There has been a long debate over whether addiction to drugs and alcohol or certain behaviors is truly a disease or some sort of moral deficiency. I would like to talk briefly about new information that finds two neurotransmitters play a key role in why addiction is a disease of the brain. The big surprise until recently is the fact that one of these neurotransmitters is linked to memory. In the 2009 video “Pleasure Unwoven Dr. Kevin McCauley describes how addiction fits the disease model by affecting the brain (organ), having a (defect) in the reward system in the brain, and finally resulting in (symptoms) such as lying, cheating, and manipulating to just name a few. Just looking at the pleasure defect is an incomplete picture I would like to discuss the role of memory in addiction.

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a key role in addiction because it is the pleasure chemical in the brain (McCauley, 2009). It is released in the midbrain and subconscious area of the brain. When people use drugs or alcohol high levels of dopamine are released which the brain was never meant to handle (Lange, 2010). This explains why people want to use drugs but does not give a good explanation of why addicts continue to use drugs despite the consequences associated with them. This is where memory comes into play. The other neurotransmitter involved in addiction is glutamate. It is associated to identifying the brain to remember something. Because of the high levels of dopamine released with drugs it triggers dopamine to “lock” the memory into the brain (McCauley, 2009). As time goes on though it does not begin to just associate the drug with pleasure it begins associating everything associated with drugs (which becomes about everything in an addicts life) with pleasure. The memories associated with drug use become “super memories” (Lange, 2010). I believe these memories are implicit and fall into the category of Classical Conditioning (Goldstein, 2011). Like the psychologist Pavlov and his dogs where a bell ringing became associated with getting a treat and triggers the dogs to salivate. Triggers for the addict become people, places, and things. For the addict exposed to these memories brings about strong emotional responses which are called cravings (Lange, 2010). Without proper coping skills they are very difficult to resist. This disrupts the normal “stop” and “go” response of the brain. This is why drastically impacts the ability to bring into the rational thinking the consequences of use. Based on memories associated with pleasure, glutamate tells the person to “go” or to use despite drastic negative consequences to their lives.

In my everyday experience with working with people with addiction problems this explanation makes sense to me. When I see clients ruin many aspects of their lives by using drugs (and being aware of why)  then use drugs again when the opportunity arises even though I believe they truly do not want to needs a good explanation.  Many peoples belief that they “chose” to do it just does not cut it for me. Rationally think about why a person would choose to ruin their lives in such ways.  The reality is that addicts begin using drugs without the intention of becoming addicted. It starts with experimentation and when they experience the high amount of pleasure drugs produce they do it more. There is no way to tell when it will switch from recreational use or experimentation into addiction.

The next time you hear a conversation about addiction I would like anyone to think back to this explanation of addiction as a chronic, biological brain disease. Maybe even do a little more research into my sources. I think there needs to be a spreading of the knowledge about addiction because so many people are very ignorant about what it really is. The fact of the matter is that addiction effects everyone in one way or another and is considerably affecting our country as a whole. Lock this information into your long term memory and educate others on a “disease” that affects so many.

Goldstein, E.B. (2011).  Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience, Third Ed. Belmont, CA. Wasdworth, Cengage Learning.

McCauley, Kevin, 2009, “Pleasure Unwoven” DVD, Institute for Addiction Study

Lange, G. (2010). How addiction lights up our brains. Retrieved July 12, 2015.