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AliCat
Proud Member
Michael's autopsy reveals that Michael's organs were strong. Someone addicted to something would not have the same autopsy. Even Steve Jobs had had an organ transplant in his lifetime and still died early. Michael never needed any kind of an organ transplant.
As for Michael's humanitarian efforts, here's another one to take into account:
David Ruffin's Sad Finale
BY NEWSWEEK STAFF 6/16/91 AT 8:00 PM
It was nearly 3 a.m. when the gray stretch limousine pulled up to the emergency-room entrance at Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania Hospital. When attendants looked inside they saw a tall, gaunt black man slumped unconscious in the back seat with no identification and $53 in his pockets. He died an hour later. An FBI check of fingerprints confirmed the name--and an inglorious end for one of the fabled voices in pop music. David Ruffin's anguished, gospel-bred baritone propelled The Temptations to the top of the charts in the 1960s. Police say he passed out early on the morning of June 1 after smoking crack at a house in West Philadelphia.
Investigators are still trying to piece together the 50-year-old Ruffin's last hours. An estimated $40,000 he was carrying when he was stricken has disappeared. Linster (Butch) Murrell, a friend who lent Ruffin the limousine on the evening of May 31, says Ruffin drove off with a man named Donald Brown. Police believe Ruffin purchased cocaine somewhere and took it to the West Philadelphia house to smoke. Ruffin and another occupant of the house reportedly shared 10 vials of crack in less than a half hour, an enormous intake, experts say. Brown drove Ruffin to the hospital and returned the limo to Murrell. Police questioned Brown twice but have not charged him with a crime. Ruffin's death is listed as accidental.
It was the end of a long slide for the son of a Mississippi preacher. Ruffin helped The Temptations become one of the first R&B acts to achieve "crossover" success with white baby-boomer teens. "My Girl," their early 1965 breakthrough, was followed by a string of hits over the next four years. The group's enduring appeal was enshrined in the 1983 movie "The Big Chill," when the cast danced to "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," one of Ruffin's best vocal turns. "Nobody could sing like David Ruffin," says Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas, one of Motown's top groups.
But Ruffin grew restless as part of the group. He also developed a cocaine habit, first entering treatment in 1967. A year later, he and The Temptations parted company. He had modest solo success but never freed himself from drugs. He was working regularly at the end--a British concert tour with ex-Tempts Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards had just wound up--but he was still hooked. Since 1989, he lived off and on in Philadelphia with Diane Showers, who met him as a 14-year-old fan. "I told him he needed to go back to Mississippi where he could have solitude," she says. Last week radio playlists were peppered with Ruffin's old tunes. Michael Jackson volunteered to pay for his funeral in Detroit this week, which was expected to draw a galaxy of stars from Motown's heyday. Reeves wishes the tributes had come earlier. "Before he died he should have been aware of how many people loved him."
http://www.newsweek.com/david-ruffins-sad-finale-204440
As for Michael's humanitarian efforts, here's another one to take into account:
David Ruffin's Sad Finale
BY NEWSWEEK STAFF 6/16/91 AT 8:00 PM
It was nearly 3 a.m. when the gray stretch limousine pulled up to the emergency-room entrance at Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania Hospital. When attendants looked inside they saw a tall, gaunt black man slumped unconscious in the back seat with no identification and $53 in his pockets. He died an hour later. An FBI check of fingerprints confirmed the name--and an inglorious end for one of the fabled voices in pop music. David Ruffin's anguished, gospel-bred baritone propelled The Temptations to the top of the charts in the 1960s. Police say he passed out early on the morning of June 1 after smoking crack at a house in West Philadelphia.
Investigators are still trying to piece together the 50-year-old Ruffin's last hours. An estimated $40,000 he was carrying when he was stricken has disappeared. Linster (Butch) Murrell, a friend who lent Ruffin the limousine on the evening of May 31, says Ruffin drove off with a man named Donald Brown. Police believe Ruffin purchased cocaine somewhere and took it to the West Philadelphia house to smoke. Ruffin and another occupant of the house reportedly shared 10 vials of crack in less than a half hour, an enormous intake, experts say. Brown drove Ruffin to the hospital and returned the limo to Murrell. Police questioned Brown twice but have not charged him with a crime. Ruffin's death is listed as accidental.
It was the end of a long slide for the son of a Mississippi preacher. Ruffin helped The Temptations become one of the first R&B acts to achieve "crossover" success with white baby-boomer teens. "My Girl," their early 1965 breakthrough, was followed by a string of hits over the next four years. The group's enduring appeal was enshrined in the 1983 movie "The Big Chill," when the cast danced to "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," one of Ruffin's best vocal turns. "Nobody could sing like David Ruffin," says Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas, one of Motown's top groups.
