CARTA: Altered States of the Human Mind: Addiction and Loss of Control

Experts address altered states of the mind that are deliberately induced by humans. We will address what is known about origins and mechanisms of these mind-altering practices. In doing so, we hope to gain new insights into the origins and workings of the human mind. [Show ID: 36672]

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[nowhereman]

The only way that we as a society can address such a depressing aspect of being human is through a wide spread and consistent effort to educate our youth into the real dangers of addiction. The problem is our society would rather write off these human tragedies as the cost of doing business of providing a valued commodity to the whole. We just now have the ability to use our science to show us our hypocrisy in ways we cannot deny. It is not enough to put the responsibility on the individual to try to control damage once it has been done.

[hunterGk]

I'd like to add that negative reinforcement is a driver in beginning to use drugs or alcohol to start with. In my own experience it was the only thing that dulled the emotional pain I was dealing with as a teen, I could even feel happy while drinking. That was a serious motivation to use it again, and again...

[infinidominion]

A huge part of human stupidity is directly a result of alcohol.

[aeimcinternetional]

How about giving a thought to early lifetime circumstantial threats of Specific Hibernation Imploring type that cause Conditioned-in chronically kept unconscious reverberative states effecting (EAVASIVE & somatic) symptoms‽

P.S.
Survived threats of SHI type (from abrupt to drawn-out *such* adverse — and by ÆPT definition *circumstantially presented* — lifetime challenges) leave behind CURSES (same ÆPT spelling in singular as in plural).

Not only during threats of SHI type but also in most post-SHIT situations is the output of *"SHI threat representing* messages from SHI-threat detecting sensory-motivational neurons blocked and thereby "kept unconscious".

It is this particular type of output (of excitatory neural messages) being blocked and not relayed, that I referred to with "Reverberative State/s" (the RS of CURSES)

When such excitatory messages being servicably (and on the whole adaptively) sequestered what is maintained is a state of "Specific Hibernation" in respect of neurons that thereby are prevented from firing as a direct consequence of the inhibitory/blocking activity involved.

What is incurred from or left behind by a for any reason ended up under and survived threat of SHI type (or from such a predicament or ordeal) is ÆPTly referred to as a CURSES.

CURSES too often accumulate in brains or "ASSSs".
[An ASSS is short for a {neural} "Actention Selection Serving System" (the maximal ÆPT truncation of which has resulted in the "AS" — a letter-string made ÆPT use of right in the middle of the most integrative, most pragmatically contrived, and most demanding of a by Werner Heisenberg as if heralded "Tolerance-principled" attitude, concEPT of why and how we humans are uniquely "EAVASIVE".]

In animals other than we humans the better CURSES are coped with the fewer are the their symptoms.

We humans are the only animal species in which CURSES can be coped with EAVASIVEly (≧ neurotically). This means that the "Reverberative States" can be siphoned off as a co-motivating fuel for exploiting environmentally present opportunities and not just at best adaptively kept quitely sequestered.

Anyhow, a CURSES in a neural actention selection serving system is primarily a potential or indefinitely postponed distress-type response (a ditto actention being paid in the primary currency of neurometabolic resources) that also in most post-SHIT situations would be maladaptive.

[Dan-jopy]

The trouble will half of these definitions is they miss the point and misdiagnose. "behaviour that continues despite aversive outcome" - by what standard? by the doctor's standard sure, but the point is the addict has a different frame of reference - they're getting something out of it that outweighs any negative. only when you find a way to remove the positive they get can you change the behaviour.

[JameBlack]

Cant stop watching movies. No control over it. F*cking Disney!

[merbst]

Simply avoiding abstinence avoids this pseudoscientific drug war BS!