Amber HollingsworthRecovery Conversation Simulator, Amber's Recovery Practice Lab · Interactive learning tool trained on Amber methodoloy

How exactly does addiction work?

5 Jan 2024 · 1 min

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A short YouTube commentary by Amber Hollingsworth explaining how addictive behaviours affect the brain’s dopamine system. She describes a two-level process: (1) addictive stimuli raise dopamine and drive obsessive wanting, and (2) a subsequent ‘rebound effect’ where the brain counteracts the surge, producing a deficit and a letdown so the person often feels worse after the high.

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So anything that's addictive impacts dopamine in some way, which makes you obsessive, which makes you really want something and be willing to go after it. That's level number one. But then I want you to add in level number two, which is what I call the rebound effect when it comes to addiction. So after the dopamine chemicals released and you want it and you're excited about it and you go after it and you get this rush of other feel good brain chemicals, there's this rebound effect that happens after and it's sort of like a letdown effect. So wherever you are at to begin with, let's say you know, you're at your baseline, you're at your regular self, and then you engage in your addictive behavior. You have this spike of feel good chemicals. But then your brain, in an effort to try to keep everything within the normal limits, counteracts all those good brain chemicals, throwing you into a deficit. So yes, you get that initial pump and feel good, but you always leave off feeling worse.