But Ruffin grew restless as part of the group. He also developed a cocaine habit, first entering treatment in 1967. A year later, he and The Temptations parted company. He had modest solo success but never freed himself from drugs. He was working regularly at the end--a British concert tour with ex-Tempts Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards had just wound up--but he was still hooked. Since 1989, he lived off and on in Philadelphia with Diane Showers, who met him as a 14-year-old fan. "I told him he needed to go back to Mississippi where he could have solitude," she says. Last week radio playlists were peppered with Ruffin's old tunes. Michael Jackson volunteered to pay for his funeral in Detroit this week, which was expected to draw a galaxy of stars from Motown's heyday. Reeves wishes the tributes had come earlier. "Before he died he should have been aware of how many people loved him."
http://www.newsweek.com/david-ruffins-sad-finale-204440
reibish
Proud Member
Of course there was something "seriously" wrong with Michael - but by no means was it his fault and by no means does it mean he deserved anything that happened to him. He was so deeply wounded and the way he lived is nothing any of us can relate to. What was "Seriously" wrong with Michael was that he was surrounded by those who didn't have his best interests in mind. Otherwise there was nothing different about him that was really worse than what regular people deal with - stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, low self-esteem.
It's hard to read Lionel's words, and I too give him a lot of side-eye, but out of context I can definitely see how his words are being easily misread. There are people in my life who are addicts, narcissists, "seriously" damaged people and I could say similar things about them - doesn't mean I love them any less.
That being said, I see many of Michael's former "Friends" and acquaintances saying things like this - I wonder if it's just bitterness and jealousy or anger and a misguided attempt at coping that they say these things.
It's hard to read Lionel's words, and I too give him a lot of side-eye, but out of context I can definitely see how his words are being easily misread. There are people in my life who are addicts, narcissists, "seriously" damaged people and I could say similar things about them - doesn't mean I love them any less.
That being said, I see many of Michael's former "Friends" and acquaintances saying things like this - I wonder if it's just bitterness and jealousy or anger and a misguided attempt at coping that they say these things.
reibish
Proud Member
Addiction is not the same across the board. It is broadly recognized in the medical and scientific community as an incurable disease, but it doesn't leave the same mark everywhere. I don't believe Michael was "addicted" to Propofol and almost every medical expert - in the trials, ad hoc, in the media, and the medical world tend to agree that Propofol itself is not an addictive substance. I believe that Michael was "clean" from his own personal poisons he'd dealt with before, and that he wasn't using and he didn't believe he was using. The problem is though, that even if he's clean, Michael still had an addictive personality. It was an ironic tragedy that he was also an incredibly trusting person who always wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to everyone, and grant them forgiveness and consideration that he'd never really been granted when he needed it most.
The combination of these two parts of him was what granted rats like Murray access to him.
Michael was physically healthy. Any damage caused by his previous ODs and binges was healed. But it doesn't account for his emotions or mental capacities. You can take the drugs out of the addict, but the addict will always be one. Just because his organs were strong in autopsy does not mean he wasn't fighting battles.
AliCat
Proud Member
Controversy^^^
There is an ongoing debate about the question of whether an addictive personality really exists. There are two sides of this argument, each with many levels and variations. One side believes that there are certain traits and dimensions of personality that, if existent in a person, cause the person to be more prone to developing addictions throughout their life. The other side argues that addiction is in chemistry, as in how the brain’s synapses respond to neurotransmitters and is therefore not affected by personality. A major argument in favor of defining and labeling an addictive personality has to do with the human ability to make decisions and the notion of free will. This argument suggests human beings are aware of their actions and what the consequences of their own actions are and many choose against certain things because of this. This can be seen in that people are not forced to drink excessively or smoke every day, but it is within the reach of their own free will that some may choose to do so. Therefore, those with addictive personalities are high in neuroticism and hence choose to engage in riskier behaviors. The theory of addictive personalities agrees that there are two types of people: risk-takers and risk-averse. Risk-takers enjoy challenges, new experiences and want instant gratification. These people enjoy the excitement of danger and trying new things. On the other hand, risk-averse are those who are by nature cautious in what they do and the activities they involve themselves in. It is the personality traits of individuals that combine to create either a risk-taker or risk-averse person.
Some people believe that claiming that there is such thing as an addictive personality belittles the types and significance of many tough addictions. Others also argue that by placing a label on the type of people that have addictions, this stereotypes people and denies that addiction can happen to anyone. Some people who agree with this argument believe that claiming an addictive personality may be used as an excuse by some who do not use drugs, and are hence not addicted, to explain why they are not addicted to drugs and other people are.
