Having a Balanced Brain is the Secret to Success

-By A. Scott Roberts

Homeostasis is what neuroscience refers to when they speak of proper brain function. The brain contains around 100 billion neurons that communicate to each other by means of neurotransmitters, which are tiny molecules.

There are groups of neurons that have specialized functions that are organized into the multiple structures in the brain. In order to function at an optimal level, the neurons must maintain homeostasis – or an internal balance – among their constituent neurons and other brain structures.¹

The brain tries to keep every component and system balanced by keeping neurotransmitters firing at appropriate times.

Researchers indicate that an addiction, whether it be drugs or pornography, causes an imbalance of the brain, in which the emotional part (limbic system) overrides the rational part (prefrontal cortex) because of the high psychological payoff that the addictive material provides to the addict’s brain. Therefore, a normally balanced brain becomes switched into a pathologically imbalanced brain. Science often refers to this process as “hijacking”² which throws off this balance.

Addiction is a learning process.

Yep, addictions, no matter what they may be, require us to learn new behaviors to obtain our drug of choice and build new thought patterns through neural firing.

According to scientists, when new stimuli are present, the brain creates a new, but temporary, neural network. When there is a repetition of the same experience, the brain creates identical neural firing along the same neural network (or pathway). With each repetition, the neural network is strengthened, and over time, this network that was initially temporary, becomes long term. An act of learning has been established in a process known as “Long Term Potentiation.”³

An important part of addiction treatment is the process of unlearning destructive memories and cultivating positive ones. Learning how to properly deal with stress and negative emotions, which has been shown to increase relapse and addiction problems, should be a part of your recovery. That is why certain mindfulness training techniques made specifically for addiction is very important. It is explained a bit more in this video here.

Thoughts can either be positive or negative. Negative thoughts often increase stress, which activates systems in the brain that are tied to addiction.⁴ While positive thoughts can have a profound impact in recovery. Increased gratitude, for example, can bring relaxation and comfort, and may help the addict so that his pleasure seeking behaviors aren’t necessary.”⁵

Often when dealing with stressful situations or negative emotions, people take medications or pills (or your drug of choice) to feel better. However, this only temporarily changes the brain’s chemistry. It doesn’t change the neural pathways. This temporary chemical change from your “drug of choice” only lasts as long as it is synthesized to last. It is never permanent. You’ll always have to take another pill, another drink or another smoke to make you feel better.

But neuroscience confirms that when we change our neural pathways, our brain chemistry changes along with it. And this can be an “enduring” change.

Properly retraining the brain has been repeatedly proven to be effective in drug addiction,⁶ as well as compulsive disorders,⁷ prevention of depression and anxiety,⁸ all of which are common emotions that drive an addict to use.⁹-A. Scott Roberts
M.S. studies in Rehabilitation Counseling, B.S. Psychology, A. S. Business,
Addiction Specialist and Researcher