Neurosurgeon Explains How to Break Addiction

 

In another article of mine, I wrote about how Thoughts Directly Affect Your Destiny, and I would encourage you to read it. A practicing Christian neurosurgeon named Dr. W. Lee Warren teaches how you can break addictions in your life by changing the way you think, and how the science actually proves this to be true. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Warren's interview, in which he spoke about addictions. He said: 

"Addiction is a hijacking of the brain's reward system, right? It's this trick that we play on ourselves that says that we're going to get some helpful neurotransmitters if we engage in this act or ingest this substance. But what the truth is, it's never been about the delivery of joy. It's about the delivery of the reward mechanism that's been hijacked. Therefore, addiction turns into this seeking the release of a neurotransmitter that gets harder and harder to get with the same dose of the thing that we're after.  

"And so what we have to do then if we want to break addiction is we have to get a different set of thoughts around the reward that we really want. So what I really want is that calm sense that I get from alcohol. But when I drink alcohol, I find instead of the calm sense lasting very long, the next day I'm hung over. I don't feel good. I've spent money. I've said things I shouldn't have said. I've done things I shouldn't have done. And the reward didn't pay off like I thought it would. 

So, we have to interrupt the cycle and say, 'No, if I want the reward of feeling better, being calmer, not being as stressed, I need to change the way I'm getting that neurotransmitter release.' So, my brain learns that the way to get real joy is by engaging the system in the correct way. So, again, it comes down to the decision of what you're going to think about because what you think about turns into what you do.  

"So there's this fascinating thing in Ephesians chapter 4 starting in verse 17 where Paul talks about what he calls the Gentiles, you know, the people that aren't saved, don't know God. And he says they do all these things, drunkenness and orgies and and all these terrible behaviors that they do. But then he says all of that stuff comes from the way they think. He says don't be like them. They're lost in the futility of their thinking. So all the behavior that gets us in trouble starts with the things we're thinking about. 

"And then he says in Ephesians 4:23, he says, 'No, don't be like that. Be renewed. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' So if you don't want to end up with behaviors that give you trouble, addictions or whatever, it starts with redeeming and changing what you're thinking about all the time, by choosing to get the reward in the right way. Andrew Hubberman said, 'Anything that gives you dopamine that you didn't have to work for will progressively control your life.' And that's a good way to sum it up. That's what I'm trying to say."

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Does Being Saved Make All Your Problems Disappear?, posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.