Other arguments against this theory of addictive personalities is that it is very deterministic. By labeling someone with an addictive personality, one may think that there is no way to change the outcome and that he or she will inevitably develop addictions. Also, this label may cause many to believe that there is no way to change this or treat addictions, which, according to many researchers and doctors, is untrue.
There is an ongoing debate about the question of whether an addictive personality really exists. There are two sides of this argument, each with many levels and variations. One side believes that there are certain traits and dimensions of personality that, if existent in a person, cause the person to be more prone to developing addictions throughout their life. The other side argues that addiction is in chemistry, as in how the brain’s synapses respond to neurotransmitters and is therefore not affected by personality. A major argument in favor of defining and labeling an addictive personality has to do with the human ability to make decisions and the notion of free will. This argument suggests human beings are aware of their actions and what the consequences of their own actions are and many choose against certain things because of this. This can be seen in that people are not forced to drink excessively or smoke every day, but it is within the reach of their own free will that some may choose to do so. Therefore, those with addictive personalities are high in neuroticism and hence choose to engage in riskier behaviors. The theory of addictive personalities agrees that there are two types of people: risk-takers and risk-averse. Risk-takers enjoy challenges, new experiences and want instant gratification. These people enjoy the excitement of danger and trying new things. On the other hand, risk-averse are those who are by nature cautious in what they do and the activities they involve themselves in. It is the personality traits of individuals that combine to create either a risk-taker or risk-averse person.
Some people believe that claiming that there is such thing as an addictive personality belittles the types and significance of many tough addictions. Others also argue that by placing a label on the type of people that have addictions, this stereotypes people and denies that addiction can happen to anyone. Some people who agree with this argument believe that claiming an addictive personality may be used as an excuse by some who do not use drugs, and are hence not addicted, to explain why they are not addicted to drugs and other people are.
Other arguments against this theory of addictive personalities is that it is very deterministic. By labeling someone with an addictive personality, one may think that there is no way to change the outcome and that he or she will inevitably develop addictions. Also, this label may cause many to believe that there is no way to change this or treat addictions, which, according to many researchers and doctors, is untrue.
angelofhope
Proud Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,649
- Points
- 63
Let's not forget Michael had genuine chronic pain and took medications in order to cope with the pain. His addiction was a byproduct of taking this medication and not intended. Big difference.
reibish
Proud Member
I definitely agree with both of you - there is a lot of discussion around addiction and what causes it. And there is definitely a pattern of people with genuine issues like angelofinnocence mentioned that end up having issues with the substances they are prescribed for medical purposes. We all know, and it's well-accepted, that Michael knew his problems started from the Pepsi incident. He isn't alone in that, as it is a similar story for many people.
However, whether addiction is genetic, environmental, behavioral, or any combination thereof doesn't really change the standard of care regarding it. Programs and treatments based on the model of it being a disease that the sufferer has little to no control over is still statistically the most successful. It's a tough nut to crack. I myself am not an addict but I was raised by them and have gone through almost everything that Michael's family went through with him - the interventions, the OD's and detoxes, the training/classes, the meetings, the counseling. All of it. And personally I stay away from pretty much everything because I am worried there are things I can't say "no" to. There are few things as heartbreaking and infuriating to see someone you care about push themselves to the edge like that. It's a struggle because you know they can't help it, but then you also know that no one forced them to use, and at some point they made the choice to do it again, knowing full well that there are consequences that affect everyone, not just them.
When I describe Michael as an addict, it is not at all a place of blame or judgment, or to fit him into a specific category. It's just a fact that I accept of him. His addiction and his death are not at all related, in my eyes.
However, whether addiction is genetic, environmental, behavioral, or any combination thereof doesn't really change the standard of care regarding it. Programs and treatments based on the model of it being a disease that the sufferer has little to no control over is still statistically the most successful. It's a tough nut to crack. I myself am not an addict but I was raised by them and have gone through almost everything that Michael's family went through with him - the interventions, the OD's and detoxes, the training/classes, the meetings, the counseling. All of it. And personally I stay away from pretty much everything because I am worried there are things I can't say "no" to. There are few things as heartbreaking and infuriating to see someone you care about push themselves to the edge like that. It's a struggle because you know they can't help it, but then you also know that no one forced them to use, and at some point they made the choice to do it again, knowing full well that there are consequences that affect everyone, not just them.
When I describe Michael as an addict, it is not at all a place of blame or judgment, or to fit him into a specific category. It's just a fact that I accept of him. His addiction and his death are not at all related, in my eyes.
