understanding addiction Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Internet Addiction Affects the Behavior and Development of Adolescents

The AHA! Team — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 08:21:19 +0000

University College London via EurekAlert! – Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The findings, published in PLOS Mental Health, reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10-19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. Internet addiction has been defined as a person’s inability to resist the urge to use the internet, negatively impacting their psychological wellbeing, as well as their social, academic and professional lives. The studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to inspect the functional connectivity (how regions of the brain interact with each other) of participants with internet addiction, both while resting and completing a task. Internet addiction has been defined as a person’s inability to resist the urge to use the internet The effects of internet addiction were seen throughout multiple neural networks in the brains of adolescents. There was a mixture of increased and decreased activity in the parts of the brain that are activated when resting (the default mode network). Meanwhile, there was an overall decrease in the functional connectivity in the parts of the brain involved in active thinking (the executive control network). These changes were found to lead to addictive behaviors and tendencies in adolescents, as well as behavior changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, mental health and development. Lead author, MSc student, Max Chang (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health) said: “Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage during which people go through significant changes in their biology, cognition, and personalities. As a result, the brain is particularly vulnerable to internet addiction related urges during this time, such as compulsive internet usage, cravings towards usage of the mouse or keyboard and consuming media. “The findings from our study show that this can lead to potentially negative behavioral and developmental changes that could impact the lives of adolescents. For example, they may struggle to maintain relationships and social activities, lie about online activity and experience irregular eating and disrupted sleep.” With smartphones and laptops being ever more accessible, internet addiction is a growing problem across the globe. Previous research has shown that people in the UK spend over 24 hours every week online and, of those surveyed, more than half self-reported being addicted to the internet. Meanwhile, Ofcom found that of the 50 million internet users in the UK, over 60% said their internet usage had a negative effect on their lives – such as being late or neglecting chores. Senior author, Irene Lee (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health), said: “There is no doubt that the internet has certain advantages. However, when it begins to affect our day-to-day lives, it is a problem. We would advise that young people enforce sensible time limits for their daily internet usage “We would advise that young people enforce sensible time limits for their daily internet usage and ensure that they are aware of the psychological and social implications of spending too much time online.” Mr Chang added: “We hope our findings will demonstrate how internet addiction alters the connection between the brain networks in adolescence, allowing physicians to screen and treat the onset of internet addiction more effectively. “Clinicians could potentially prescribe treatment to aim at certain brain regions or suggest psychotherapy or family therapy targeting key symptoms of internet addiction. “Importantly, parental education on internet addiction is another possible avenue of prevention from a public health standpoint. Parents who are aware of the early signs and onset of internet addiction will more effectively handle screen time, impulsivity, and minimize the risk factors surrounding internet addiction.” Study limitations Research into the use of fMRI scans to investigate internet addiction is currently limited and the studies had small adolescent samples. They were also primarily from Asian countries. Future research studies should compare results from Western samples to provide more insight on therapeutic intervention. Journal PLOS Mental Health Article Title Functional connectivity changes in the brain of adolescents with internet addiction: A systematic literature review of imaging studies To read the original article click here.

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Are You Addicted to Drama?

