The good news is your brain makes physical changes based on the repetitive things you do and experiences you have in your life. The bad news is your brain makes physical changes based on the repetitive things you do and experiences you have in your life. This works both for you and against you.
Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change its own structure and function through thought and activity, is an amazing, empowering truth of the last decade. It has implications and possibilities in almost every aspect of human life and culture. This same characteristic also makes the brain very vulnerable to outside and internal, usually unconscious, influences. Norman Doidge, in his book The Brain That Changes Itself refers to this as “the plastic paradox.”
Think about it. The brain actually wires itself and forms neuronal connections based on what you do repeatedly in your life. Vegging out on TV. Getting a sugar fix. Sipping a soda. Drinking the morning cup of joe. Fixing a drink to unwind after work. Smoking cigarettes. Burning a joint to take the edge off. Having a hit of harder stuff. Biting fingernails. Whether you call them bad habits or addictions, they become wired into your brain.
Not all addictions are to substances as an addiction is any compulsive habit. People can be addicted to almost anything: exercise, facebook, pornography, shoes, negative self talk, etc… All addiction involves neuroplastic changes in the brain, and a person experiences cravings because their plastic brain has become sensitized to the substance or experience.
When the craving is satisfied, dopamine, the feel good neurotransmitter and an essential component of neuroplasticity, is released. The same shot of dopamine that makes someone happy also assists in making neuronal connections.
When a person kicks a habit, the addictive neuronal circuits in the brain become weaker and less active over time without the reinforcement of the behavior, but they’re still in place. Alcoholics Anonymous insists that there are no “former alcoholics.” They are right! The pathways are still there and can be reactivated.
Recent research shows that it takes 66 days to make a new habit automatic. While I couldn’t find any definitive information about the time frame required to deactivate a habitual brain circuit, I would guess it’s about the same as they are simultaneous processes and dependent on the other. Unlearning involves weakening connections between neurons through disuse and is just as plastic a process.
The same neuroplasticity that allows us to amazingly alter our brain and reality by implementing healthy, good for you habits conversely allows not so good habits to be unconsciously carved into the brain in the first place. What are you etching into your brain? By making conscious choices and leveraging neuroplasticity, you really can change yourself and your life. It’s a use or lose it brain. Use it for you.
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And there are tools to help people break the habit when desire occurs and minimize the addiction. Great article.
Ditto! Great article. You explain a complicated process in crystal-clear lay-(wo)men’s terms.
Many thanks! I like it….lay-woman’s terms..new terminology!
Do you have any examples of your BrainState Tech with Parkinson’s patients. You mention that dopamine is very important in this process, it is the depletion of Dopamine that causes the symptoms of PD
Joe, I am not qualified to speak on behalf of Brain State. However, from my own experience and from stories I have heard from my brain optimization practitioner, I feel positive that it would help with Parkinson’s. I believe it would greatly improve anything brain related. It is nothing short of miraculous in my opinion. Brain State is a small company, very accessible and responsive. Send them an email or call or contact the practitioner nearest you and ask questions….the contact info and providers can be found on their website http://brainstatetech.com.
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