AliCat
Proud Member
When Michael left the United States in 2005, after the trial, he lived in the middle east. One of the places was the country of Oman. This picture shows Michael looking pretty fit. I don't think he was having an issue with an addiction to pills. In 2006, Michael lived in Ireland and recorded music with Will I Am. Will I Am talked about Michael having a conversation with him about staying away from the unhealthy lifestyle of addiction to pills. Michael endorsed a healthy life style. That's why his organ's were strong at the time of death. There was no scarring, which can usually happen to addicts. Once the scarring takes place, you cannot undo the damage. I look upon Michael as a healthy individual!
reibish
Proud Member
Okay, but you missed what I said several times: it does not matter how long someone has been clean, once they are an addict it does not change. That's why many people celebrate anniversaries and milestones of their sobriety - BECAUSE they are healthy in the present, when they once were not. But they know they cannot go back because there is an unhealthy relationship with a substance or behavior.
It's well documented that Michael was clean for many many years, and promoted healthy, conscious living. I'm not at all refuting that, but just because he wasn't using doesn't mean he wasn't an addict. It's not curable, and in his case it was always available.
It's well documented that Michael was clean for many many years, and promoted healthy, conscious living. I'm not at all refuting that, but just because he wasn't using doesn't mean he wasn't an addict. It's not curable, and in his case it was always available.
castor
Proud Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2015
- Messages
- 183
- Points
- 0
That's actually not true.
If that was the case smokers could never really quit.
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to mankind more so than cocaine or methadone.
Still there are plenty of people who quit smoking and never desire it again.
I know because I'm a former smoker.
MJ got rid of opioids in Dec 1994 and didn't have a problem with them again until he fell 50 feet and injured his back.
In fact the speed of his recovery was quite remarkable. And there were not serious withdrawal symptoms other than insomnia -- which he often had anyway.
You can read what happened in London here:
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/michael-jackson/articles/110337/title/michael-rehab-93
Pay attention to the Jesus Christmas part. He indeed used that term, you can hear it in this video too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umXQlbQ5bM0
So the guy who wrote this is probably credible.
reibish
Proud Member
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/anecdotal
I have read about Michael's rehab experience. I'm not unfamiliar.
I'm not saying that referring to addiction as a disease and nothing else is necessarily the best thing (read both of these, and that's kind of where I stand on it), but that's the fact of it for now. There's a lot of compulsive behavior and often underlying or accompanying issues when working with those who are addicted, and simply making them not desire it anymore is a lot easier said than done. Especially someone like Michael who is a combination of everything: powerful, strong-willed, determined, impulsive (not the same as compulsive though), wealthy, and well-connected.
I think many fans have a hard time wrapping their head around this concept, that Michael being an addict means he is less than the wonderful person we know him to be. It's not true. It's just a fact about him, much like his vitiligo, lupus, and silly little duck-footed limpy gait, and inability to wink. He was human.
Some people can party with every substance under the sun and walk away from it the next day, and not even care or think about it again. Others find it just too good to pass up, or find escapism in certain things. They just can't say no. Others just think they are doing themselves a favor; keeping themselves functional. I don't know what was going through Michael's head or why he continued to use, though I personally don't believe he did it with the intention to harm himself. But, to me, all the behavior points to the reality that he had an addictive personality. Accepting that helped me understand a lot more about him, actually.
AliCat
Proud Member
Understanding Addiction
How Addiction Hijacks the Brain
Key Points
-Addiction involves craving for something intensely, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
-Addiction changes the brain, first by subverting the way it registers pleasure and then by corrupting other normal drives such as learning and motivation.
-Although breaking an addiction is tough, it can be done.
What causes addiction?
The word “addiction” is derived from a Latin term for “enslaved by” or “bound to.” Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction—or has tried to help someone else to do so—understands why.
Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
For many years, experts believed that only alcohol and powerful drugs could cause addiction. Neuroimaging technologies and more recent research, however, have shown that certain pleasurable activities, such as gambling, shopping, and sex, can also co-opt the brain.
Although a standard U.S. diagnostic manual (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition or DSM-IV) describes multiple addictions, each tied to a specific substance or activity, consensus is emerging that these may represent multiple expressions of a common underlying brain process.
New insights into a common problem
Nobody starts out intending to develop an addiction, but many people get caught in its snare. Consider the latest government statistics:
-Nearly 23 million Americans—almost one in 10—are addicted to alcohol or other drugs.
-More than two-thirds of people with addiction abuse alcohol.
-The top three drugs causing addiction are marijuana, opioid (narcotic) pain relievers, and cocaine.
