or add

Have you ever arrived in a room in your house with no memory of what you came to get? After your brain told you to go get something, it knows it’s routine for you in your own house, so your mind started thinking of other things… This is the essence of habits - once you start on a familiar series of actions, you stop thinking about them, and you are able to complete them without conscious thought or attention.

Actions like walking and driving were incredibly complex and difficult for you to learn initially, but soon you don’t even need to think about it.

You, a friend, or a family member might: biting their fingernails brush their teeth every morning sitting on the same seat on the bus everyday order the same meal whenever at a particular restaurant cook the same meals all the time and doesn’t try something new sit in the same seat in a classroom eat a certain food when watching T.V. needing a food to munch on when reading have a glass of wine with dinner smoke pot with friends every weekend always drink alcohol when watching football

Our brain has billions of neurons that receive input from our sensory organs. The brain sets up pathways of these chemical impulses to help process and interpret the massive amounts of information we receive from the world around us.

The more often the thought develops or the action is done, the more connections and pathways that develop, so we can do things automatically without really having to think about it. Every time you repeat the habit the connection becomes stronger within the brain, so that it becomes second nature. This is how we develop habits – both good and bad.

Whenever we encounter pain, our brain immediately searches for a way to avoid it. (Survival instinct) Similarly, whenever we encounter joy or gratification, our brain stores those neurological linkages so we can benefit from that pleasure in the future. Some people use food, alcohol/drugs or other tasks as a way to get out of depression or boredom. These habits that are closely linked to our ways for getting into pleasure (TO FEEL GOOD) and out of pain (TO NOT FEEL BAD) are often the most difficult to remove.

A person may start using drugs to try and feel good, or to escape something bad, but after they're addicted then they feel bad and want to quit so theycan feel good again. Understand that they will really need to fight against their brain’s system to succeed….

This involves two parts of the midbrain - the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala controls the “fight or flight” response. This part of the brain takes over when we sense that we are in danger. (to survive the dangers of living in the wild, this built-in ability to sound a danger alarm every time you encounter something “different” was pretty handy!) To the amygdala, anything that seems out of the norm is considered a danger!!!! So, to start exercising when you haven’t worked out in 5 years is out of the norm…

Next thing you know, you are too tired to get out of bed to exercise. You planned to the night before, but you are just so inexplicably TIRED. Or, for some unknown reason, your left knee is killing you. Or, wouldn’t you know it, you woke up with a sinus headache… This is your amygdala in action. It is doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do. React to danger and stick with what seems normal…

The trick is to take very small, seemingly insignificant steps towards the goal. If these steps are small enough, the amygdala will not take over. Taking consistently small steps toward a larger goal, allows habits to form almost effortlessly and in less time than you might expect. Since the steps are small, the amygdala does not sense danger. Therefore, it allows you to continue taking the small steps. If the steps are repeated consistently, the hippocampus will retain the information, and a habit will form.

DAY 2: HABITS and ADDICTIONS: Why our brain can get addicted

brain loves habits The brain is set up to develop habits to streamline tasks 1

brain loves habits The brain is set up to develop habits to streamline tasks The more you do the thing, the deeper the chemical (neuron) pathway 1 2

brain loves habits brain loves pleasure The brain is set up to develop habits to streamline tasks The more you do the thing, the deeper the chemical (neuron) pathway One neuron in the chemical pathway is DOPAMINE To their brain drug use = pleasure To their brain drug use = pleasure 1 2 3

why is pleasure so important to the brain?

-Show dopamine video clip from National Geographic "Meth: -Show dopamine video clip from National Geographic "Meth:

normal At first the high is intense (meth makes 6x the normal dopamine surge in brain) What goes up must come down- You feel so low you want to use again Tolerance- You don’t feel as high Eventually you're using just to feel normal Often you can’t even get to normal anymore-life is flat, there's no pleasure anymore

Whenever we encounter joy or gratification, our brain stores those neurological linkages so we can benefit from that pleasure in the future. 4 WHY? -survival...food and sex...

brain loves habits brain loves pleasure The brain is set up to develop habits to streamline tasks The more you do the thing, the deeper the chemical (neuron) pathway One neuron in the chemical pathway is DOPAMINE To their brain drug use = pleasure To their brain drug use = pleasure ? Too bad the system doesn't stop there...but what does the brain hate

brain loves habits brain loves pleasure The brain hates pain so they're trapped in their addiction... The brain is set up to develop habits to streamline tasks The more you do the thing, the deeper the chemical (neuron) pathway One neuron in the chemical pathway is DOPAMINE To their brain drug use = pleasure To their brain drug use = pleasure If addicted, Quitting = pain 4

Whenever we encounter pain, our brain immediately searches for a way to avoid it. (survival instinct)  THIS IS ONE REASON IT'S SO HARD TO QUIT USING...

The amygdala in your brain controls the “fight or flight” response. This part of the brain takes over when we sense that we are in danger. 6 ( T o survive the dangers of living in the wild, this built-in ability to sound a danger alarm every time you encounter something “different” was pretty handy!) To the amygdala, anything that seems out of the norm is considered a danger!!!! So, to start detoxing off a drug sends all kinds of alarms to your brain. It will fight this change!! 7 Remember...

So, giving up the pleasure (by stopping the drug use) and taking on the pain (caused by getting clean and sober) you fight against your brain’s system of rewarding pleasure and staying away from pain….

 Raise your hand if you like sweets, or things made with S U G A R ?  Now imagine if I told you that you cannot have sugar for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!  That is what any addict will need to do with alcohol and/or drugs...It's very difficult...

1 Stages of Addiction:

More Regular User: 1. makes plans to get high 2. more things include drugs 3. lying to parents 4. chooses friends who use 2

Preoccupied User : 1. becoming high becomes normal 2. may have blackouts 3. can’t cut down or quit 4. uses alone 3

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