Recent scientific findings indicate that neurotransmitters can be neurotoxic in some concentrations and combinations.
It's easy to infer that anything which boosts dopamine can bring about the effect because the substance provides dopamine in a strength beyond that which nature intended to keep organisms safe and fed.
A site critical of recovery which is now gone, orangepapers.org, claimed there were studies which proved opiate addicts recover in an average of 11 years, regardless of whether they obtain treatment, indicating the "mode of action" is not the treatment but the fact that they "used up" the drug and burned out the dopamine receptors which would normally be activated by opiates.
This effect may be distinct from the desensitizing or habituating effect of having too much dopamine during a high, which supposedly goes away in a few months if a person stays sober. I am not an opiate user so I don't know personally about opiates.
I believe the effect pertains to alcohol as well. Perhaps severe alcoholism occurs because a truly debilitating amount must be consumed before a buzz is obtained? Perhaps "hitting rock bottom" means one has "used up" alcohol?
It's easy to infer that anything which boosts dopamine can bring about the effect because the substance provides dopamine in a strength beyond that which nature intended to keep organisms safe and fed.
A site critical of recovery which is now gone, orangepapers.org, claimed there were studies which proved opiate addicts recover in an average of 11 years, regardless of whether they obtain treatment, indicating the "mode of action" is not the treatment but the fact that they "used up" the drug and burned out the dopamine receptors which would normally be activated by opiates.
This effect may be distinct from the desensitizing or habituating effect of having too much dopamine during a high, which supposedly goes away in a few months if a person stays sober. I am not an opiate user so I don't know personally about opiates.
I believe the effect pertains to alcohol as well. Perhaps severe alcoholism occurs because a truly debilitating amount must be consumed before a buzz is obtained? Perhaps "hitting rock bottom" means one has "used up" alcohol?
, but that’s actually an interesting way of looking at a “spiritual awakening.” Of course I can only speak for myself and that definitely wasn’t how my “rock bottom” went. It did take quite a bit of drinking for me to get a buzz though.