In the 1930s, when researchers first began to investigate what caused addictive behavior, they believed that people who developed addictions were somehow morally flawed or lacking in willpower. Overcoming addiction, they thought, involved punishing miscreants or, alternately, encouraging them to muster the will to break a habit.
The scientific consensus has changed since then. Today we recognize addiction as a chronic disease that changes both brain structure and function. Just as cardiovascular disease damages the heart and diabetes impairs the pancreas, addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending with a drive toward compulsive behavior.
Pleasure principle
The brain registers all pleasures in the same way, whether they originate with a psychoactive drug, a monetary reward, a sexual encounter, or a satisfying meal. In the brain, pleasure has a distinct signature: the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a cluster of nerve cells lying underneath the cerebral cortex (see illustration). Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens is so consistently tied with pleasure that neuroscientists refer to the region as the brain’s pleasure center.
All drugs of abuse, from nicotine to heroin, cause a particularly powerful surge of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. The likelihood that the use of a drug or participation in a rewarding activity will lead to addiction is directly linked to the speed with which it promotes dopamine release, the intensity of that release, and the reliability of that release.
Even taking the same drug through different methods of administration can influence how likely it is to lead to addiction. Smoking a drug or injecting it intravenously, as opposed to swallowing it as a pill, for example, generally produces a faster, stronger dopamine signal and is more likely to lead to drug misuse.
Addictive drugs provide a shortcut to the brain’s reward system by flooding the nucleus accumbens with dopamine. The hippocampus lays down memories of this rapid sense of satisfaction, and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to certain stimuli.
Learning process
Scientists once believed that the experience of pleasure alone was enough to prompt people to continue seeking an addictive substance or activity. But more recent research suggests that the situation is more complicated. Dopamine not only contributes to the experience of pleasure, but also plays a role in learning and memory—two key elements in the transition from liking something to becoming addicted to it.
According to the current theory about addiction, dopamine interacts with another neurotransmitter, glutamate, to take over the brain’s system of reward-related learning. This system has an important role in sustaining life because it links activities needed for human survival (such as eating and sex) with pleasure and reward.
The reward circuit in the brain includes areas involved with motivation and memory as well as with pleasure. Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the same circuit—and then overload it.
Repeated exposure to an addictive substance or behavior causes nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain involved in planning and executing tasks) to communicate in a way that couples liking something with wanting it, in turn driving us to go after it. That is, this process motivates us to take action to seek out the source of pleasure.
Do you have addiction?
Determining whether you have addiction isn’t completely straightforward. And admitting it isn’t easy, largely because of the stigma and shame associated with addiction. But acknowledging the problem is the first step toward recovery.
A “yes” answer to any of the following three questions suggests you might have a problem with addiction and should—at the very least—consult a health care provider for further evaluation and guidance.
-Do you use more of the substance or engage in the behavior more often than in the past?
-Do you have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t have the substance or engage in the behavior?
-Have you ever lied to anyone about your use of the substance or extent of your behavior?
Development of tolerance
Over time, the brain adapts in a way that actually makes the sought-after substance or activity less pleasurable.
In nature, rewards usually come only with time and effort. Addictive drugs and behaviors provide a shortcut, flooding the brain with dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Our brains do not have an easy way to withstand the onslaught.
Addictive drugs, for example, can release two to 10 times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do, and they do it more quickly and more reliably. In a person who becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. The brain responds by producing less dopamine or eliminating dopamine receptors—an adaptation similar to turning the volume down on a loudspeaker when noise becomes too loud.
As a result of these adaptations, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward center. People who develop an addiction typically find that, in time, the desired substance no longer gives them as much pleasure. They have to take more of it to obtain the same dopamine “high” because their brains have adapted—an effect known as tolerance.
Compulsion takes over
At this point, compulsion takes over. The pleasure associated with an addictive drug or behavior subsides—and yet the memory of the desired effect and the need to recreate it (the wanting) persists. It’s as though the normal machinery of motivation is no longer functioning.
The learning process mentioned earlier also comes into play. The hippocampus and the amygdala store information about environmental cues associated with the desired substance, so that it can be located again. These memories help create a conditioned response—intense craving—whenever the person encounters those environmental cues.
Cravings contribute not only to addiction but to relapse after a hard-won sobriety. A person addicted to heroin may be in danger of relapse when he sees a hypodermic needle, for example, while another person might start to drink again after seeing a bottle of whiskey. Conditioned learning helps explain why people who develop an addiction risk relapse even after years of abstinence.
