When you investigate something like a gambling addiction, you’ll find it most often co-presents with alcoholism or some other form of sedation use. (caffeine/coffee, narcotics etc) Most addictions begin with toxic substances that literally turn off a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is designed to check the impulsive parts of our psyche. When any idea enters the mind, the prefrontal cortex is supposed to sort the idea as either “good” or “bad” and then either gives us the “red light” (stop – don’t do it) or the “green light” (go ahead – this is OK – please continue). All ideas aren’t supposed to be acted on, even if they feel good and bring immediate pleasure.

Most addictions set up shop in our lives, when the prefrontal cortex is shut off. What shuts the prefrontal cortex down most effectively are things like alcohol, caffeine, narcotics, sugar, nicotine (cigarettes), chemicals, junk food, medications etc. This is also why drunken irrational love affairs often need booze to start…..and are also heavily triggered as well in chronic coffee drinkers, even though caffeine induced hedonism isn’t talked about too much. Not only do those toxic substances shut down the part of our brains designed to judge our behavior as “good” or “bad”, the part of our brain that remembers pain is also shut off as well from the same substances. So that means when a gambler is drinking alcohol at the Casino plus they’re hiding their addiction from their spouse and have already spent money they shouldn’t have, their minds can’t even recognize the long term consequences (the pain) of their actions. When you can’t consider the long term consequences of your own actions or contemplate the pain causing potential of your own behavior, you’ll always dive head first into a perpetual cycle of disaster. When a sane (clean) person sees an addictive person out of control, they may ask themselves “why can’t they stop?” and the answer to that is….”the part of their brains designed to make them stop isn’t working” (because they’re drunk, high or chemically infused in some other way)

Most people today are priming themselves for addiction and perpetual crisis by consuming these toxic substances daily…. especially coffee, booze, narcotics, sugar, junk food and cigarettes. Even after 1 cup of coffee (with no other coffee consumed at all going forward) the prefrontal cortex is inhibited for 3-6 weeks. Let that sink in…….but of course you won’t be able to unless you’re completely clean for 6 weeks. I talk extensively on the cycles of addiction, brain chemistry and how to reactivate the best part of your mind…..in my upcoming course on overcoming self sabotage. Knowledge is power. Power up. Power to the people.