The Relationship Between Stress and Addiction

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I think we're facing a unique kind of stress an unprecedented kind of stress and I actually think that living in a world of overabundance is its own source of stress so how do we define stress in biological systems stresses any deviation from homeostasis or our neutral baseline position. What can trigger relapse is not just a reminder of the drug as I've mentioned before or exposure to the drug itself but actually a severe and painful trauma will trigger that relapse.severe pain actually causes a huge dopamine release so severe forms of pain are akin to drugs themselves and therefore can trigger this kind of compulsive drug seeking response alcoholics.

Are you scrolling on your phone constantly? How badly do you crave that morning cup of coffee? Are you compulsively gambling, drinking, shopping, or even reading romance novels just to fall asleep? The potential for addiction is everywhere in our society, and on this episode of The Knowledge Project psychiatrist and author Dr. Anna Lembke discusses dopamine, addictive behaviors, warning signs and treatment for addiction, and how our brains handle all that pleasure and pain in life. Dr. Lembke is professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She appeared in the 2020 Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma to discuss the addictive nature of social media, and she is the author of the 2021 New York Times bestseller Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, which explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.

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