Recovery is possible
It is not enough to “just say no”—as the 1980s slogan suggested. Instead, you can protect (and heal) yourself from addiction by saying “yes” to other things. Cultivate diverse interests that provide meaning to your life. Understand that your problems usually are transient, and perhaps most importantly, acknowledge that life is not always supposed to be pleasurable.
Adapted with permission from the Harvard Mental Health Letter and Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward recovery, a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.
http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain.htm
How Addiction Hijacks the Brain
Key Points
-Addiction involves craving for something intensely, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
-Addiction changes the brain, first by subverting the way it registers pleasure and then by corrupting other normal drives such as learning and motivation.
-Although breaking an addiction is tough, it can be done.
What causes addiction?
The word “addiction” is derived from a Latin term for “enslaved by” or “bound to.” Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction—or has tried to help someone else to do so—understands why.
Addiction exerts a long and powerful influence on the brain that manifests in three distinct ways: craving for the object of addiction, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences.
For many years, experts believed that only alcohol and powerful drugs could cause addiction. Neuroimaging technologies and more recent research, however, have shown that certain pleasurable activities, such as gambling, shopping, and sex, can also co-opt the brain.
Although a standard U.S. diagnostic manual (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition or DSM-IV) describes multiple addictions, each tied to a specific substance or activity, consensus is emerging that these may represent multiple expressions of a common underlying brain process.
New insights into a common problem
Nobody starts out intending to develop an addiction, but many people get caught in its snare. Consider the latest government statistics:
-Nearly 23 million Americans—almost one in 10—are addicted to alcohol or other drugs.
-More than two-thirds of people with addiction abuse alcohol.
-The top three drugs causing addiction are marijuana, opioid (narcotic) pain relievers, and cocaine.
In the 1930s, when researchers first began to investigate what caused addictive behavior, they believed that people who developed addictions were somehow morally flawed or lacking in willpower. Overcoming addiction, they thought, involved punishing miscreants or, alternately, encouraging them to muster the will to break a habit.
The scientific consensus has changed since then. Today we recognize addiction as a chronic disease that changes both brain structure and function. Just as cardiovascular disease damages the heart and diabetes impairs the pancreas, addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending with a drive toward compulsive behavior.
Pleasure principle
The brain registers all pleasures in the same way, whether they originate with a psychoactive drug, a monetary reward, a sexual encounter, or a satisfying meal. In the brain, pleasure has a distinct signature: the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a cluster of nerve cells lying underneath the cerebral cortex (see illustration). Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens is so consistently tied with pleasure that neuroscientists refer to the region as the brain’s pleasure center.
All drugs of abuse, from nicotine to heroin, cause a particularly powerful surge of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. The likelihood that the use of a drug or participation in a rewarding activity will lead to addiction is directly linked to the speed with which it promotes dopamine release, the intensity of that release, and the reliability of that release.
Even taking the same drug through different methods of administration can influence how likely it is to lead to addiction. Smoking a drug or injecting it intravenously, as opposed to swallowing it as a pill, for example, generally produces a faster, stronger dopamine signal and is more likely to lead to drug misuse.
Addictive drugs provide a shortcut to the brain’s reward system by flooding the nucleus accumbens with dopamine. The hippocampus lays down memories of this rapid sense of satisfaction, and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to certain stimuli.
Learning process
Scientists once believed that the experience of pleasure alone was enough to prompt people to continue seeking an addictive substance or activity. But more recent research suggests that the situation is more complicated. Dopamine not only contributes to the experience of pleasure, but also plays a role in learning and memory—two key elements in the transition from liking something to becoming addicted to it.
According to the current theory about addiction, dopamine interacts with another neurotransmitter, glutamate, to take over the brain’s system of reward-related learning. This system has an important role in sustaining life because it links activities needed for human survival (such as eating and sex) with pleasure and reward.
The reward circuit in the brain includes areas involved with motivation and memory as well as with pleasure. Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the same circuit—and then overload it.
Repeated exposure to an addictive substance or behavior causes nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain involved in planning and executing tasks) to communicate in a way that couples liking something with wanting it, in turn driving us to go after it. That is, this process motivates us to take action to seek out the source of pleasure.
Do you have addiction?
Determining whether you have addiction isn’t completely straightforward. And admitting it isn’t easy, largely because of the stigma and shame associated with addiction. But acknowledging the problem is the first step toward recovery.
A “yes” answer to any of the following three questions suggests you might have a problem with addiction and should—at the very least—consult a health care provider for further evaluation and guidance.
-Do you use more of the substance or engage in the behavior more often than in the past?
-Do you have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t have the substance or engage in the behavior?
-Have you ever lied to anyone about your use of the substance or extent of your behavior?
