The ‘False God’ of Addiction

INSTANT GRATIFICATION –

June 27, 2024 – One of my favorite shows is a weekend show called “Freakonomics.” On Father’s Day, they were reporting on the opioid addiction epidemic and interviewing Dr. Stephen Lloyd, a medical doctor who specialized in addiction. Lloyd points out that addiction blocks the “frontal lobe,” the most powerful part of the brain from doing its job: providing insight, judgment and empathy. Instead, addicts, at least while actively using, are dominated by the “pleasure center” of the brain (which is composed by the amygdala, basil ganglia and other parts of the limbic system).

To be mentally healthy, the frontal lobe needs to be in control. When the pleasure center is in control, we make dumb and selfish decisions.

A week ago, I attended a downtown Memphis church that works hard to help the homeless, many of which suffer from addiction.

They were in the middle of a five-part series on addiction. When it came time for the minister to speak, he did not speak the words extremist, rebellion, frontal lobe or the “pleasure center” of the brain.

Instead, he said addicts were seeking “freedom.” But freedom WITHOUT responsibility comes across as rebellion, much like the teenager who is challenging boundaries. However, his version has a more positive and loving quality than using the word, rebellious, as I have done.

He had my attention.