The AHA! Team — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:52:39 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #479) and blog, I talk to holistic psychologist, educator and best-selling author Scott Lyons about what it means to be addicted to drama, how a drama addiction affects our mental health and relationships, how to manage a drama addiction, and so much more! As a body-based trauma expert, Doctor of Osteopathy and Mind-Body Medicine specialist, Scott helps people break free from cycles of pain, limited beliefs, and trauma. Scott is an innovator in transformative wellness and trauma therapy, teaching over half a million people internationally to relieve stress and restore vitality. Scott has worked with many of the country’s top leaders and CEOs as an executive coach and wellness consultant. Scott is the creator of The Embody Lab—the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies—and developer of Somatic Stress Release™, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience, taught in over 20 countries. Scott is also the founder and designer of Omala, a wellness brand dedicated to creating sustainably sourced tools for transformation. In his incredible new book, Addicted to Drama, Scott turns the notion of the “drama queen” on its head, showing that drama is an addiction and those who are suffering with it are experiencing a much deeper psychological, biological, and social pain. For a person addicted to drama, the intensity becomes their way of coping. Their life is a constant cycle of crisis, chaos, and chronically high levels of stress. They may never be able to relax without an internal alarm going off, sending them spiraling back toward chaos. Drama is the stirring, the excitement, the exaggeration, the eruption, the unrest, and the medicine to feel alive in relation to the numbing of the internal and external world around them. For someone addicted to drama, the drama is often how they survive—or think they do. However, rather than dismissing addiction to drama as just attention seeking, Addicted to Drama offers clear-eyed empathy, humor, and practical strategies to help us all understand and break free of the drama cycle. First, it is important to understand what being addicted to drama looks like externally and on the inside. Externally, this often feels like a “how did we get here?” or “what just happened?” moment, like something that wasn’t such a big deal erupts and becomes a major issue. The experience is intense because the response doesn’t seem to match the circumstances that caused it. It often feels like someone has sucked the air out of the room—there is no space for anyone else but the person having the reaction, which can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Internally, this often feels like the world is against you. Everything feels like it is colliding, and it is hard to get yourself out of the eye of the storm. You feel a deep sense of urgency—you feel like you can never outrun the stress you are experiencing. You are constantly searching for what is going wrong—a sense of unease that does not dissipate. And, if you can’t find what is wrong, you create it, because you have a deep sense of being out of sync with the world, which is often the result of some kind of past trauma and isolation that distorts your sense of yourself and your environment. You are responding true to how you experience the world; you are not just “addicted to drama”. Some signs of a drama addiction are: -Feeling anxious or bored when things are calm -Making mountains out of molehills -Pulling other people into the drama -Craving extreme situations and sensations -Making bad situations universal -Crisis hopping -Enjoying controversy -Causing chaos in relationships -Feeling isolated -Feeling like a victim all the time Thankfully, if someone you know is addicted to drama, there are ways to protect yourself, including: -Recognize when you lose your anchor in the presence of someone else. This is the first step to protecting your mental and physical wellbeing. Awareness is key! -Come back into the present of your own body—grounding yourself in the present through techniques like breathing and so on. -Identify how close you want to be to the drama, and assert boundaries when necessary. If you feel like you have a drama addiction, there are ways you can manage and heal this, including: -Becoming aware of your stress response and how it is affecting your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. -Working on ways to “slow down” when you feel like you are ramping up in the moment to give yourself time to process what you are experiencing. Reframing the addiction to drama in positive ways is key. People who are addicted to drama act from a place of pain and defense—they expect the world to come at them. Understanding this is key; just saying something like “get over yourself” or “you are such a drama queen” is not helpful in the moment and can exacerbate the situation. For more on drama as a coping mechanism, listen to my podcast with Scott (episode #479) and check out his amazing work. Podcast Highlights 2:00 Scott’s amazing story & work 6:40 Scott’s new book Addicted to Drama 7:20, 11:45 What being addicted to drama looks like 13:32 Drama addiction & trauma 17:42 Isolation & drama addiction 21:55 How to tell if someone is addicted to drama 31:20 How to protect yourself from someone who is addicted to drama 37:00, 44:50 How to identify & manage your addiction to drama This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

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Elevated Levels of Serotonin Can Curb Cocaine Addiction in Mice