Development of tolerance
Over time, the brain adapts in a way that actually makes the sought-after substance or activity less pleasurable.
In nature, rewards usually come only with time and effort. Addictive drugs and behaviors provide a shortcut, flooding the brain with dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Our brains do not have an easy way to withstand the onslaught.
Addictive drugs, for example, can release two to 10 times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do, and they do it more quickly and more reliably. In a person who becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. The brain responds by producing less dopamine or eliminating dopamine receptors—an adaptation similar to turning the volume down on a loudspeaker when noise becomes too loud.
As a result of these adaptations, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward center. People who develop an addiction typically find that, in time, the desired substance no longer gives them as much pleasure. They have to take more of it to obtain the same dopamine “high” because their brains have adapted—an effect known as tolerance.
Compulsion takes over
At this point, compulsion takes over. The pleasure associated with an addictive drug or behavior subsides—and yet the memory of the desired effect and the need to recreate it (the wanting) persists. It’s as though the normal machinery of motivation is no longer functioning.
The learning process mentioned earlier also comes into play. The hippocampus and the amygdala store information about environmental cues associated with the desired substance, so that it can be located again. These memories help create a conditioned response—intense craving—whenever the person encounters those environmental cues.
Cravings contribute not only to addiction but to relapse after a hard-won sobriety. A person addicted to heroin may be in danger of relapse when he sees a hypodermic needle, for example, while another person might start to drink again after seeing a bottle of whiskey. Conditioned learning helps explain why people who develop an addiction risk relapse even after years of abstinence.
Recovery is possible
It is not enough to “just say no”—as the 1980s slogan suggested. Instead, you can protect (and heal) yourself from addiction by saying “yes” to other things. Cultivate diverse interests that provide meaning to your life. Understand that your problems usually are transient, and perhaps most importantly, acknowledge that life is not always supposed to be pleasurable.
Adapted with permission from the Harvard Mental Health Letter and Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward recovery, a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.
http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain.htm
Snow White luvs Peter Pan
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That saying "once an addict, always an addict" is arguable and currently not proven medically/scientifically to be correct. Scientist are always willing to analyze and research theories, evidence and eventually admitting they were wrong.
According to this article posted on CNN, it's a myth.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/health/jaffe-addiction-myths/
Myth No. 3: Addiction is for life
This simply isn't true, and it places a huge emotional and psychological burden on recovered addicts. Addiction is a spectrum disorder, like depression, and every person is different.
While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite -- short-term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, 75% of alcoholics recover without treatment.
According to this article posted on CNN, it's a myth.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/health/jaffe-addiction-myths/
Myth No. 3: Addiction is for life
This simply isn't true, and it places a huge emotional and psychological burden on recovered addicts. Addiction is a spectrum disorder, like depression, and every person is different.
While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite -- short-term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, 75% of alcoholics recover without treatment.
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reibish
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Correct, but the point is is that as of now it is still in DSM-V until they figure it out better.
TheChosenOne
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Let's not make this about Michael. This is about Lionel Richie and his willingness to speak on matters that a true friend would not speak on. For me it is that simple.
I find we tend to do this - some 'friend' says something negative about Michael and we contort ourselves with all sorts of defenses/excuses/explanations, when what we need to do is call out that so-called friend out. And it has nothing to do with wanting Michael to be seen as perfect or a saint or an angel. It is about respecting the privacy and dignity of a 'friend' who had NEVER broadcast your business in public.
I find we tend to do this - some 'friend' says something negative about Michael and we contort ourselves with all sorts of defenses/excuses/explanations, when what we need to do is call out that so-called friend out. And it has nothing to do with wanting Michael to be seen as perfect or a saint or an angel. It is about respecting the privacy and dignity of a 'friend' who had NEVER broadcast your business in public.
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AliCat
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What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them. Dopamine deficiency results in Parkinson's Disease, and people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking people, more commonly known as "risk takers."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them. Dopamine deficiency results in Parkinson's Disease, and people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking people, more commonly known as "risk takers."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
barbee0715
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Thank you for getting this thread back on track. Although the info about drug addiction and drug dependence is interesting, and I personally have similar issues, this is about Lionel and Michael's right to privacy.
Although I still don't think Lionel meant any ill intent, he's been in show biz too many years to not know where this reporter was leading him. And he needs to watch how he words things or not comment.
AliCat
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Richie recalls an example of what Jackson believed to be ‘normal’.
‘We’re writing We Are The World in Michael’s bedroom,’ he begins, setting the scene.
‘I’m sitting on the floor because Michael doesn’t have a bed, he sleeps on the floor.
