How Addiction Hijacks the Brain’s Survival Circuits—A Neuroscience Breakdown

Thank you for sharing your journey. It takes incredible courage to speak openly about addiction and mental health struggles. Your honesty provides hope and encouragement to many who feel alone in their battles. You're making a real difference by breaking stigma and starting important conversations. Keep speaking your truth!

68 days sober from meths, im still struggling yet practice coping mechanism to prevent relapse, triggers is real😅

very interesting to have a mental prediction , it just makes sense ! I appreciate the good info about the Brain and how it works inner workings of my interests ! I have a good idea of understanding what you teach , and very well to master the most important tool in the Hypothetical box .

Best video I have ever seen on addiction.

I am a recovering alcoholic , over 33 years in AA with long periods of sobriety and a history of relapse - of late I have been trying to figure out how training a PFC response to cues can help me with avoid relapse. Your video fascinates me.. It occurs that the imbedded reward notion of a drink cannot be removed, but it might become less active .. There is a clear phenomena I have seen and that countless thousands have experienced , which is the almost instant deactivation of the addictive reward circuitry when becoming active in recovery.. For me this transpired for over 12 years at one point so I decided I was cured and quit AA ... which didn't work out well - I'm going to look into your programs

@drrege what’s your suggestion for quitting nicotine

In basic terms 🙄

Brilhante straightforward explanation 🎉

Our complex relationship with substances.

I wish I would have found this long ago. I’m an alcoholic almost 5 years sober. It took losing it all to hit rock bottom. Then discovered rock bottom had a basement. By losing it all I mean my family, including my children. My home and everything in it. I lost my dignity. Ended up hiding under a picnic table behind a funeral home. I was terrified. Never felt that level of fear before or since. Nobody should endure that level of fear. Nobody. Ever. I was thrown to the street by my children with nothing. Completely alone in 107 degree heat and covered in mosquito bites waiting to die praying not to suffer. I was somehow someway pulled from that pit. My addiction cost me everything I cherished. It still haunts me but it’s been almost 5 years and I’M STILL STANDING. THE HARDEST WAR EVER IS THE ONE WITH YOUR OWN BRAIN…Thank you for posting. Addiction is still so misunderstood. We are not trash. We are survivors. 💯🥺

In the process of inhibiting addictive behaviour whilst still taking the drug. Yes, ADHD meds. Successful so far. Watching great content like this reinforces my change of behaviour.

Your ability to save this video is bs. Goodbye

❤

I'm very interested in the info here.. I've been on meth for 45 yrs. I started at 13. A survival means to abduction and rape. It numed me, and provided a stop to night mares. I am ADHD as well. I' am not your typical addict though. I use much less than anyone I know. I've also lived a more normal life. A very functional life. I'm a now a 59 yr old man. I raised 3 boys. All functioning members of society. All have families, gainful employment, house, and well educated. Addi ion free. There happy, I'm proud of them. I do be leave my body cemetery has very much addapted to having meth. A motorcycle accident caused a disability, and loss of work. Then homeless, and now leagle issues with meth. I don't tell,look like a meth head, have the problems meth addicts have. Not paranoid. No skin issues, or psychosis. No weight issues, nor social issues My problem is I don't feel right clean lack motivation, focus, and foggy. I understand I would need a fullll psgyc evaluation. I think I would be of value, do to my so different life compared to typical meth addicts .

I’ve gotten a bit more help from these videos than from Drs who are in- network. They seem understaffed and over-worked. I have yet to see a dr about ADHD treatment.

Imagine if this is happening everywhere, to most patients.

I do have one question: "Could a person's current emotional/mental state 'accelerate' the stages of addiction?
For instance, I don't drink any alcohol at all if I'm in a more negative, or depressive state. My reasoning, is that I don't want to create a link between negative stimuli and alcohol. Correct or not, I personally feel that if one is in a more 'vulnerable' state in a negative state of mind when using a potentially addictive substance, it can more quickly lead a person to creating a dangerous association between the substance and a potential abuser.

This is awesome content, thanks Doc!

This is a godsend! Understanding helps me.
I thank you!

Thanks for this

Normally, people get stuck with addictions when they consciously decide to quit doing something, but their subconscious mind is not ready to quit yet.

This leads to a person getting overrun by the compulsive urges and addictive thoughts once a person has tried to force themselves to quit

The addictive thoughts and compulsive urges are coming from the subconscious mind

That's why they appear out of nowhere and then you become conscious of them.

This normally causes a battle within which ruins the person's mental health and decreases their chances of actually quitting

To change the subconscious mind, you need to spend some time each day reflecting and articulating why you want to change and the way you intend to live

This can be done through the 533 routine which I developed or you can create your own routine with the principles that I will share with you

People do not quit addictions because they force themselves to quit. They only quit when their mind is ready

The 533 routine is powerful because it makes your mind ready 🧠

Very well explained ,totally focussed on conveying the essence of the whole problem ,not a sentence is superfluous.Excellent

Suboxone is so bad for ya

I will never touch another sub ever once I'm off them

I want off the Suboxone but it's so hard to get off them ,,I cut myself down to a half a day but than get sick and can't sleep,the only way I'm going to be able to do it is if I can go to detox

This was insetful 🤨☯️🕊️💋🐐🔥 thanks 👍😊 got a be more mindful 😢

These videos are fantastic and so informative and educational. Thanks so much Doc.

I am addicted to YouTube videos like this one....at first I didn't think this was bad, because I was learning something...but the truth is that it affects my life because all of my attention is highjacked by them. I no longer do productive tasks or high level thinking if I watch YouTube all day long. This video helped me better understand my situation..... P.S. I will probably compulsively watch another one.

Its illegal to enjoy yourself. Its illegal to show Joy. Its illegal to feel good. Its illegal to smile. Its illegal to take a brake! From ur sht life!! Not everyone has $ to go on a vacation. When the neighbors gt a free joint. Fk this

Make drugs all drugs legal

Your videos are amazing.

Thank you a lot for this video! Could you please tell us do Psychedelics (Psilocybin, Mescaline, DMT, LSD, Ibogaine) help in some way with overcoming addictions? If yes, how does it work and why? I can find some science articles about it, but I would love to hear what you say about it because you always explain everything so simple and clearly without water. Thank you

Real way to quit addiction

This is excellent. Thank you. ID like to see a video discussing if anti depressant treatment is helpful for the dysphoric withdrawal period, PAWs. That is not often discussed much.

Great video!

30 + years of H and methadone have changed my brain permanently. It's meds for life now. There's no other way. However some people need thyroid medication for life, heart medication for life, diabetes, etc. That's how I see it. All drugs should be legally available.