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:36 +0000

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) via News-Medical – Elevated levels of serotonin can prevent the development of compulsive cocaine seeking and addiction in mice, researchers report. The findings help to resolve the biological markers of addiction risk. Like other addictive drugs, cocaine acts by blocking the reuptake of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in its euphoric effects. However, not all who use the drug become addicted – only about 20% of cocaine users lose control and continue to compulsively use the drug despite adverse consequences. What makes some users susceptible to addiction risk isn’t well known. Although previous studies have suggested that the differential efficacy of the brain serotonin system could play a role in developing a cocaine addiction, the relevant brain circuits and processes that underly the transition from casual to compulsive use remain elusive. In this study, Yue Li and colleagues report the discovery of a mechanism that reveals a modulatory role of serotonin in preventing the development of compulsive cocaine seeking and addiction in mice. In a series of experiments using wild-type and transgenic mice, Li et al.show how cocaine binds with serotonin transporters to block reuptake, which results in elevated levels of extracellular serotonin. This buildup activates the serotonin receptor 5-HT1Band causes presynaptic depression that inhibits synaptic transmission between the orbitofrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum, preventing wild-type mice from becoming addicted. However, in transgenic mice whose serotonin transporters did not bind with cocaine and thus prevented the accumulation of extracellular serotonin, compulsive cocaine-seeking behavior was elevated. According to the authors, the findings suggest that serotonin plays an essential role in modulating the risk of developing addiction. “Further studies should clarify the neural mechanism underlying serotonin modulation of the transition to compulsion in drug addition, what agents specific to serotonin receptors can be used and when these agents can be administered to potentially treat drug addiction,” write Katsuhiko Miyazaki and Kayoko Miyazaki in a related Perspective. To read the original article click here.

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Researcher Discovers Gene Mutation That Contributes to Addiction

The AHA! Team — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000

University of Oklahoma via EurekAlert – “Early-life adversity doesn’t make everyone an alcoholic,” Lovallo said. “But this study showed that people with this genetic mutation are going to have a higher risk for addiction when they had a stressful life growing up.” OKLAHOMA CITY – In the field of addiction research, one question looms large: Why do some people face a higher risk than others for alcoholism and drug abuse? A researcher at the OU College of Medicine, William R. Lovallo, Ph.D., recently published one of the field’s few studies focused on how a person’s genes contribute to addiction. Lovallo’s research showed that a tiny genetic mutation can put people at higher risk for alcohol or drug addiction. His research was published in the world’s leading journal on alcoholism, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Many people ask whether addiction is caused by person’s genes or their family environment. The short answer is that it’s both. However, Lovallo’s research zeroes in on specific gene and how it responds to a person’s environment. COMT is the name of a gene that helps the body manage dopamine, a chemical that is released when a person drinks alcohol or takes a drug like amphetamine. Lovallo’s research focused on a small mutation of COMT. What he discovered demonstrates the interplay between a person’s genetic makeup and adversity during childhood. People with this mutation of the COMT gene are more vulnerable to the effects of stress in their early lives, such as divorce or emotionally distant parents. That heightened vulnerability often leads to consumption of alcohol and drugs younger than age 15, which is one of the biggest independent predictors of addiction. “Early-life adversity doesn’t make everyone an alcoholic,” Lovallo said. “But this study showed that people with this genetic mutation are going to have a higher risk for addiction when they had a stressful life growing up.” Because the COMT gene is involved with how well dopamine works in the brain, the behavior of the genetic mutation is especially revealing. “This one random mutation makes a difference in how the COMT gene works fine in one person but not as well in another person,” Lovallo said. “There is no such thing as a gene for addiction, but there are genes that respond to our environment in ways that put us at risk. You have to have the right combination to develop the risk factors.” Lovallo’s discovery is a top achievement in his 20 years of well-funded research in this area. As a senior research career scientist at the VA Medical Center, he has conducted studies on veterans with alcohol addiction. However, those studies, like many others, concentrated on people after they became addicted to a substance. He knew he wanted to shift his research toward understanding the causes of addiction and how to prevent it. “Many of us know people who drink alcohol moderately and never have any problems. And we know people who drink a little and then go down the path toward alcoholism,” he said. “What’s the difference between going down that path and not going down that path? Now we have a better understanding that it’s not just exposure to alcohol or drugs that leads to problems; there is a genetic component. “Addiction is a real health problem, and to be making progress toward understanding it is one of the most exciting and worthwhile things I’ve ever done,” he said. To read the original article click here.

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