'But he’s got his records all lined up around the perimeter of the room and I see one of them move, and then I hear this terrible, terrifying hissing sound.
‘I’m looking at this snake with a head the size of a dog and his mouth is open. Michael goes, “He wants to play with you, Lionel.” I’m screaming like the last crazy woman in a horror movie.
‘And Michael’s saying, “Come on, let’s finish these lyrics” and I’m like, “I’ll do that right after I’ve changed my underwear!”
‘I last saw Michael about a week before he died. He was really thin, really not healthy, really not capable of making that tour.
‘The heartbreaking irony of Michael Jackson is that we used to always say, “We’ll never get involved with drugs”. And he died of just that.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/eve...ichael-Jackson-Glastonbury.html#ixzz3b50CW3vt
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Lionel Richie comes across as a typical Hollywood womanizer, just for his large sized ego (- first faced the trauma of public scandal. His estranged wife, Brenda, tired of Richie`s womanizing, tracked him down kissing a girlfriend good night and exploded in a violent tantrum.) Michael enjoyed more innocent activities, children and animals. Lionel thinks this is weird. Michael was murdered in his sleep by an inept doctor. Too bad Lionel Richie just can't get his facts right.
‘We’re writing We Are The World in Michael’s bedroom,’ he begins, setting the scene.
‘I’m sitting on the floor because Michael doesn’t have a bed, he sleeps on the floor.
'But he’s got his records all lined up around the perimeter of the room and I see one of them move, and then I hear this terrible, terrifying hissing sound.
‘I’m looking at this snake with a head the size of a dog and his mouth is open. Michael goes, “He wants to play with you, Lionel.” I’m screaming like the last crazy woman in a horror movie.
‘And Michael’s saying, “Come on, let’s finish these lyrics” and I’m like, “I’ll do that right after I’ve changed my underwear!”
‘I last saw Michael about a week before he died. He was really thin, really not healthy, really not capable of making that tour.
‘The heartbreaking irony of Michael Jackson is that we used to always say, “We’ll never get involved with drugs”. And he died of just that.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/eve...ichael-Jackson-Glastonbury.html#ixzz3b50CW3vt
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Lionel Richie comes across as a typical Hollywood womanizer, just for his large sized ego (- first faced the trauma of public scandal. His estranged wife, Brenda, tired of Richie`s womanizing, tracked him down kissing a girlfriend good night and exploded in a violent tantrum.) Michael enjoyed more innocent activities, children and animals. Lionel thinks this is weird. Michael was murdered in his sleep by an inept doctor. Too bad Lionel Richie just can't get his facts right.
redfrog
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We'll never get involved in drugs??
What exactly would Lionel do if a freaking balloon had been under his skin?
Hey I'm not gonna take anything just suffer every day for weeks and weeks but painkillers? No way. Cause
I'll never take drugs.
And I wonder what Lionel would have done if he had not been able to sleep for 4 days.
Just stay away forever because I'll never ever take drugs.
I guess Lionel won't take any drugs when he gets cancer either.
Drugs are bad no matter what. Let's go back to the Middle Ages when they didn't exist and everyone was happy.
What exactly would Lionel do if a freaking balloon had been under his skin?
Hey I'm not gonna take anything just suffer every day for weeks and weeks but painkillers? No way. Cause
I'll never take drugs.
And I wonder what Lionel would have done if he had not been able to sleep for 4 days.
Just stay away forever because I'll never ever take drugs.
I guess Lionel won't take any drugs when he gets cancer either.
Drugs are bad no matter what. Let's go back to the Middle Ages when they didn't exist and everyone was happy.
SheilaMJFan4Ever
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:crackingup: :rofl: :hysterical: :lmao: They lit his ass UP, bahahahahahahahahaha!!
innuendo141
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Must say I agree here. Don't really care for how he phrased some of his points but it's not like he went all out attack and stabbed him in the back calling him a junkie pedophile. Lionel Richie is a weird guy himself.
barbee0715
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Apparently Lionel wowed the audience in Glastonbury. I just read the news that he just got his first No. 1 album ever in the UK.
innuendo141
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He drew the biggest crowd of the weekend also. Hats off to him.
KOPV
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What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them. Dopamine deficiency results in Parkinson's Disease, and people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking people, more commonly known as "risk takers."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
I had to jump in on this being someone that gets into muscle physiology and bodybuilding.. Dopamine has other great effects that were not mentioned.. I don't want to get too scientific to bore people but Dopamine also aids in fat loss and triggering your brain to allow Growth hormone responses. And for those who have a sweet tooth and are insulin sensitive (sugar is literally more addictive than cocaine.. Has been tested) it lowers sugar cravings.