June Challenge--the psychology of addiction

[Gaelen]

"Addiction" is one of those words that crops up on a lot of weight loss bulletin boards and in weight loss support groups--but lots of lay people use the term 'addiction' and equate it to physical dependency on various things. Everything ingested, every substance from chocolate to opium, sugar to potato chips has been labeled 'addictive,' but simultaneously given the same characteristics as physical dependency. In fact, there are things that cause physical dependency (which produces actual physical symptoms when withdrawn) but do NOT cause 'addiction,' which is generally accepted as controlled by the mind. There are also things considered to produce addictive behavior in some people which DO NOT cause physical dependency; from the article linked below:
"Psychological addictions are a dependency of the mind, and lead to psychological withdrawal symptoms. Addictions can theoretically form for any rewarding behavior, but typically only do so in individuals with emotional, social, or psychological dysfunctions, taking the place of normal positive stimuli not otherwise attained (see Rat Park). The distinction between the two kinds of addictions, however, is not always easy to make. Addictions often have both physical and psychological components."

This description of the differences between physical dependency and addiction is something I find very helpful when trying to describe the way that certain foods, emotions, or conditions make me feel. Caffeine, for instance, is a psychoactive substance--it usually produces some level of addictive behavior in everyone, but for some individuals it is much worse than others. When withdrawn it produces actual physical symptoms and signs (headache, weakness).

OTOH, cravings are not a physical symptom/sign...they're typically considered a mental, rather than physical response, sometimes incited by a smell or a sight of something. Actual physical need for a substance is an entirely different thing from a craving--physical need is often very difficult to overcome without assistance. However a craving, even an intense one, can usually be turned around by short-circuiting or diverting the same mental pathways it's activating.

At any rate...while it's often common to label cravings as a sign of an 'addiction' to sugar, or chocolate, or coffee, only the coffee and the chocolate contain a truly psychoactive addictive substance (caffeine). Sugar isn't yet definitively considered a psychoactive substance, although it has some components of those substances and more research may put it definitely in one category or the other. Meanwhile, cravings for sugar should first be approached from a mental 'short-circuit' or 'divert' method for the most successful results in turning them around. Interesting reading, and definitely something that we all should be familiar with when trying to deal with cravings for specific types of foods...

http://www.mrsci.com/Addiction/Addiction.php

[Mayflowers]

On a mission Gaelen? When I was in my 20's I was interested in Scientology. I read an article by L. Ron Hubbard stating that White Refined Sugar acted like a drug on the body causing physical addiction. Now this was 30 years ago I read this article.

There have been no formal studies or real research on the addictive affects of white refined sugar right? I believe Hubbard. And the fact that most of the population can't live without white refined sugar kind of validates his theory.

[laughingW]

Have to disagree with that one Gaelen. Cravings are physical and they come from empty beta-endorphin receptors screaming to get filled.

The reason we get mixed up whether it's physical or "mental" is that beta-endorphin can fill those receptors with either substances (morphine, heroin, and to a much lesser extent, sugar), or behavior. An emotionally moving movie can hit the spot (if the receptors are not hugely upregulated because of severe substance abuse.)

An interesting quote:

from the work of Dr. Christine Gianoulakis at McGill University....

Dr. Gianoulakis extended her study to people and examined a whole group of people who are known to be genetically predisposed to alcohol addiction, the children and grandchildren of alcoholics. Children and grandchildren of alcoholics seem to be the human equivalent of the C57 mice. They, like the mice, have lowered levels of beta-endorphin and a heightened response to things that evoke beta-endorphin like alcohol and sugars.

As Dr. Gianoulakis was publishing her work, a number of other scientists were noticing that sucrose quieted pain. They discovered that not only does sucrose quiet physical pain, but also it quiets the pain of loss or social isolation. When a group of baby chicks were taken from their mama, they peeped and peeped. When they were given sugar water, they stopped crying for mama chicken.

Sugar as a Drug

Dr. Elliott Blass, then at Cornell, wanted to understand how this happens. How could sugar act like a drug? He did some experiments and showed that sucrose cut physical and emotional pain by evoking the brain's own beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin is the body's natural painkiller. It is called an endogenous opioid or internal painkiller. Morphine and heroine are opiate drugs, which mean they go and sit in the brain's beta-endorphin receptor sites and get the brain to block pain signals. Sucrose acts like an opioid drug such as morphine or heroin. Not as intensely, but on the same beta-endorphin system.

As a practical matter, I would do as Gaelen says and try the diversion.. AS WELL AS refraining from ingesting those substances that cause cravings in the first place.

[laughingW]

There have been no formal studies or real research on the addictive affects of white refined sugar right?
Yes, there have. Bart Hoebel is studying this in rats at Yale. All the results I've read so far confirm that it can act like a drug.

[Gaelen]

On a mission Gaelen?

Not on a mission, Wildflowers...but the discussions going on about 'addiction' made me realize that the differences between addiction and physical dependency, cravings and physical withdrawal symptoms, are perfect things to examine in the context of the June Challenge. This month's challenge asked people to take a hard look at their beliefs about nutrition and low carbing, and rather than accepting things they'd always been told, investigate things that interested them as examined and quantified by scientific research. Part 2 was to bring that research, information and scientific links back to to the board to share the new learning and the new perspectives with everyone for discussion.