'Compass Of Pleasure': Why Some Things Feel So Good

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'Compass Of Pleasure': Why Some Things Feel So Good
June 23, 2011 NPR​

"What does it really mean for the brain to experience pleasure? That's the question neuroscientist David Linden asks in his new book The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good. In it, he traces the origins of pleasure in the human brain and how and why we become addicted to certain food, chemicals and behaviors.

Linden is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the chief editor of the Journal of Neurophysiology. When he spoke with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, he explained that the scientific definition of addiction is actually rooted in the brain's inability to experience pleasure.

"There are variants in genes that turn down the function of dopamine signaling within the pleasure circuit," Linden explains. For people who carry these gene variants, their muted dopamine systems lead to blunted pleasure circuits, which in turn affects their pleasure-seeking activities, he says.

While most people are able to achieve a certain degree of pleasure with only moderate indulgence, those with blunted dopamine systems are driven to overdo it. Linden explains, "In order to get to that same set point of pleasure that others would get to easily — maybe with two drinks at the bar and a laugh with friends — you need six drinks at the bar to get the same thing."

Understanding the biology of the pleasure circuit helps us better understand and treat addiction, Linden says. It is important to realize that our pleasure circuits are the result of a combination of genetics, stress and life experience, beginning as early as the womb.

"Any one of us could be an addict at any time," Linden says. "Addiction is not fundamentally a moral failing — it's not a disease of weak-willed losers. When you look at the biology, the only model of addiction that makes sense is a disease-based model, and the only attitude towards addicts that makes sense is one of compassion.""

Continued with link for related audio. http://www.npr.org/2011/06/23/137348338/compass-of-pleasure-why-some-things-feel-so-good
 
If you get a chance I would highly recommend the actual book.. it really is filled with TONS of amazing stories and explanations based in science and fact about drug use and addiction. I got the audio book version and was pretty blown away and enjoyed it very much... so much good stuff. There is a story about these sick doctors who hooked a electrode into a "mentally ill" patients mind to be able to stimulate the reward pathway. This was like back in the 50 or so.. The "mental illness" this man was hospitalized for was that he was a homosexual. I'n this terrible and sick experiment they started out by showing the man pornographic films of first hetorsexual sex. The young man obviously wasn't turned on by them at all and this was confirmed by their observations. They then showed him more hetorosexual porn but they then stimulated the VTA and the reward pathway with the electrode while he watched the porn. They repeated this a few times. The man then developed the new desire for sex with women and they even brought in a hooker and the man became aroused and had sex with her. (this is all in a mental "hospital"). But even though he did develop a completely new interest and drive in hetorosexual sex, that he continued for as long as they were able to follow him, he never lost his natural and stronger desire for homosexual sex.

This book is full of amazing (unethical and fucked in this case) but non the less true and amazing stories around pleasure and addiction.

With so much true undeniable knowledge out there about addiction, I think that the current treatment of drug users and addicts is one of the largest, if no the largest, and certainly one of the most disgusting continuing injustices on earth. They will keep it up as long as we let them it seems. Its time to band together and end this shit for good.

PDF copy online
The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, By David J. Linden
 
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