Addiction and Spirituality

Addiction and Spirituality are linked together in several ways -- Addiction is often referred to as a "soul-sickness" due the conflict between addictive behavior and personal values. And, for most people, recovery from addiction requires a spiritual treatment such as a Twelve-Step program or the rapidly growing church-based Celebrate Recovery Program.

The Neural Networks of Addiction

The human brain has three layers: the outer layer is often referred to as the thinking brain (Cortical Structures); the middle layer is the emotional brain (Limbic System); and the inside layer is the visceral brain (Vital Functions).

Deep inside the feeling brain there is a small cluster of networked neurons called the nucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens is a critical part of a larger network called the reward pathway.

The reward pathway is responsible for regulating our neural networks for survival -- these three instinctive networks are referred to here as the "Eat", "Don't get Eaten", and "Reproduce" survival systems.

Our internal world is accustomed to a certain biological balance or "steady-state". When the balance is upset, the appropriate survival system is activated to regain that bio-balance, also known as homeostasis. A neural network embedded within the reward pathway, the nucleus accumbens, plays a major role in turning on and off these instinctive survival systems.

In their book The Craving Brain, Ruden and Byalick explain that in the normal survival systems some "trigger" causes an increase in the neurochemical dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This rise in dopamine "turns-on" the neural networks for hunger, anxiety, or longing which signals that a "need" has been identified. The increase in dopamine causes a sense of urgency to satisfy the need...so a rise in dopamine is the "on switch".

When the need is met (satiated) then there is an increase in the neurochemical serotonin. So they suggest a rise in serotonin levels is the "off switch" for the networks for hunger, anxiety, or longing -- the need disappears. When the need is not met, there is a decrease in serotonin with a continuing rise in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens causing the craving to grow stronger until we are compelled to meet the need. There is no "off switch" (rise in serotonin) until the need is satisfied. This is how these systems are supposed to work.

To summarize Ruden and Byalick's hypothesis about addiction, as the intense addictive behavior is repeated the neural network for it gets cross-wired directly into the reward pathway right alongside the normal survival systems of "Eat", "Don't Get Eaten", and "Reproduce".

However, this cross-wiring of neural circuits is abnormal -- the rise in dopamine "turns on the switch" for the addiction neural network, but there is no rise in serotonin meaning there is no "off switch" for the addiction network -- which explains the loss-of-control and the other signs of addiction.

Ruden and Byalick go on to explain that any attempts to refrain from drinking, eating chocolate, gambling, browseing porn, etc. causes a further rise in dopamine levels AND a decrease in serotonin, which creates a craving that becomes so strong it must be satisfied -- in just the same way as these survival systems compelling us to satisfy our hunger or thrist by eating a piece of crusty, moldy bread or drinking dirty, stagnant water if that's all that is available at the time.

The Neural Networks of Temptation

Now, for a real mind-blower consider the spiritual implications of the above section! Most followers of Christianity are aware of a list of attitudes and behaviors commonly referred to as the Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy, and Gluttony. These were identified in early Christian times as the most deadly sins of all -- but always in terms of morally wrong, or mortal sins. In the same circles, judging others is also spiritually dangerous.

There is a belief that the word "sin" derives from an old archery term meaning to "miss the mark". It didn't matter how far outside the target one was; just missing it was falling short of the mark, placing one in need of forgiveness.

Based upon the concept of forgiveness for sins and the information in the preceding section about biological changes in the brain and the development of addictions, it seems highly likely to me that these seven sins may not actually be as morally deadly as they are biologically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually deadly - because to engage in them repeatedly is to create the neural circuitry for addictions, obsessions, and compulsions.

A simple look at the definitions of the Seven Deadly Sins demonstrates this point quite clearly: (Source: Wikipedia)

• Wrath: (Latin, ira), also known as…"rage", may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Anger is an emotion. The physical effects of anger include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of adrenaline and noradrenalin. Some view anger as part of the fight or flight brain response to the perceived threat of harm.
• Greed: (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power.
• Sloth: (Latin, Socordia) was believed to be the failure to utilize one's talents and gifts. Sloth is also defined as spiritual or emotional apathy.
• Pride: (Latin, superbia) In almost every list Pride, or hubris, is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God).
• Lust: (carnal "luxuria") Lust or lechery is usually thought of as excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. Aristotle's criterion was excessive love of others, which therefore, rendered love and devotion to God as secondary.
• Gluttony: (Latin, gula) Derived from the Latin, gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste.
• Envy: (Latin, invidia) Like greed, envy may be characterized by an insatiable desire; they differ…greed is largely associated with material goods, where as envy may apply more generally… Envy can also derive from a sense of low self-esteem, which results from an upward social comparison threatening a person's self image: another person has something that the envier considers to be important to have. If the other person is perceived to be similar to the envier, the aroused envy will be particularly intense, because it signals to the envier that it just as well could have been he or she who had the desired object.

Now remember that the two mechanisms responsible for establishing and growing neural circuits in the brain are Intensity & Repetition. If nothing else, addictive behavior is most certainly repetitive. Six of the seven activities listed above have been known to produce very powerful feelings of positive intensity for the brain. The seventh, sloth, is the opposite of intense but a direct result of addictive behavior...

Two well known clinical conditions related to addiction, specifically in chemical dependency, are Anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure, even during pleasurable activities), common in early recovery from cocaine and methamphetamine addiction, and Amotivational Syndrome (a loss of ambition and general apathy for activities of daily living), common in marijuana addiction and early recovery form most other addictions.

So sloth is a state that numbs-out other, normal sources of pleasure and interests, paving the way back into addictive behavior because "nothing else matters" -- John Bradshaw once said, "With feelings everything matters, without feelings nothing matters". Any alcoholic/addict who relapses after a period of sobriety will testify to this -- their last words before picking up another drink/drug/etc. will almost always be something like "Screw it!!"

Even in our polarized society it is very likely that we could reach a general consensus that all seven of these deadly activities are alive and quite well in the world today - some might even say they are thriving. It's incredibly amazing to see today's advanced technology, such as brain imaging techniques and clinical research, validating ancient wisdom from thousands of years ago warning us to steer clear of these seven specific deadly temptations!

Now the questions is -- Are the resulting addictions, obsessions, and compulsions really that deadly? -- Considering that they are widely known to absolutely destroy families, lives, careers, relationships, marriages, children, bank accounts, health, economies, and potentially even bring entitlement, oil, and credit addicted super-power nations to their knees -- by all means, the term deadly is more than justified.

Just to get an idea of how pervasive these problems are, let's mention that according to some estimates, there are approximately two hundred types of 12-Step recovery groups available in the United States alone.

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