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Faryal Wasti Malcolm Campbell English 1103 03 October 2013 Self-Rewarding Merriam-Webster defines addiction as a compulsive need for use of a habit-forming substance, characterized by tolerance and physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addictions can range from drinking coffee every morning to heroine dependency. To get to the bottom of what causes such extreme addictions in human beings, the neurological reasoning for what triggers certain chemical reactions in the brain will be viewed. According to Medical News Today, addictive behavior is caused when a substance is releasing a reward neurotransmitter through the brain, known as dopamine. Individuals with heavy addictions have relied on a dopamine releasing substance for so long that the bodys tolerance level has increased. Therefore, it takes more of the addictive substance to receive pleasure, and the brain becomes incapable of releasing the dopamine neurotransmitter without the addictive substance. I had learned a bit about the reward center and dopamine in AP Psychology last year, and found it interesting that the same neurological imbalances cause addictions ranging from smoking to extremes like cocaine. It is proven that most people with an addiction are in denial about their condition. Most do not believe they have a problem, but whatever it is that they are doing is by choice and not physical or psychological need. According to Candace Plattor, a clinical psychologist, there are different methods used by addicts in denial of their problem. There is rationalizing, where one

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convinces him or herself that they are allowed to reward themselves time to time. There is blaming, for example, you would too if you had a wife like mine. There is minimizing, which includes thoughts such as, so what if I drink and do pot every day, at least Im not doing heroine. And the most common, self-delusion, which is the belief that one can stop whenever they feel like it. So what is the neurological reason behind addiction? How can some individuals discontinue their addictive habits and some not? According to The Chemical Carousel, the physical appearance of an addict and non-addicts brain are significantly different. This means that there are different reactions occurring, with different effects on behavior and cognitivity. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain just past the barrier of our forehead that is involved in decision making. Primates and other animals with small-to no- prefrontal cortexes, cannot think actively and abstractly. Now we know that alcohol and drugs can impair an individuals decision and reasoning ability quite a bit. That means these substances affect the prefrontal cortex (Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making). Once the individual in taking the drug or alcohol, overtime the damage to the cortex is done, and it cannot function properly on its own. This in return, causes the poor-decision making cycle of continuing to participate in addictive behavior, because the individuals decision making center has been impaired with overusing a harming substance. This does not however actually cause the person to be addicted to the substance. Serotonin and Dopamine are the reward neurotransmitters located in the mid-brain. This means that they reinforce behavior at the neurological and chemical level. According to the primary research article, Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making, dopamine and serotonin work together to reinforce natural, unconditioned behaviors, such as eating, in humans

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so that we continue to carry-out acts that keep us alive. For example, food is good and it makes us feel good because dopamine is the neurotransmitter released when we eat. Eventually, we want to keep feeling this natural high, and therefore we continue to eat for the rest of our lives. When alcohol or drugs are consumed, they cause the mid-brain to release excess dopamine neurotransmitters, taking the individual to the next level of that feel-good state. While dopamine makes it seem like youre in a state of high, risk-taking environment, serotonin leaves one feeling relaxed and chill in a way (Psychology Today). Of course it is another feel-good neurotransmitter, so the activities that cause serotonin to be released are reinforced overtime. Dopamine and Serotonin are two neurotransmitters that were evolutionarily adapted by humans to keep us in routine of doing things that help our body remain healthy, and ultimately keep us alive. Food and sleep for example, release these neurotransmitters giving a sense of natural high and happiness, reinforcing this behavior and causing us to continue it. These are the same neurotransmitters that are released by drugs and alcohol, and when taken in excess amounts, can cause one to become dependent on them in order to feel the high. This eventually causes addiction to occur overtime, if not instantaneously.