New Books in Psychology Judith Grisel, "Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction" (Doubleday, 2019)
Aug 5, 2025
Judith Grisel, a professor of psychology and a leading behavioral neuroscientist, shares her remarkable journey from homelessness and addiction to academic success. She discusses the neuroscience of addiction, focusing on the brain's pleasure pathways and the challenges in overcoming it. Grisel also explores the three laws of psychopharmacology, explaining how drugs interact with the brain. Her insights highlight the complexities of addiction and the ongoing quest for effective treatments, making for a captivating and enlightening conversation.
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Life-Changing Motel Experience
- Judith Grisel shares a life-or-death moment in a cheap South Florida motel during her early 20s amid cocaine addiction.
- This insight led her and her friend to seek treatment and eventually get clean, profoundly influencing her journey.
Dopamine and Addiction Cycle
- All addictive drugs activate dopamine release in a brain circuit called the mesolimbic pathway.
- This causes initial pleasure but brain adaptation causes tolerance, making the drug less effective over time.
Brain's Opposing Drug Response
- The brain counteracts drug effects by producing an opposite B process to restore balance.
- This adaptation causes withdrawal symptoms that are the reverse of the drug's initial effects.
