Respond to compass of pleasure: why some things feel so good by david linden

29 November Compass of Pleasure: Why Some Things Feel So Good? Five key points of the interview:
1. Basic neurochemistry behind addiction is that the brain of an addicted person has blunted dopamine systems, the result of which is that while others can reach a certain level of pleasure with moderate indulgence, an addict has to indulge excessively in order to experience the same level of pleasure.
2. Almost all things giving pleasure are potential of leading one towards addiction and subsequently weakened activation of the pleasure centers in the brain, if handled inappropriately.
3. Predisposition to addiction is about 40% genetic, so it should be mostly considered as something which one is born with.
4. Though not an absolute determinant of pleasure-seeking behavior, stress can lead one to addiction.
5. Exercise, meditation, and learning in groups can help an addict in overcoming addiction, though the brain of an addict undergoes permanent transformation even if he/she stays clean.
The influence produced by the interview on the way I eat:
This interview has definitely influenced the way I perceived many crucial things related to eating habits. After knowing how undergoing a transformation from liking to wanting directly interferes with pleasure circuitry in the brain and how compulsive indulging with food can lead one to be labeled as a food addict, I have realized that excessive indulgence with food is not a behavioral mode free of potential harms. Before hearing this interview, I used to think that addiction in its true form can only be related to substance abuse. But, now I think that I should seek food pleasure in moderation. After knowing that the rule of addiction applies to food in the same way as it does to nicotine or alcohol and how food addiction forms the root cause of obesity in 90% cases, the way one thinks about eating can really change.