Question

Chapter 13: Addictive Drugs

The research on sensitization of the nucleus accumbens has dealt with addictive drugs, mainly cocaine. Would you expect a gambling addiction to have similar effects? How could someone test this possibility?

Answer 1

Behavioral addictions, on the other hand, do not have receptors specific to them. There is no “gambling” receptor in the brain. Theories about addictive behaviors mediate what is believed to be the brain’s response. Therefore there is no direct causal relationship between the behavior and any change in the brain’s receptors. This is something we can over come by focussing our attentionn to the goodness, have belief in who we are and also truust the energy around which will never lie to us.

All is not lost though when studying the effect of addictive behaviors on the brain. As more rigorous, replicable, studies are completed theories are honed. These newer theories drive better research models which in turn hone the theories again.