Not really. I'm a substance use counselor and, man, it ain't that simple! i mean, the science works but.... theres a lot more to addiction. Its not simply a disease... .its so much more and a lot less. Its a disease of choice but changing the choice after training the brain? Theres a reason Imma quit
@@cheeseburgerinparadise7124 I honestly don’t remember what this video was about. I’m an addict myself and I have been clean from herion and crack for 10 years. I’m on methadone it saves my life, all my friends are dead or in jail.
I could remember several years ago as a teenage, i was addicted to cigarettes. Spent my whole life fighting Cigarettes addiction. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got diagnosed with cptsd. Not until my husband recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Germany don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
Yes he's Mr.medmushies. My daughter did straight shrooms in few days. Made her whole! after words, no more addictions, pains, ptsd and depression. It helped us.
If I had not already forgiven my mother, I would forgive her after watching this. She was trying to survive and thoughts of hurting me were not in her mind, she was suffering. May she rest in peace.
The first part of the video, where he explains dopamine, is also truly helpful to understand ADHD and the "laziness" that comes with it. People with ADHD have a much lower baseline of dopamine than others, which makes every mundane task extremely difficult to do.
Yes! And some researchers think that ADHD and substance abuse disorders (and other addictions) all stem from a single condition- Reward Deficiency Syndrome. With RDS, a person’s dopamine system doesn’t work right and the end result is a deficiency of dopamine. This causes those with RDS to seek out external means to bump up their dopamine. Check out this very informative article: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626918/
It should be taught in Bio one, or anatomy and physiology, even highschool. I dont think it gets too far into the weeds of biochemistry for the average person to understand. It completely changed my perspective on the problem.
ALL PEOPLE should see this presentation & stop the prejudice, stigma & begin to care for their fellow human being in serious crisis & seductive bondage to the devil of addiction.
The whole "They have to hit rock bottom" thing is predicated on the notion that addiction is a character flaw, a moral failing. And unfortunately, that kind of old-think stills seems to dominate the rehab-recovery industry. Its so refreshing to hear some more enlightened voices, like this gentleman here.
Yes that was also before drugs weren’t made lethal with one use. So an addictive personality in general needs to be treated because, that quickly leads to the next substance that will make a person who needs dopamine to feel “normal” go from a couple drinks, to marijuana, to the first pill and that one pill could be pure poison and they’re overdosing or dead. We absolutely have to change our approach to prevention and treatment. We are at critical mass!!
@@ziad_jkhan Addiction is a biopsychosocial problem. I have a degree in Sociology (and most of a Master’s in a department that closed). I have done activism, teaching, and will always continue to study class stratification, social inequality, corporate globalization, imperialism, and other oppressive systems in all of their manifestations. I absolutely believe trauma and oppression are key causes of addiction, and probably the most common factor in addiction. At the same time, human beings are biological organisms, each with neurological and psychological processes we go through, across the lifespan. This is one piece of the addiction picture. It doesn’t contradict anything other disciplines have to add to this picture. I do love Gabor Mate, “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,” and Marc Lewis, “The Biology of Desire.” As a Holocaust survivor, Mate really addresses oppression and trauma. Lewis has this neurological perspective that he synthesized with information about an effective indigenous history and culture-focused treatment program. The arguments in THIS video actually help with the discrimination people with addictions face in law enforcement, the workplace, social services, etc. Despite being, basically, a commercial for MAT. MAT is very effective in helping people with addictions improve, survive, avoid incarceration, etc; and it doesn’t push Naltrexone as “the answer” for everybody. IMO, this science is on our side.
@@sciencenotstigma9534 Sure, MAT does help but by addressing the symptoms superficially, we are not really solving the problem at the root. It's like coming up with all sorts of highly lucrative spark prevention policies in a building after a gas leak was reported and NEVER once mentioning the possibility of stopping the leak itself. That's how corrupt the video actually is, however helpful it might be.
@@sciencenotstigma9534 May be watch 'The Choice Is Ours' and 'Moving Forward' for a better understanding of the underlying issues and how we can solve them. The solutions are admittedly not easy to implement but, at least, they offer the more profound approach we actually need if we don't want to end up destroying ourselves. It's up to us to make the best out of it together even though it requires a complete transformation of society as we know it.
The expression, “this man knows this to a science” really applies here. I am an addict. Understanding the science is the first step to mastering the problem. Well said Doctor Cory Waller
I'm a substance addiction counselor and my clients have continually gained deep understanding from this video. Thank you and please keep making these highly informative, shame-reducing presentations.
