Stages of Addiction and Brain Plasticity

Dr. Keith Humphreys is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine and a leading expert on treating addictions, drug laws and policy. We discuss all the major addictive substances and behaviors, including alcohol, opioids, gambling, stimulants, nicotine, cannabis and more, focusing on how genetics and certain use patterns shape addiction susceptibility. We discuss the best evidence-based tools for recovery, from 12-step programs to emerging treatments such as psychedelics and ibogaine. Anyone interested in making better choices for their health and/or seeking to avoid or overcome addictions ought to benefit from this episode.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Keith Humphreys

(00:03:22) Addiction; Genetic Risk

(00:09:14) Alcohol Use Disorder & Alcoholism; Genetic Predisposition & Addiction Risk

(00:18:03) Sponsors: David & BetterHelp

(00:20:37) Women & Alcohol Use; Young Adults; Cannabis Use

(00:23:36) Health Benefit to Alcohol?, Red Wine, Cancer Risk; Social Pressure

(00:31:47) Alcohol in Social Gatherings, Social Anxiety, Vulnerability, Work & Dates

(00:37:41) Old vs New Cannabis & THC Levels; Smoked vs Edible Forms

(00:44:38) Cannabis & Psychosis Risk; Cardiac Health; Youth Cannabis Use & Transition to Adulthood

(00:52:29) Sponsor: AG1

(00:54:13) Industries of Addiction, Regulation; Gambling, Slot Machines, Novelty; Casinos

(01:05:28) Decriminalization vs Legalization; Cannabis, Gateway Drug?

(01:08:50) Psylocibin or LSD, Addiction Treatment; Microdosing, Clinical Trial Challenges

(01:18:58) Sponsor: Helix Sleep

(01:20:32) Brain Plasticity & Age; Ketamine, Depression, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

(01:28:10) SSRIs, Mass Shootings, Suicide, Side Effects; Drug Approval; Ibogaine & PTSD

(01:36:10) Caffeine Addiction?; Stimulants & Rehab; Prescription Stimulants & ADHD

(01:44:04) Nicotine, Mistaking Withdrawal for Benefit

(01:47:24) Sponsor: LMNT

(01:48:44) Tool: How to Talk to Someone with Addiction

(01:55:23) Perception of Addicts, Character Defect, Pain

(02:00:58) Overcoming Addiction, Immediate Rewards, AA; Addict & Co-Dependency?

(02:09:53) Longterm Drug Use, Dopamine, Cues & Relapse; Social Media

(02:16:21) Brain Stimulation, TMS; Homelessness, Substance Use & Rehab

(02:26:11) Addiction Treatment Policy, Rehab & Insurance

(02:29:08) Tool: 12-Step Programs, AA, Accessibility & Benefits

(02:38:08) AA, Higher Power, Cult?; Flexibility, Tool: Open AA Meetings

(02:44:38) GLP-1s, Weight Loss, Alcohol Addiction; Pharmaceutical Advertisements

(02:52:39) Social Media Addiction, Tool: Avoiding Social Media Strategies

(02:58:36) “Failure to Launch”, Youth, Video Games, Social Media; Recovery Pathways

(03:04:13) AA as an Action Program, Tool: Try Different AA Meetings

(03:08:21) Hospice, Death, Overcoming Fear of Death

(03:13:54) Addiction to Escape Death?, Desire for Oblivion

(03:18:11) Men vs Women & Addiction; Lying; Relapse; Fentanyl & Addiction Advice

(03:24:27) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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