We Can Change Our Brain

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We Can Change Our Brains!

I have been reading a lot about the brain lately. As you know we have made some amazing advances in the field of neuroscience in the last 20 years and science has revealed that the adult brain remains open to change throughout the lifespan. We have come to realize we can use our minds to change our brains. This is very relevant to the field of substance use disorders because the brain “really takes a beating” when people abuse drugs and alcohol.

According to NIDA: The brain's reward, or "go" system, is basic to all humans. Called the mesolimbic dopamine system, it evolved to help us pursue things necessary for survival such as food or sex. Conversely, the brain's frontal lobes or "stop" system evolved to help us weigh the consequences of our impulses. For example, this system will help keep us from driving through a red light when we're in a hurry, because the brain will tell us that doing so would be both dangerous and illegal. In this case, the "stop" system sends a message that the consequences of doing what the "go" system wants are too negative.

"When things are working right, the 'go' circuitry and the 'stop' circuitry really are interconnected and are really talking to each other to help you weigh the consequences of a decision and decide when to go or not to go," says Dr. Anna Rose Childress, a psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's not that they're separable. They're interactive. They're interlinked at all times." That means that even when you are in a great hurry and risk missing an appointment, you still do not run the red light. "Go" and "stop" have communicated with each other, and "stop" has prevailed.

With Childress's addicted patients, however, "it is as though [the systems] have become functionally disconnected. It is as though the 'go' system is sort of running off on its own, is a rogue system now, and is not interacting in a regular, seamless, integrated way with the 'stop' system."

All drugs of abuse also affect the dopamine pathway in the brain. Dopamine is a kind of neurotransmitter - a chemical produced by nerve cells that process and transmit information in the brain. The dopamine neurotransmitter's job is to produce feelings of pleasure so this pathway is commonly known as the "pleasure pathway."

"What happens when people develop a substance use disorder is that they tax the ability of their dopamine system to keep up," says Dr. Kathleen Brady, an addiction researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina. "The amount of dopamine we have in our brain is limited by the substances that the brain uses to make dopamine. And if we release it too often, we get into a situation where the brain has less dopamine. What that means is that an individual who has depleted their dopamine source in their brain has a difficult time feeling pleasure from even the normal events that would make someone happy - a mother seeing her child, or having a good meal."

So how can we help our brains recover? For starters, we need to stop abusing it. Stop using, and allow the healing to begin. We must practice basic self care through rest, nutrition, hydration, exercise and stress management. We can eat foods that are high in protein, amino acids, and omega 3 fatty acids. We can make a clear decision to change. Read the skills list on this website and start to practice the ones that are most badly needed. There have been many new advances in medications that can help restore and balance key chemicals in your brain. Consider consulting with a doctor to learn about this possibility.

According to Dr. Dan J. Siegel: “The simple truth is that how we focus our attention, how we intentionally direct the flow of energy and information through our neural circuits, can directly alter the brain’s activity and structure.”

I recently attended a workshop by Dr. Joe Dispenza and found it to be very useful. He talks a lot about ways to evolve your brain. I am also reading a insightful book called The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius.

I have summarized some of the key points below:

  • Why wait for a crisis or suffering to change - why not change in a state of inspiration?
  • There are 2 basic states of mind: Survival (stress or negative emotions) and Creation (joy, hope, love). If we stay in survival mode we have no extra energy to expand/change/evolve/grow.
  • Strive to develop a sense of "being" when the mind and body are working together. When we are in a state of coherence we have extra energy for positive growth.
  • "Nerve cells that fire together, wire together". In other words if you think the same thoughts and behave in the same ways, our brains become hard wired and the cells in the body become conditioned and change becomes very difficult – especially as we get older.
  • If you want to change how you behave you need to be very intentional and have novel or new experiences. You must change both thoughts AND actions. Repetition is critical to undo negative or harmful patterns in our brains and create new neurological pathways.
  • The longer something is held in awareness and the more emotionally stimulating it is, the more neurons that fire and thus wire together, and the stronger the trace in memory.
  • We need to condition our bodies to a new emotion – meaning at first it can be uncomfortable, because the cells in the body will rebel. We need to RECONDITIION the body to match our new thoughts. Think greater than how we feel.
  • When we have positive feelings and experiences take the time to really digest and sustain these positive states - let them really wash over us. Let them change our bodies and our minds.
  • Painful experiences are often best healed by positive ones that are their opposite. Over time you can build new positive structures in your brain.
  • Meditation is a very useful tool to create change in our lives.

In summary, you do not need to accept that your brain is forever damaged and cannot be changed. Take control of your life and start healing right now, today.

Love yourself enough to feel better and improve your life.