Habits vs. Addictions by McKena Sharp

Dopamine

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-05 23:48:36 UTC

Addictive activities or substances cause dopamine to flood the reward pathway 10 times more than a natural reward.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-an-addicted-brain-works

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-05 23:50:19 UTC

Extremely hard to break and often never entirely extinguished.

Definition

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-05 23:54:26 UTC

A chronic disease that rewires the brains reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry causing compulsive behavior.

What is the Definition of Addiction? (asam.org)

Symptoms

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-05 23:57:10 UTC

Cravings: a strong desire to use the substance and withdrawal symptoms from disuse.

Ongoing negative consequences: inability to hold a job, maintain relationships, afford a home

Drug Tolerance: needing more of the substance to achieve the desired effect in less time

Habit Vs Addiction (iamsober.com)

Forming a Habit-Loop

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:06:32 UTC

Tend to form in a 3-part cycle:

Cue = the trigger

This could be an emotional state (nervousness, bored) or an activity (going to party or the theater).

Behavior = the actual/eventual habit

e.g. if the cue is nervousness, the behavior could be biting nails.

Reward = the positive sensation from the behavior

Habit Vs Addiction (iamsober.com)

Breaking a Habit

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:11:02 UTC

Being aware of the issue and having the willpower is all you need to break a habit.

Habit Vs Addiction (iamsober.com)

"You Can't Teach and Old Dog New Tricks"

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:13:54 UTC

Forming new habits as adults can be difficult. Our neural pathways aren't as easy to be imprinted on as they were during childhood.

Habit Vs Addiction (iamsober.com)

Chunking

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:16:42 UTC

The process in which the brain converts a sequence of actions into an automatic routine is known as ‘chunking,’ and it’s at the root of how habits form.

The Science Of Habit Formation And Change (fs.blog)

Definition

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:20:38 UTC

A usual way of behaving. Something that one does often in a regular or repeated way.

Habit Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

Overcoming Addiction

mckenamichelesharp — 2024-09-06 00:35:31 UTC

Overcoming addiction involves treatment and a long-term recovery process that may include rehab, outpatient treatment, and recovery groups.

Habit vs Addiction: Understanding the Difference - Relevance Recovery