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The
Limbic Lizard
The Physiological
Basis of Addiction &
Understanding how to Defeat Urges and Cravings
People begin using alcohol and/or drugs
for a variety of reasons. They may use them because they feel depressed,
anxious, sad, lonely or to create courage, excitement, to socialize, celebrate
etc., The alcoholic/addict is no different in this respect and an association is established
in the minds of most drinkers and users that alcohol/drugs = pleasure/relief.
This is usually reinforced by some enjoyable experiences connected with
drinking/using and by the social acceptability of alcohol, and of drugs
within youth and other sub-cultures. However, while the majority of people
can use alcohol without becoming chemically dependent upon it, (and a tiny
minority can use some drugs occasionally without becoming hooked),
alcoholics/addicts are biologically different from other people. Their chemical
make-up is different, so that sooner or later they become physically
dependent on the substance. This may result from genetic inheritance, or from
regular drinking/using whereby their body chemistry undergoes a qualitative
change and their bodies can no longer live without alcohol and/or drugs. Unlike
others, they are no longer able to « take it or leave it », but come to be
dependent on alcohol/drugs for all pleasure/relief in their lives. Eventually,
the only pleasure the alcoholic/addict gets is derived from taking the next
drink/drug in order to ward off the horrible discomfort of withdrawal. In
fact, the continued use of the alcohol/drugs actually creates depression, anxiety,
paranoia and mental illness. Gradually, alcohol/drugs come to mean more and more pain
for the dependent person. They have only two means of escape - death or
sobriety.
Our limbic system, or “lizard brain”, has been left with us from the lowest forms
of animals out of which we evolved. Its primitive functions are avoidance of
pain and the satisfaction of needs necessary for survival. Unlike our higher
brain - the neocortex - it is an emergency system, which is triggered when there
is no time for the neocortex to analyze, compare and decide on various
options. For example, when we encounter fire, the limbic system intervenes
in a split second with the message « fire = pain ». It by-passes the neocortex,
takes charge of the brain and body, and sends a lightning signal to the hand. It
also exercises great influence on very basic senses, feelings and emotions, like
anger, fear, pleasure and relief. It thinks « Hunger - Eat !, Danger
- attack/Run ! Sex - Copulate! » etc.,
The limbic system understands, learns
and responds on the most primitive level and is vital at certain times. However,
it cannot exercise rational judgment, weigh-up options or postpone satisfaction.
Thus, it makes mistakes, and since survival is more complex for humans than for other
animals, we have developed the neocortex to evaluate how best to satisfy and
cope with our conflicting demands for pleasure and relief. This often means
forgoing certain pleasures, delaying gratification or taking preventative
measures. Unfortunately, however, for the alcoholic/addict, their
biological addiction confuses the body, and particularly the limbic system,
into associating alcohol/drugs with the principal source of pleasure/ relief in
life, and even misguidedly with survival almost. Driven by chemical dependency
and trained by repeated behaviors and habits, the alcoholic’s/addict’s
limbic system learns to associate everything to do with pleasure and relief
- fun, relaxation, socializing, sex, food, reward and reduction of anger,
anxiety, fear, depression, etc., with alcohol/drugs. Their limbic system simply
thinks;
Alcohol
Drugs  Pleasure!
Relief !
On the other hand, the healthy, non
addicted person has other pleasures and relief techniques to rely on, and
generally says, « no I've had enough » or « no I don't use ». This is
something the alcoholic/addict cannot do. Fuelled by chemical addiction,
their limbic system is powerful enough to override the neocortex and instruct
the body to consume. Indeed, it can even hijack some functions of the higher
brain to find rationalizations for this destructive behavior.
The first task of the alcoholic/addict
is to break his/her underlying chemical dependency, which can only be done
by drying out and going sober. Having broken this link, total, life-long abstinence
is obligatory for recovery. Gradually, the chemical dependency will weaken as
the body chemistry begins to normalize in the absence of the substance.
However, the illness is never eradicated and only remains dormant. One
drink/drug will immediately awaken the sleeping vampire! Once dry, few serious sobrietists wish to return to
their active addiction, as sober life is immeasurably more fulfilling. However,
sober life is not free from the problems that all other people face.
Stressful circumstances and negative, (as well as some positive), emotions can
combine with dormant biological factors to trigger dangerous urges and cravings
- even many years into sobriety. Acknowledging, accepting and reaffirming
that we can never drink or use, through our daily “Sobriety Priority”
pledge, and changing our social and behavioral habits, are vital to reinforce new
associations in our mind and to maintain sobriety. But we also need
other weapons in our armory to stave off sudden guerrilla attacks from the
limbic system that might lead to relapse. Years of drinking/using leaves deeply
embedded alcohol/drugs = pleasure/relief associations in the neural
circuitry of the subconscious mind. Since, unlike fire, the negative
consequences of drinking/using are not immediate, a mental GAP exists
between the time of using alcohol/drugs and the painful, real consequences When
faced with urges or cravings we, therefore, have to close this gap and
retrain the limbic system to understand that Alcohol/Drugs = Pain ! We must
make the association Immediate, Real and Powerful! Such a method is called
:"CLOSING THE GAP"
Whenever you get a craving or urge to drink use get real about the
consequences immediately. Recollect your worst memory from drinking/using -
lying in your own vomit or urine, the wrecked car, your children’s faces,
whatever. Feel the pain, feel the anguish, misery, guilt and embarrassment.
Experience these feelings at the gut level and make the connection alcohol/drugs
= pain. Repeat these exercises frequently, with as many different incidents as
possible. Recall the emotional, physiological and psychological pain. The animal
limbic system learns through experience and repetition. And it is a fact
that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between reality and
fantasy. (That is why we react physiologically in our dreams). So the more
you repeat the process of associating alcohol/drugs with the painful memories, the
stronger will this association become, and the old alcohol = pleasure/relief
association will loose its potency. Even, simply repeating alcohol/drugs = pain
regularly to yourself impacts on the primitive limbic mind.. ALCOHOL
=
= PAIN
DRUGS =
“Closing the Gap”
is not about ritualistic
self-torture or guilt trips. It’s about getting real with yourself. It
doesn’t mean you should spend your days dwelling on the past. People who
dwell on things go mad. And addicts, who dwell on their drinking/using past,
tend to return to it. “ Closing the gap ” is a surgical
intervention and should be used for selective re-training of our limbic response
system. It is a tool to help us get on with living the present, as powerfully as
possible. You can do this on your own and employ this tool, by yourself,
whenever you are challenged by an urge, craving or even a negative thought
about sobriety. You will build up these sobriety skills gradually.
Experiment to see which are the most effective for you and ask others for advice,
ideas and support. If you get an urge at a particular place- a party, dinner,
bar, concert, just sitting at home, whatever- get the hell out of there
immediately ! Furthermore, if you are having a difficult time, don’t just
depend on yourself, pick up the phone, get to a meeting or to friends - get out
of drinking/using situations or moods and get to sober associations and points
of support as soon as possible.
Get Real > Close the Gap!
Why not use the article to start a discussion
in your group?
SOS@CFIWest.org---Publication of this material is made
possible by support from SOS members and friends and by the Council for Secular
Humanism, a nonprofit educational organization.Copies of this and other SOS
brochures may be obtained from the
SOS Clearinghouse.SOS Clearinghouse
( Save
Our Selves)
4773 Hollywood Blvd.,
Hollywood, CA 90027 USA. Tel : (323)
666-4295
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