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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Dee on September 9, 1999, at 15:21:55
I half-listened to a radio program the other day where they were talking about pain addiction. That peole who suffer long periods of intense pain get addicted to endorphines that their brain produces as a response to the pain. First time I ever heard that one can get addicted to that.
does anyone know about that? I sort of related, thinking back to withdrawal from Crystaql meth, that I used to do years ago. I am thinking if the feelings of anxiety and aggressiveness that I have been feeling when I started on AD might be withdrawal symptoms rather than adverse effects of the AD itself. Does this make any sense? What I went through for a period of about a year getting over the meth was similar - lots of rage and despair.
Dee
Posted by Bob on September 9, 1999, at 23:57:54
In reply to Pain addiction..., posted by Dee on September 9, 1999, at 15:21:55
I wouldn't be surprised.
I mean, I don't put much faith in operant conditioning for higher cognitive functioning, but it's hard to argue with its results in modifying behavior. The thing about it is that what counts as a punishment or as a reward depends on the learner.
A perhaps obvious or at least overt example would be someone into self-mutilation. Cutting yourself up doesn't sound like fun -- but I think making the jump to seeing how at the level of brain function and chemistry it could be triggering your "reward system".
The way I rip into myself when I'm depressed seems to me to be the same sort of thing, only the scars are on the inside. I think besides any neurochemical thing going on, there can also be some twisted psychological part reinforcing it -- that ripping myself apart is the right thing to do. It's a very frightening thing to me ... but I do have to admit that hiding underneath all the pain I might be feeling, particularly when I'm in some rage against myself, that there's a wild sense of joy in what I'm doing.
Cheers,
Bob
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