Posted by Garnet71 on March 12, 2009, at 1:52:46
I think I'm addicted to dopamine. I know it. My body is messed up from chronic stress/being in the fight or flight stage most of my life, which caused the anxiety, but I think my other issue is low dopamine levels.
However, I never liked using drugs recreationally. When I was growing up, some of my friends would use weed and cocaine and other stuff, but I would not want to do them. I didn't have major dopamine issues back then. I have been an extremely productive and motivated person most of my life; very focused and decisive, although I adapted to the ADD like symptoms such as being hypercontextual, by keeping myself personally challenged as to not be bored with dull tasks, etc. I'd have some good paying jobs, but I'd quit once I learned the job because I was so bored not being challenged anymore. Those are ADD symptoms, along with the impulsiveness. But still, no addictive tendencies.
THEN-about 8 or 9 years ago, I met my then bf. We had so much sex all the time-it went on for years-and I was so high all the time because he was such a great lover. I really think I became addicted to him. A real addiction. What an epiphany I'm feeling now. At the same time, I'm angry about it. He screwed up my life, and now even though I avoid him like the plague, I still have to suffer the consequences.
So reading these articles, I noticed that the brain is affected with low dopamine levels after repeated, long-term drug use that gets you high; drugs that raised your dopamine level. Then afterwards, all you want to do is get your dopamine levels back to normal. I think this is what happened to me with ex bf--my dopamine levels were so high all those years; my brain is now like an addicts'. So this is where I'm at right now.
It would also explain why I now crave chocolate and carbs and sweets every night--they increase your dopamine levels. This did not start until I quit seeing the ex. I've gained weight. I've been thin most of my life with no problems. Now I crave food when I'm not hungry. I hate it.
Though my family has dopamine issues, I think, with my Grandmother's schitzophrenia and my Dad's alcholism, and more. So maybe I already had the tendancies, and the situation with the x amplified everything.
I've been thinking for quite some time that dopamine might be the key to my treatment--I am pretty confident this is my case. Finally. After all this googling and reading..lol. This makes more sense than anything else, even the Lyme possibility. I might tell my pdoc this tomorrow. Should I?
In any case, I need to figure out how to get my dopamine levels back to normal. But will that create addiction or further need for dopamine enhancing substances? If I can't naturally keep my levels up,it seems to me that anything that raises the level will become an addiction. I read it can take a year or two for the brain to go back to normal on its own.
Okay these articles are old, but were very useful.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986282,00.html
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s17964.htm
"That is, that initially the cocaine makes dopamine go up; after you've used cocaine for a long time, it actually causes a decrease from baseline in dopamine levels, and you hate that, you hate that sensation of having low dopamine. And what the addict is trying to do is normalise it.
Norman Swan: In a sense you're addicted to dopamine.
Alan Leshner: Absolutely. You're addicted to normal dopamine. You have to have normalised dopamine levels. And let me give you one more example: many young people are treated with Methylphenidate with Ritalin. Now Ritalin can be highly abusable to someone who does not need it. But when it's given to young people for attention problems, they don't develop addiction, they don't develop compulsive use.
Norman Swan: Because it brings the dopamine levels back up to normal?"
poster:Garnet71
thread:884984
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20090129/msgs/884984.html