60 Minutes - Hooked: Why bad habits are hard to break

person

In the battle against addiction, "just say no" is magical thinking, says Dr. Nora Volkow. She's the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and after spending decades studying the brains of addicts, Dr. Volkow has determined that drug addiction is a chronic disease that physically changes the brain. Dr. Volkow has found that even images of an addictive substance, such as alcohol or drugs, can produce a dopamine response in an addict's brain, and some foods can trigger a similar reaction. Morley Safer reports on Volkow's revolutionary research into addiction, as well as on her revolutionary family history.

Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7406968n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox

Mountains

I remember in the 1980s when Nancy Reagan came out with her "just say no" campaign - I knew nothing about mental health, addiction, or anything else, and I knew that was a bunch of bunk. No big news.

vinlyn

Funny, that's not what I took the saying to mean.

To me it meant -- kids don't get started. Say no from the start.

Jeffrey

It makes sense even though it won't work always for every person (just say no). Elaborate explanations of why you don't want to take a drug might end up you get peer pressure. But a stonewall of: no no no no no no no no no

That resolution is what can help.

Still I don't believe most 13+ year olds care what the president or his wife say.

vinlyn

^ Very true, but I think that approach really is more toward parents to be more aware and to ask questions.

person

Funny, that's not what I took the saying to mean.

To me it meant -- kids don't get started. Say no from the start.

Yeah, the just say no part is a little misleading of what the report is about. I take the old phrase to be more how you interpret it too. The jist of the report is that addiction changes the brain and an inability to quit isn't really about lack of will or moral character.

AMH

ahh I was a teen in the 'just say no' era so we thought it was hilarious, and didn't stop us from anything. What was an influence was realizing there were 'straight edge punks', the punks who didn't do any substances. So there was an actual role model in our era. As I recall my parents never had a party or dinner without alcohol, and at least 50% smoked.

The brain thing is interesting. I think a lot of undiagnosed mental issues become self medicated and then go downhill from there. But the brain change is fascinating and leads me to believe the process of quitting an addiction needs to have both psychological and medical support.

ThailandTom

I remember a study that was carried out where they took some guys and showed them pictures of what are considered to be very attractive women. They studied their brain activity and it showed that when they saw these women, there was activity in the 'reward' area of the brain, the same area that heroin activates.

I consider there to be two distinct types of addiction though, the physical addction where a substance becomes physically addictive on the body and mind and if you cut the supply, you have all kinds of physical withdrawals symptoms. Mental addiction is where you become mentally dependent or addicted to something in specific, some drugs are like this as they are in no way physically addictive, like LSD and cannabis.

DairyLama

To me it meant -- kids don't get started. Say no from the start.

Yes, I think that's how it was meant, the inherent problem is that kids often do the opposite of what they're told...

Mountains

ahh I was a teen in the 'just say no' era so we thought it was hilarious, and didn't stop us from anything.

Exactly my point. Just say no doesn't work to prevent or to cease drug use. It's just a Madison Avenue catch phrase, nothing more.

ThailandTom

I have acquired a new addiction more recently, crack! No I am only joking but I do have a new addiction. I am quite addicted to drinks such as pepsi and coke right now. It has only been the past 2 weeks, but already if I don't have a litre bottle a day I feel cravings. I know it is either the caffeine or the sugar, maybe both. I never use to drink soft drink much at all, so I don't know why I have suddenly had this urge.

I know it is bad for you to drink amounts of soft drinks for various reasons, but for me more so. My dad has diabeties, but he has the genetic type. But if I continue drinking mass amounts of coke and pepsi, surely I am increasing my chances of getting the other type as well lol..

I do not really find myself that thirsty, it has always been something perplexing. When my English friend was here he would often comment on how weird I was only drinking about a litre of water a day at most, considering the climate in Thailand. O by the way, @vinyln I don't know how hot it use to get during the hot season when you were here, but Thais are saying this has been the hottest for many years. It is almost too much for me to cope with. Yesterday it reached 109 degrees F along with the high humidity.

vinlyn

I'd say that's above the norm I was used to. High 90s and maybe hitting 100 or so on occasion, but 109 does sound high.

ThailandTom

I had to go and do a few things yesterday at 1pm, wow was that a mission. I have never felt this before but as you walked, the air around you in way burnt your face. This was not the same kind of burning from the sun, it was a different sensation from how hot the air around me was. No wind either really until the evening. I am thinking of performing a rain-dance because I want the monsoon so badly!!!

federica

Have you seen the weather in the UK, lately....?
i think we got your monsoon.... :eek:

ThailandTom

I have heard about it yea. I said to my mum that I would trade that with her right now. It is funny, the grass is always greener eh.

federica

GIGS - Grass is Greener Syndrome!