Because of your video, I've received so much closure! I was able to apologize to someone for how I've treated them because of their addiction along with forgiving myself for being an addict. I'm grateful
I work at a rehab, and one of my jobs is to teach classes. This video is a staple of every single cycle of my curriculum. It not only helps the addicts understand themselves better, but it gives them a way to verbalize what they go through to their friends and family in a way that helps them understand as well. Thank you for this.
Wow, just wow. This was a recommended resource for my coursework for my Pscyh NP degree. This was so succinct and impressive that I am every excited to turn around and use these principles in my future practice. Well done!
I've been an addict for 30 years and I've been in countless treatment centers and programs everywhere. This is the best description of addiction that I've ever seen in my entire life and the most accurate. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who's probably around 10 deciliters so what do I do
Dr Waller! I worked with you a decade ago at Blodgett, what an absolute delight to see you pursuing your passion in addiction treatment, and sharing it with others. I found this as part of my research for my PMHNP, and am so pleased you are teaching about the science behind these conditions.
I can't believe how much I learned from this video Even though I've been an addict for over a decade and have been struggling with recovery for a while. It really spoke to me and it made me understand why I made certain decisions when and why I did. Especially all those dopamine level examples for drug use and versus sex and food and water and basic needs for survival. Crazy. Please make this mandatory course that healthcare workers have to master before being able to make discriminatory decisions or professional ones. Thank you
Thank you so much for this video! I am very pleased with what you said and how you said it. You SHOWED why addicts are addicts and helped people understand what kind of treatment is important and how they should be treated. I will admit, I am an opioid addict and the way I am treated is a HUGE part on why I haven't reached out for treatment or gone to an emergency room to ask for help. I tried to do the rehab thing just last weekend and I left after the 2nd day because they wouldn't give me enough medication to help me feel comfortable or motivated to stay. I also didn't receive any medication for my mental health. I told the people in charge that I was feeling VERY suicidal and needed help and they just told me they would tell my doctor and then left me alone in my room on the 3rd story of the facility with a door to a balcony was wide open too. I couldn't shut off the thoughts of wanting to jump off the balcony out of my head and it was driving me insane! I never physically saw my doctor, only through a webcam for less than 10 minutes. I laid in bed and screamed for help as I was in so much pain and no one would help me. THAT IS EXACTLY WHY IT'S TAKEN ME OVER 5 YEARS TO QUIT!! They treat me less than a fucking animal when all I need is a little bit of compassion and something to keep my dopamine at a decent level, the rest, is up to me.
You need to go to a local methadone clinic - it will help your dopamine levels as it wont overload your sensors (essentially blocks them from excess) but will help you get to 'normal' levels at which point it is still super hard because as users we overload our brains therefore when we stop ... its putting your brain in 'survival mode' ... methadone might not be 'sober' but it is a means to an end to get you at least off the hard stuff and on something legal, proscribed...and much much healthier - as well as possibly preventing a fatal overdose from fentanyl. I hope you find your medical assisted treatment your looking for... this is totally possible - honestly It felt like 'cheating' but at the end of the day as users we need to reach out and utilize every tool, asset, and program within reach to stay healthy - and if the rehab clinic was treating you like that they clearly are not m-done regulated... that's what you need - wishing you the best! one day at a time! There is life after addiction and we do recover!
@@TheDrummerSuperstore Thank you for your empathetic comment. I highly appreciate your concern and words of encouragement but, I will have to respectfully decline on the advice to start on Methadone. They kept my husband on that shit for 5 years with a steady dose of 160MG!! They never tried to get him off of it until he couldn't pay for it anymore. They straight cut him off cold turkey. He almost died. I don't want to get stuck on that shit. Thank you though I just don't think it would work for me personally.
@@cosmic_JAV Thank you for your comment and I agree with you 100% If you read my reply to the first comment you'll understand why. I did Suboxone for 5 days and I will admit, I absolutely LOVED it!! Not only did it take care of my horrible and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, it made my anxiety and panic stop, it made me happy like I was actually able to truthfully say I loved life and I was happy to be alive. That's HUGE for me!! I've been struggling with my mental health for over 10 years now.
I absolutely love this video and I think everyone should watch it so they can understand what addiction is about and why it's so hard for addicts to not use.
amazing video. I am on suboxone treatment right now and it's truly saved my life and it's been the only thing that worked. I started using due to depression and anxiety, and psychiatrists simply do not want to deal with someone who fails a drug test. I was discriminated against (as you said happens in your video) so much until I got on suboxone and could "legally" pass my drug tests. It was so hard and I tried for YEARS to get meds to help my anxiety and depression first, and it was a lost cause. So many doctors will look at you and treat you just like the scum of the earth when they find out you've used the least little bit. I wish all doctors could watch this video and have just a little more compassion toward these people because after all, they ARE still people.
