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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
releases 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
Juliana Mavellia 11/5/13 2:51 PM
Juliana Mavellia 11/5/13 2:25 PM
Comment: Maybe add anoLher lnLroducLlon
LhaL really grabs Lhe reader's aLLenLlon llke a
scenarlo of a acLual person becomlng addlcLed
Lo someLhlng really sLrange llke eaLlng hls own
feces or someLhlng llke LhaL. or you could
add ln whaL you Lold me abouL you slLLlng on
Lhe couch waLchlng My LxLreme AddlcLlon"
and wonderlng how people become addlcLed
Lo welrd Lhlngs llke LhaL
Comment: LxLreme addlcLlons
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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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Comment: Change Lo you would [have an
addlcLlon] Loo lf you had a wlfe llke mlne" Lo
make Lhe quoLe clearer or add Lhe Lype of
addlcLlon he has ln Lhe brackeLs
Comment: Cood LranslLlon Lo quesLlons !
Comment: Small-Lo-no
Comment: . an lndlvldual's declslon and
reasonlng ablllLy by affecLlng Lhe prefronLal
corLex of Lhe braln.
Comment: uamage Lo Lhe corLex ls done
once an lndlvldual consumes a harmful
subsLance such as a drug or alcohol. 1hls
damage lnvolves Lhe corLex becomlng unable
Lo funcLlon on lLs own.
Comment: 1hls damage Lo Lhe corLex does
noL however acLually cause Lhe person Lo
develop an addlcLlon, raLher lL ls Lhe release of
seroLonln and dopamlne ln our bralns LhaL
cause us Lo have an addlcLlon Lo a subsLance.
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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.







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Juliana Mavellia 11/5/13 2:46 PM
Comment: Carry ouL
Comment: 1hls naLural hlgh
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Reviewed by Juliana Mavellia

Overall very interesting paper! Your paper kept me engaged and makes me want to read
more, however I felt a little disconnected from you, like there wasnt enough of your input on the
subject, just facts. I would also add a life story from you, like did you have a friend that was
addicted to something, or you (ha ha)? I want to know why this subject fascinates you so much.
And of course more research needs to be done. So are addictions only the result of serotonin and
dopamine? Are there other reward transmitters involved, or other parts of the brain? I would
maybe go into why people start these addictions too. Do they have an initial psychological
disorder that makes them more susceptible to addiction? Does having life difficulties really make
us more susceptible to addictions, and is there some sort of neurological explanation if this is
true? However overall great paper so far! :)