Sober Synthesis

SHAOLIN MASTER (MUST WATCH) Become Unshakeable | Shi Heng Yi 2021 – YouTube

What are Some Core Neurobiology Principles of Motivation?

• Addiction significantly disrupts/impairs our neurobiological reward/motivation/learning networks. Important Note: Trauma also negatively impacts these networks.
  • Consistent alcohol and/or drug misuse eventually leads to overstimulation of reward networking. Its pathways become overwhelmed, making it harder for it to handle the high levels of dopamine, a neurochemical responsible for motivation and movement, being released.
    • The brain tries to solve this problem in two ways:

• decreasing dopamine production
• reducing dopamine receptors. 

Jeff K-The Dark Side of Addiction – Sober Synthesis

• Hence, in early recovery, dopamine is significantly depleted. 
  • Can cause decreased motivation and pleasure, and increased emotional lability (PAWS). With sobriety, our neuro-networking starts to re-regulate and dopamine homeostasis improves significantly.
• Healthy/homeostatic motivation includes the balancing of pleasure and pain. For every bit of pleasure/reward, there is a mirror experience of pain/let down (conscious or unconscious). 
  • Each time we repeat an experience (e.g. a drink, a candy bar), pleasure decreases and the let down/pain increases. This cycle, when uninterrupted, contributes to addiction.
    • Craving is the experience of wanting more of the pleasure. Balancing the pleasure/pain cycle allows us to, more consistently, experience pleasure and tolerate pain/discomfort. 
  • Just anticipating a rewarding experience can release dopamine almost as much as the actual experience. Dopamine is very sensitive to subjective experience.
    • We have a significant dopamine crash when we experience disappointment with an anticipated rewarding event (reward prediction error).
    • Plan for possible disappointments, especially during special occasions, and for natural homeostatic “let down” after special occasions. 
• Dopamine biases us to notice what we don’t have more than what we do have, thus motivating action/pursuit.
• Serotonin is the neurochemical responsible for contentment with what we have here and now (e.g. gratitude, mindfulness ). Serotonin is essential for processing emotions.

What Activities Support Emotional and Motivational Balance?

• Mindfulness activities support heightened awareness by practicing focused attention to the present moment without judgement.
  • The most universal mindfulness practice is awareness of breath. 

Ewa – The Art of Breathing: Mindfulness & Trauma – Sober Synthesis

Sylvia-Breathing as a Superpower – Sober Synthesis

• Creative activities increase brain connectivity to enhance cognitive functioning and decision-making, emotional regulation and resilience.

Sylvia-Creative Activities for Recovery, Healing, and Health – Sober Synthesis

• Play activities support a low expectation mindset that allows us to experiment with new contingencies/roles.
  •  Exploration that feels safe 

Sylvia-Play: A Neuroplasticity Superpower – Sober Synthesis

• Gratitude practices to shift our mindset/motivation from defensive behaviors to prosocial behaviors. Note: This will be next week’s topic.

Proposed question for thought/sharing:

1. What “balancers” have been the most helpful for you in recovery?

2. What “balancers” do you plan to practice in the future for your recovery?

Disclaimer

This summary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed.