[Book Review] The Addicted Brain

Until now, I've mainly read books on neuroscience in addition to literature. Addiction was also a fascinating theme.

Through reading books like <Dopamine-Type Human>, <Such Unexpected Neuroscience>, and <Neuroscience for Depression>, I came to my own conclusion that,
the brain is just another organ in the body. However, its influence is incredibly dominant. The reason for this is that the brain is the organ that developed to control the body. But my curiosity remained. Why do some people become addicted? And how can they escape that addiction? I wished someone would shed light on these questions someday. The title of this book caught my attention. A neuroscientist who fell into addiction? It felt like the title itself presented the answer to my long-held questions. The book's opening, where the author confesses to being an addict, was quite shocking. How did such a drug addict become a neuroscientist? The question was quickly answered in the following explanation...

In the end, it took a total of 7 years to graduate from college, including a dramatic 1 year of change that started in a treatment center, and another 7 years after that to earn a doctorate in graduate school. - p.7

In the end, Judith Grisel, the author, had to struggle for 14 years to finally shift from the position of an addict to a researcher observing addiction. But how did she become an addict in the first place?

According to George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, there are two paths to becoming an alcoholic: you're either born an addict or you drink a lot. Dr. Koob isn't trying to be punny, and when you consider that everyone can fall into one of these two categories, it explains why this disease is so prevalent. - p.15

The factors that lead to addiction are very complex, but I learned that genetic factors are fatal. There's no way to deny that innate temperament exists to some degree, and overcoming it requires constant vigilance throughout one's life. The author, Judith Grisel, also confesses that even now, after escaping addiction, cravings still lurk within her heart. Chapter 10, "Why Did I Become Addicted?" goes into detail about the factors that lead to addiction.

Virtually everyone I knew used chemicals. Why weren't they devoured by drugs? For example, a friend I was expelled from school with in the 9th grade thrived professionally and built a happy family while I was in treatment. It made no sense that we both started on the same path, yet I ended up in the gutter and he smoothly sailed through life on a paved road. - p.287

The author confesses the frustration she felt as she reflected on why she, in particular, became an addict. And after 30 years of research, she concluded that there are four causes of addiction. First, there's a biological predisposition inherited genetically, the experience of being exposed to massive amounts of drugs, especially during adolescence, and environmental factors that trigger drug addiction. The most chilling factor was "the experience of being exposed to massive amounts of drugs." So, even without genetic or environmental factors, if the exposure to any drug reaches a certain level, the three characteristics of addiction - tolerance, dependence, and craving - will appear, won't they? In other words, I felt that the only way to prevent addiction is to either use drugs moderately or, if you don't have that confidence, to stay away from them completely. Looking back at my own experience as a reader, I think I was on the verge of crossing the threshold of addiction until recently. A can of beer on the way home from work on a summer day would become two, and I'd start choosing beers with a higher alcohol content, expanding my palate to include soju, wine, and other varieties... Doesn't everyone have a drink or two? I started thinking like that, and I lost control of my drinking. Eventually, I'd finish an entire bottle of wine if I bought it, my weight started increasing, and I experienced an emergency room visit due to cholecystitis, before finally coming to my senses. 'According to this book, the only way to avoid becoming an alcoholic in the future is to either drink moderately or stay away from it completely if you can't control yourself.' It's a sad and bitter realization, but it's definitely a lesson I need to keep in mind. After all, I don't want to end up as a beggar on the streets in a state of tolerance, dependence, and craving. I'm sure those people didn't want to become addicts either. But is "a biological predisposition inherited genetically" truly unavoidable? To what extent can science and technology cover the genetic risk? Unfortunately, the author still finds it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this risk, and therefore, it's still impossible to prevent vulnerability. She explains that even a single base change in a gene can alter the structure of the resulting product and, naturally, its function, making it impossible to detect minor variations. She also states that the impact of genetics is context-dependent and incredibly complex, making it impossible to predict. Thankfully, however, researchers continue to investigate the matter. "Exposure to drugs during adolescence" is called the gateway effect. It refers to the increase in drug-seeking behavior when adolescents are exposed to substances like marijuana. And this change occurs for essentially the same reason as when a fetus is exposed to drugs. Oh, this information was also shocking. Because the developing brain readily absorbs everything, it also absorbs drug experiences. Therefore, drug experiences before the age of 25, the age considered adulthood in terms of neural development, are much greater and more lasting than those experienced later in life. So, when advising teenagers and young adults to refrain from smoking or drinking, wouldn't it be better to explain the reasons accurately instead of simply telling them not to do it? I think most kids would refrain from trying it if they were given a proper explanation. Of course, during the self-confident days of youth, such words might not resonate.

In the end, the author concludes that "the causes of addiction are as diverse as addicts themselves." In such a complex world, it's impossible to find an objective tool to measure individual addiction. Nevertheless, the author emphasizes that we must understand addiction properly and help each other from the perspective of potential addicts.

It is important to remember that substance misuse stems from isolation, is aggravated by isolation, and ultimately leads to further isolation. - p.344

Ultimately, it's about not being lonely - not making others lonely. The emphasis of the story is on the importance of being there for each other. Perhaps even addiction, at its core, is just loneliness. So, once again, I resolve to not be lonely this year. And to not make others lonely. For myself, and for those around me.

※ This review was written honestly after reading a book provided by the Naver Cafe durumis Culture Bloom https://cafe.naver.com/culturebloom.

※ I would also like to express my gratitude to the publishing company, Simsim, for providing such a wonderful book.