Thank you for explaining this so perfectly. This is so accurate for me with my longtime opiate/amphetamine addiction and depression, I feel like when anyone asks what's wrong with me I could show them this video.
@@sciencenotstigma9534 I agree. I always wondered the same thing. Why is it that extended-release amphetamines, or perhaps even better, lisdexamfetamine (Adderall XR & Vyvanse) couldn't be used, or isn't used, as a M.A.T. for amphetamine dependence and/or addiction?? Possibly since the only available forms of these are capsules/tablets which inherently makes them easier to abuse or divert? Although you still have sublingual bup. in tablet form, and methadone is sometimes given in its tablet form in MAT clinics (although less common nowadays). I mean liquid methadone is even abusable (being addicted and dependent on it since I was 14, I know this from my own experience). So whats the deal with stimulants I wonder?
@@pakman422 Sorry…I have been off illicit substances for several years and studying addiction for two, but I am still hella symptomatic Bipolar 1. And temporarily off lithium due to a med interaction. lol. It doesn’t matter that I am “clean,” though. I think that people in active addiction have at least as much to add to the discussion as scholars and abstainers.
Wow. I am in grad school for ABA and addiction treatment and have always struggled with understanding neuropsychology. This video just cleared up YEARS worth of confusion in 20 minutes! You did a phenomenal job at comprehensively explaining a complex subject in common language that makes it SO much easier to understand. I've never seen anyone make the connection between dopamine, addiction, and survival either which was extremely eye-opening. Thank you so much!!
Awesome video. Thank you. Was a heroin addict for 35 years - now in recovery - and this is the single best analysis of the underlying mechanism of addiction I’ve ever seen. Bravo.
Thank you so so much for this. Doctor here. I want to rehab and noone could answer the majority of this arena of questioning. This is so beautifully knowledge and also delivered with compassion. ❤️
This video should be mandatory for EVERY health care and behavioral career path curriculum! This is informative and easy to understand! I use to work in an ER, as a nurse, and was disgusted by how doctors and nurses treated those that came in who were high or drunk.
Thanks for this very sensible and warm stance on the topic. Exactly what is needed within the discourse on dependence and the way we act upon it politically and culturally.
We watched this as part of a class discussion and this video has really helped me in understanding addiction. AMAZING! Very informative! Edit: I agree! Stigma/discrimination is definitely something people need to be mindful of.
Thank you for providing this incredibly important information regarding the neuroscience of addiction. I now have the correct knowledge to understand and overcome addiction. You are an excellent communicator and so I am able to share this link with many people, both professionals and laymen.
When having it broken down this way, it really helps me understand the chemicals going on in my own brain and lets me know that my brain isnt broken and that there's a logical reason behind why im reacting and feeling this way :D (that was a run on sentence lolz but rlly, thank you for helping me feel more normal)
Good video, liked it. One issue is at 2:52, and repeated later measuring, Dopamine in nanograms, after bringing these figures to my Professor, I was cautioned. Dopamine is measured in nanomoles, a molarity function. Try as I might I cannot find nanograms per deciliter anywhere...…… he mentions ethanol at high one hundreds.. The literature I have unearthed mentions 250...… and a 1100 for meth, but again in nanomoles.. I did send the Dr a request for his sources,,,,,,,, to no avail. The bigger takeaway is Powerlessness.. at that he does an excellent job .
The bottom line is "dopamine" and "dopamine deficiency" Regardless of amount I think we can all agree substances artificially raise dopamine to unnatural levels Causing a breakdown of the entire hedonic system
I just saw this for the first time - PERFECT. And thank you Addiction Neuroscience 101 for making this cogent video. In my opinion, its one of the best on the internet.
Wow, what an outstanding and educational video on the science of addiction and how it all ties together to dopamine levels. It would be great if this science were shared with all those in healthcare and especially the decision makers in the criminal justice system. Thank you!
I am an addict, and this is so very true and right on. Because if your brain and your mind and head is not right, you can't fix anything else, especially your addiction.
This video was so imformative and the information was given in such an understandable way. Understanding dopamine and the things that people will do for the lack of dopamine really helps to give people more empathy.
Fabulously explained.i hv been trying to help teenagers come out of addictions..drugs alcohol.. thanks a trillion.service to society cn b a dopamine release.
