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PHYSIOLOGY

     THE BEHAVIORS THAT WE SEE AND USE TO DIAGNOSIS A SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE DISORDER ARE THE RESULTS OF A CERTAIN PHYSIOLOGY IN THE BRAIN.  EVERYTHING THAT WE THINK, DO, AND PERCEIVE IS THE RESULT OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE BRAIN.  THIS DOES NOT NEGATE THE EXISTENCE OF A SOUL OR SPIRIT, IT IS SIMPLY HOW THE PHYSICAL BODY WORKS.  IN THE 1930'S PHYSICIANS REMOVED THE SKULL CAPS FROM PATIENTS AND APPLIED SMALL ELECTRICAL CURRENTS TO THE CEREBRAL CORTEX. THEY COULD MAKE THE PATIENT MOVE, FEEL, CRY, OR LAUGH.  EACH PERSON'S BRAIN CHEMISTRY IS THE RESULT OF THE YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT THAT HUMAN BEINGS TAKE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING MATURE AND WHOLE.  GENETIC, SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS.  WE ARE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. THESE INFLUENCES VARY AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN IMPORTANCE BUT COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A PHYSIOLOGY IN THE BRAIN.  THIS PHYSIOLOGY CONSTANTLY CHANGES AND ADAPTS TO STRESSORS WHICH IS THE PROCESS OF MATURATION AND GROWTH IN THE HUMAN BEING.  WE ARE THE PRODUCTS OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO US, EVERY PERSON THAT HAS TOUCHED US, EVERYTHING WE HAVE THOUGHT, EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE, EVERYONE WE HAVE TOUCHED, AND EVERY CHOICE WE HAVE MADE.  SCHEMATICALLY THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE THE DIAGRAM BELOW.

     FOR AS LONG AS MAN HAS THOUGHT ABOUT LIFE, HE HAS WONDERED WHICH TRAITS OR BEHAVIORS ANIMALS ARE BORN WITH AND WHICH ARE LEARNED FROM PARENTS.  THIS HAS OFTEN BEEN REFERRED TO AS NATURE VERSUS NUTURE.  WITH HUMAN BEING THERE IS AN ADDED DIMENSION NOT PRESENT IN OTHER ANIMALS THAT REFLECTS OUR SELF AWARENESS.  THIS COULD HAVE MANY NAMES SUCH AS MIND OR EMOTION BUT WE WILL CALL IT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HERE.  THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REFERS TO THE SENSE OF SELF THAT EACH HUMAN BEING HAS.  THE SENSE OF SELF REFLECTS EACH INDIVIDUALS PERCEPTION OF WHERE THEY BELONG IN RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PEOPLE, SOCIETY OR CULTURE, AND THE WORLD IN GENERAL.  SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ARE WHETHER THE PERSON IS TIMID(SHY) OR OUTGOING.  OTHER CHARACTERISTICS MIGHT INCLUDE WHETHER THE PERSON SEES THEM SELF AS BETTER(SMARTER) THAN OTHER PEOPLE OR LESS THAN(NOT AS GOOD AS) OTHER PEOPLE.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSCIENCE AND THE ABILITY OR DESIRE TO FOLLOW SOCIAL NORMS OR LAWS WOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED.  WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPS COMPLETELY IN ANY ONE PERSON BUT IT PROBABLY REFLECTS A COMBINATION OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENT WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF EACH VARYING GREATLY PERSON TO PERSON.

     THESE THREE ASPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT COME TOGETHER TO FORM A PHYSIOLOGY IN THE BRAIN.  THE PHYSIOLOGY DETERMINES HOW WE FEEL, HOW WE THINK, AND EVEN HOW WE MOVE.  IT CONTROLS ALL OF THE REGULATORY PROCESSES FROM THYROID GLAND TO PULSE AND BLOOD PRESSURE.  IT IS THE REPOSITORY OF AUTOMATIC RESPONSES THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SUCH AS BLINKING OR BRINGING YOUR HAND IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN SOME OBJECT MOVES TOWARD YOUR FACE.  THIS PHYSIOLOGY THEN RESULTS IN BEHAVIORS WHICH HAVE SOME ACCEPTABLE RANGE IN A GIVEN CULTURE OR SOCIETY.  IN OUR SOCIETY, IF A PERSON STEALS THEY ARE CHARGED UNDER THE LAW AND GIVEN A PENALTY WHICH MIGHT INVOLVE INCARCERATION, FINE AND OR PROBATION. IN SOME MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES A PERSON WHO STEALS MAY HAVE THEIR HAND CUTOFF. EACH IS ACCEPTABLE IN THE PARTICULAR CULTURE IT OCCURS IN.  DRUNKENNESS, DRUG USE, AND EVEN DRINKING MAY BE A CAUSE FOR EXECUTION IN SOME MOSLEM COUNTRIES.  WE MUST THEREFORE LOOK AT WHAT WE CONSIDER USUAL BEHAVIORS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY OCCUR

     STRESSORS (NOT STRESS) CAN CHANGE THIS PHYSIOLOGY.  THEY MAY BE EVENTS SUCH AS MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, GRADUATION, BIRTH, DEATH OR JOB CHANGE. ILLNESSES AND INJURIES CAN BE STRESSORS. INGESTION OF A MOOD ALTERING SUBSTANCE IS A STRESSOR.  APPLYING A STRESSOR TO ALTER OUR CURRENT PHYSIOLOGY AND CAUSE IT TO CHANGE, RESULTS IN A NEW OR DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGY AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIORS FROM WHAT THE PERSON HAD BEFORE. THIS IS ALSO THE PROCESS OF GROWTH.  AS WE GROW AS HUMAN BEING WE ARE CONSTANTLY EXPOSED TO STRESSORS WHICH ALTER OUR PHYSIOLOGY AND CAUSE NEW BEHAVIORS WHICH THEN BECOME PART OF OUR CURRENT PHYSIOLOGY.  EVERYTHING WE THINK AND EVERYTHING WE DO IS THE RESULT OF THESE CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE BRAIN.  THIS, I DO NOT THINK, NEGATES AT ALL THAT WE HAVE A SOUL OR SPIRIT.  IT IS SIMPLY THE WAY OUR PHYSICAL BODY WORKS.