To some of us, genuine happiness feels like an unattainable mystery. We often seek it in unhealthy ways- like addiction or self-destructive habits. We think that if we can just find the right path or door, everything will be okay. But addiction, victimization, and obsessing over happiness will never help us reach our full potential as human beings. Instead, it only leads to more obsessive-compulsive behavior.
If you feel you need help conquering your bad habits or simply want to understand why, regardless of what these feelings rely on at the moment - whether fear, self-esteem issues, or maybe even desire for control of yourself and others - then stay open! There's a solution for everyone such as the best detoxification centers in India; find yours!
How do we get ourselves to a place where we see what is good instead of what is bad? How do we create the space to be happy? Can part of the brain really be trained to have joy instead of what many people experience, which is a sense of darkness, paranoia, and anxiety because this negative perspective has been so deeply internalized throughout the years?
When we study the brain and its various components, we also discover that deep inside our brain's addiction center there is a form of conditioning that causes us to send distorted messages to ourselves, thereby ruining a person's happiness. This can make us crave reckless behavior and continue compulsive actions in order for us to feel better about ourselves. It is then that we need help from someone who can guide us back on the right path. We want those working with drug addicts like those specializing in alcohol or substance abuse disorder treatment such as at the best rehab centers in India to understand how their work can make a difference by lending them their expertise as well as their willpower to help people conquer an inner battle which has been going on for years and defying even the most powerful efforts to recover by using common sense techniques or relying solely on willpower many times fails!
Unlike many of us may not realize, joy is just as much of a neurological response as fear or anxiety. It can be conditioned or reprogrammed the same way too.
The prefrontal cortex is often referred to as a key portion of the brain where our executive functions are created and where personality and many other aspects of ourselves such as creativity reside. Not only is it associated with rational thought, but with joy, too! When we feel connected with others through an enjoyable shared experience or even feel a sense of accomplishment from something we've worked hard to create, whether it's painting a landscape in an oil painting class or creating a small business website for your company that manufactures candy canes for Christmas. We're stimulating the part of the brain that brings us joy! The brain signals pleasure by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter, into the nucleus accumbens, which is the pleasure center of the brain. This is typically a positive occurrence, as it ensures that people will do what is necessary for survival. However, drugs that are abused, such as nicotine, alcohol, and heroin, also cause dopamine to be released into the nucleus accumbens. In some cases, these drugs result in the release of much more dopamine than natural rewards. [1]
Experiencing nature or a magnificent sunset or exercise for example (which produces powerful endorphins and endocannabinoids - the brain's natural antidepressants) can naturally help reinforce the fact that we're safe, which in return accurately reinforces the concept of self-love. It's true fact oddly enough. While it may seem impossible or at least based on what we've been previously told, many cases have proven that getting our minds back to basics helps stabilize mood levels and emotions as well as our personal demeanor. Going back to these practices often will help train the frontal lobe of the brain into trusting itself again so eventually there will be a shift in mood, emotion, and even composure!
Experiencing or exploring nature - a sunset, exercising (which produces powerful endorphins which are nature’s antidepressants), or simply connecting with friends reinforces the reality that we are safe, loved, accepted, and have the capacity to express ourselves in a beautiful way. If a person regularly engages in these activities that take place when experiencing or exploring nature, their body will go back to the state of feeling safe, loved, and accepted - combined with being able to express themselves in a beautiful way. Once this happens the brain will shift in mood and emotions. Or for added effect change: "Once this happens the back of the brain learns to trust again." (Note: "back" here refers to your reptilian brain; part of your subconscious survival instincts)
What people generally call reptiles is thus a group defined in part by exclusion: it gathers amniote species that are neither mammals nor birds (Figure 1), making the reptiles technically a paraphyletic grouping. Despite this technical point, the so-defined reptiles share many evolutionary, anatomical, developmental, physiological (for example, ectothermia), and functional features. It is thus reasonable to talk about a ‘reptilian brain’. [2]
Anticipation and expectation can both feel like a force of sorts, but there is one key difference between the two that people tend to overlook. The previously unfocused mind of anticipation has plenty of room for expansion in a positive sense whereas the expecting mind is restricted. The fact that we are able to be hopeful about something before it happens signals to our brain that we are prepping ourselves for an exciting opportunity which means we won't be immediately worn out by disappointment later on down the line.
Studies in laboratory animals have provided abundant evidence of the relevance of appetitive reinforcers, or rewards, in motivation. One source of evidence goes back to early behavioral studies in laboratory animals on the effects of different amounts of reward on energizing behavior.[3] These findings provide the most direct behavioral evidence for the effect of reward rates on efforts invested in obtaining rewards. [4] Subsequent studies showed that pharmacological manipulations of the dopamine system also lead to apparent energizing behavioral effects [5] [6]
These findings suggest that the dopamine system may be a key component of the motivational mechanism that links available reward rates with behavioral activation. [7] [8]
Spending some time today thinking about how different these two ideas are will help you flip your mindset into an anticipating state so you too can enjoy the same benefits most people experience on a daily basis!
REFERENCES-
- 1. https://www.recoveryanswers.org/recovery-101/brain-in-recovery/
- 2. Naumann RK, Ondracek JM, Reiter S, Shein-Idelson M, Tosches MA, Yamawaki TM, Laurent G. The reptilian brain. Curr Biol. 2015 Apr 20;25(8):R317-21. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.049. PMID: 25898097; PMCID: PMC4406946.
- 3. Crespi, L. P. Amount of reinforcement and level of performance. Psychol. Rev. 51, 341–367 (1944).
- 4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61257-y
- 5. Robbins, T. W. & Everitt, B. J. Functions of dopamine in the dorsal and ventral striatum. Semin. Neurosci. 4, 119–127 (1992).
- 6. Berridge, K. C. The debate over dopamine’s role in reward: The case for incentive salience. Psychopharmacol. (Berl.) 191, 391–431 (2007).
- 7. Robbins, T. W. & Everitt, B. J. A role for mesencephalic dopamine in activation: Commentary on Berridge (2006). Psychopharmacol. (Berl.) 191, 433–437 (2007).
- 8. Salamone, J. D. & Correa, M. The mysterious motivational functions of mesolimbic dopamine. Neuron 76, 470–485 (2012).
AUTHOR- Dr. Danish Hussain (MBBS, MD Psychiatry, MIPS)
Dr. Danish received his M.D. Psychiatry and M.B.B.S. degrees from Rajiv Gandhi University of Medical Sciences (Bangalore, Karnataka). He has worked at the Manipal Multispecialty Hospitals Bangalore, following which has continued to undergo regular training from prestigious institutes from all over the world. Dr. Danish serves as Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at AFSMS & RC and is a member of the Indian Psychiatric Society. Dr. Danish uses a holistic approach with his patients and brings his expertise to practice to treat varied behavioral health problems from Addiction disorders to Depression, Anxiety, Personality disorders, and OCD. Dr. Danish’s goal is to educate and inform the public on addiction issues and help those in need of treatment find the best option for them.
REVIEWED BY- Sudipta Rath (M. Phil in Clinical Psychology)
Sudipta Rath completed her MPhil in clinical psychology from Utkal University in Odisha (India) in 2020 and is currently practicing in New Delhi as a clinical psychologist at a dual diagnosis facility. She is a licensed RCI practitioner specializing in all forms of psychotherapy. Addiction and mental health are personal subjects for her, and her goal is that she can give a helping hand to those seeking healthy and lasting recovery.