My goodness, what a FANTASTIC lecture! They need to be showing this at The Betty Ford clinic or Al-ANON groups to help family members understand AND visualize what exactly is happening and why the reckless behavior. Quick question: I’m a recovered, YES RECOVERED, NOT RECOVERING, alcoholic. My family held a peyote meeting for my detox (I was completely alcohol dependent, seizures and all), as I’m from the Navajo Nation. Could you maybe tell me why or HOW the chemical properties of peyote (mescaline) set me COMPLETELY FREE of any type of withdrawals or cravings ever again. If you’re not me to label it with a word, the only one that’s available is “miracle”. We held the meeting on a Saturday, the medicine (that’s what we call peyote) took 2 days to work through my body, and I came out alcohol free with zero cravings. And I never looked back. I am currently 7 years sober. I’m just wondering what chemical properties are in mescaline that somehow bind to specific receptors to help the reward system pathway?? Thank you for reading and the amazing lecture!🙏🏽🙏🏽
As someone who how been taking alprazolam for a few years and spending the past 10 months stepping down then (due to work and using all vacation days) getting down to very low amount then a panic attack comes along or something at work needs done I take a little more and then back down etc. As well as that lack of drive to even get out of bed and do things I love like drive, work on my car, even play a video game. I can’t bring myself to do it. And working in a shop with air tools and loud noises all day it’s torture. So best I did was being able to take a week or so off of work and get down to hardly taking anything and I started to feel things again, smell, enjoy music, ect. All things I forgot about. But I started taking it due to extreme social anxiety and anxiety in general due to a complete mood change after a bad car accident and damage to frontal lobe. I just was never the same. Was always very out going. HATED and was so against putting anything in my body that wasn’t natural. But things changed. Found this little pill that made life calm and enjoyable and was so motivated. But started realizing I was needing more over time. So back to the point. Slowly tapering myself down and when I got down to hardly anything but still not feeling right. So I had a really bad day and took more. Felt normal and good again for the first time in months. And then got back up to needing it everyday. And my family doesn’t understand the affects and how it’s still effecting me. We got over the anger phase and why I did what I did etc. and all I want is for them to understand I can barely motivate myself to even shower at times. And conversation is so hard and have to force myself to go to work and stay as long as possible to pass the time. I’m constantly getting accused I’m choosing to ignore family and I just want to take the easy way out of life. That couldn’t be for thee from the truth. Deep down I have so much love for them and drive for things I want in life. But after the initial finding out and anger phase I was not spoken to for MONTHS. Which hurt me. I needed someone to check on my mental state and just be there. But instead it’s ignored. And when brought up it’s all my fault and I’m just being lazy. When in reality, yes I almost got there but backslid a bit but I absolutely hate waking up and going to bed needing something to get me motivated and able to sleep and without it I’m in a living hell. But yet I’m supposed to be the one to be reaching out and in communication? I realize this has been more of a vent at this point. But this video I hope will help them understand. Anytime I’d try and have them see what it’s like all they see is I’m choosing to because it’s easy and lazy. And I don’t communicate because I don’t like them. When it’s the polar opposite. I have so many things I think about I want to do but don’t have the drive unless I have enough of that alprazolam in my system to do so. But I’m trying to keep away from it as much as possible and I miss and love my family to death and if anything I hate myself and can’t even look in a mirror. Anyways, there’s so much to addiction and each addiction makes someone react differently. So my New Years resolution is when my vacation time re sets for the year is spend a week or two riding everything out and starting to let my brain create it’s own dopamine and serotonin again and never look back. Because I’ve had so many times I just wanted to end it all thinking I’ll never get out of this. They’ll never understand. The only person I have in my life who understands is my younger sister who was down a baad path until she had her first kid and has been clean ever since and knows what I’m going thru and tries to convey it to the family but they don’t get it. Don’t comprehend. Or don’t want to admit fault they left me alone when I needed them the most. So thank god for her and her little girl that’s kept me from losing my mind. Apologies for the lonnng vent but I’m sure at least one of you out there can understand it and possibly even give advice. But very good video to possibly send to them to help them understand a little better. Thank you to anyone who took the time and read this as well. ❤
Dr. Waller, I hope you read this line. You really care. Also you are leader in your field. I Am 70 years old, on Buprenorphin ( ''about'' less than: 0.5 mg at sleep time) Back pain disk degenerative disease. I wonder the wisdom of FDA, general practitioners can prescribe opioids for pain; but for Buprenorphin must obtain special cumbersome licence. while we know; in certain population , patients on opioid crave increasing and lead to problems. We also know Buprenorphin treats pain and almost zero percent or very few crave increasing that leads to problems.
Brilliant explanation. This man is so positive, very likeable full of common sense. and great energy. No bull shit .Keep on keeping on. Well done Sir! 👍🙏🤞🌟🏹
For me during my addiction I was scared to ask for help because of the stigma that come with being a addict, If more people watched this that stigma would disappear making it easier for people to ask and receive treatment without fear of society condemning them
