohol, cigarettes or marijuana.
• NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) is already funding studies on compulsive gambling that may pave the way for new insights into addiction.
• Researchers have found that smokers with lesions on a deep-seated, prune-sized part of the brain called the insula were able to quit smoking immediately, completely and easily, which Nora Volkow director of NIDA found “mind-boggling.”
• Addiction, including habits such as smoking, is about persisting in a behavior despite knowledge of negative consequences.
• Even after they have been clean for a period of years, there seems to be a permanent decrease in their dopamine receptors, making it more difficult for former cocaine addicts to feel pleasure.
• If addiction is a disease, it is a disease of self-destruction – as if people with skin cancer kept sneaking outside without sunscreen on cloudless days.
• One of addictions greatest enablers is secrecy.
• We are able to control ourselves if there are consequences to the reward we are seeking. There are areas in the brain that are in charge of this ability to self-control, which is a new way of looking at addiction.
• As humans, we have the capacity to make the big conceptual maneuver required for trading short-term pleasure for long-term goals.
• We as humans have the ability to weather the storm of self destruction. We are able to get better.
Other universities are studying addiction as well. As more information becomes available, hopefully fewer people will suffer the consequences of this devastating disease. Be sure to read the full article titled, We Are Addicts.
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Thank you, Cathy — these are some very interesting findings. As you said, it’s very heartening that universities, such as USC, are studying addictions. Happy New Year!
Lisa Frederiksen – BreakingTheCycles.com recently posted..The Importance of Continuing Care to Success in Addiction Recovery
Hi Lisa,
It is reassuring that this research is going on. Hopefully academics have a clear message on the enormity of this problem. I hope, as always that some additional prevention, cures, and treatment will come forth as a result of these studies.
I appreciate the current and helpful information provided in your newsletter. We are a new private residential treatment center located in the mountains of central Idaho on the Salmon River. Our home-like environment provides a very peaceful and healing place to start your journey. Rainbow’s End Recovery Center … where one road ends and another one begins ………………..
Hi Jodi,
Thank you so much for the work that you are doing and for sharing here at Treatment Talk. I’ll add your Center to my list of resources. Being in nature is a wonderful place to heal and find recovery. Thanks so much for your comment.
The financial costs of addiction seems staggering!
Also, it’s interesting how much family and the social environment impact the likelihood of someone becoming addicted. Addiction maynot only impact those addicted but their children and grandchildren as well.
Hi Vishnu,
The cost is staggering. I don’t believe the general population has any idea how much addiction is costs us each year. Early use has been mentioned as one of the biggest indicators of later addiction, more so than genetics, so it is imperative to try and keep teenagers from substance abuse. Addiction does impact the entire family network. It is a very emotionally devastating disease.
Hi Cathy,
It is great the research they are doing on addiction. Having come from a family that has alcohol addiction in it I know first hand how addictions can affect the people we love.
It is like a weak spot and you have to first realize it is there, so you can deal with it directly.
Thank you for sharing the research that is being done when it comes to addiction.
Blessing always,
Debbie
Debbie @ Happy Maker recently posted..The Great Holiday Hoax
Very interesting post. I’m glad there’s so much research out there now. I always wonder why some are able to handle the problems and others aren’t. This explains some of it. Thanks Cathy!
Betsy at Zen Mama recently posted..Feeling Blue? 7 Ways To Cheer Up!
Hi Betsy,
It is nice to know that some of the universities are putting their dollars toward this kind of research. It will benefit all of us. There are many reasons why some are more affected than others, but one of the main indicators seems to be early use, even more so than genetics.
This is important information for all to read, whether they are directly impacted by addiction or not. Thanks, Cathy, for sharing this with us! This article erases some of the mystery of addiction and helps us understand addiction as a brain disease rather than a disease of character or willpower. For more information and for tools to help you survive a loved one’s substance abuse, please check out http://www.parentpathway.com.
Eliza recently posted..Walking down the memory lane called Teen Addiction
Hi Eliza,
I do believe some people think addiction is a disease of character and it is nice to know that this research is being done to make people more aware of the true cause of addiction. Addiction can vary in degrees and is definitely individual, but does affect so many of us. The more we know the better able we are able to handle the disease if is affects us or a family member.
Hi Cathy,
I struggle with addictions myself, not of the drug kind but of the gaming kind. I guess when I am depressed or when I lack clarity about a situation or hope, I turn to games as a form of escape. I can spend hours trying to attain a high level or score or to get special equipment. In many ways, gaming allows me to achieve a measure of success that I cannot in reality.
Interestingly, when I have clarity about what to do and I find it doable, I can work like a demon and forget about my games. I am certainly no expert in addiction, but I do know that for myself, clarity, hope and an achievable goal is the only way to overcome my addictions.
Thank you for sharing this thought provoking article!
Irving the Vizier
The Vizier recently posted..The Nature of Worry
Hi Irving,
I think you situation is true of many people and often these are the types of addictions that are not necessarily included in some of the studies. My guess is that your addiction does not impact society in a negative way, although it may feel or be harmful to you. Addiction is generally an escape from pain and people use whatever means that works for them, be it drugs/alcohol, gaming, sex, food, shopping, etc.
There are many positive substitutes for addiction such as exercise, meditation, connecting with people in a social situation or volunteering your services for example. Media in whatever form is takes, such as gaming is now a powerful addiction and I honestly was surprised when I read it was listed as No. 1 on the Masters in Public Health website.
In the full article We are Addicts, it talks about research that combine compulsive gambling with substance addictions. From the article, “It’s a nudge toward a more inclusive idea of addiction and reflects the growing consensus that behavioral and substance addictions share common root causes in the brain.
‘The more we understand about the biology of addiction, the more the lines among chemical, physical and psychological addiction begin to seem arbitrary and break down,’ Leventhal says.”
It sounds as if you understand the root cause of why you turn to gaming, which is a huge step towards resolving the issue. My best to you.
This is article is packed with great information and really it answers lots of question to everyone. Gives some solution to the problem and the root of all addiction. Thanks for sharing this ideas. Really a food for thought.
RoseJ recently posted..How To Get A Girlfriend
Hi Rose,
Glad you found the article informative. It does answer some questions for all of us an reassures us that research is being done on this problem. Thanks for stopping by Treatment Talk.
Hi Cathy,
Very informative post on addictions. I agree with what you said “Addiction is governed by nothing less the pursuit of happiness. We are all wired to want to feel good.” We all want to be happy and enjoy life, which is why some people look for false ways to become happy like usind drugs or drinking lots of alcohol. Happiness is an inner feeling and once we realize this and care about our health and life, we would begin to lead a healthier life, free of negative addictions. Thanks for sharing Cathy
Dia recently posted..How to create a new habit in life
Hi Dia,
We do all search for happiness. When someone’s pain feels overwhelming they turn to drugs and alcohol or any other addiction to bring them the quick fix that they are looking for. Your words are so true, we do need to go inside to find what truly makes us happy. Inner peace is a gift.