Once upon a time there was a chief sitting at the edge of the village, obviously deep in thought. He sat there for hours and hours, seemingly unmoving. The tribe was beginning to get worried and restless, but nobody wanted to disturb him. An elder eventually got up his courage and walked over. “Chief, what’s going on? You look so troubled.”

Several minutes went by before the Chief spoke: “There are two dogs fighting inside of me all the time - a white dog and a black dog. The black dog would lie, cheat, and steal for my attention to feed his voracious appetite. The white dog is good, kind, and powerful. He mostly sits, observes, and waits for me to engage him. The dogs fight constantly.”

The elder looked at the chief and said quietly, “Chief, so which dog wins?” The chief closed his eyes. Several minutes went by before he replied: “The one I feed the most.”

The Chief has the choice of which dog to feed; the addict does not.

An ideal brain has choice about using drugs and alcohol; the brain of an addict does not. Continual use of drugs and alcohol distort or halt the natural method of producing dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, and condition the brain to gorge on the dopamine surges created by drugs and alcohol.

What’s the big deal with dopamine?

Dopamine regulates movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The surges of dopamine from drugs and alcohol disrupt the natural ability of nerve cells to send, receive, and process information.

Continued substance use conditions the brain to:
• decreases the brain’s ability to naturally produce dopamine
• become dependent on getting the dopamine surges from the alcohol or drug
• repeat the behavior over and over

In short, the natural method of producing dopamine becomes hijacked.

Low production of dopamine means less motivation, less energy, an increased risk of depression. It is tricky because although the decrease in the natural production of dopamine results in sadness, apathy, and the effects just noted, the dopamine surges that come from substance use lead to temporary feelings of pleasure, which are a strong motivator for people to continue using.

The black dog gorges its unending hunger for temporary fulfillment.

“Why is this change in brain chemicals important for me to know?”
The transition from choosing drugs or alcohol to being addicted to drugs or alcohol happens gradually. Generally, the user cannot be objective about this transition. It is natural to rationalize (make excuses for) the problems caused by the halt in the natural method of dopamine production.

This is important to know because the more the user moves towards addiction:
• the more they feel a need for more dopamine surges
• the less they have choice about how they receive dopamine
• the more they tend to defend their rationalizations
• the more easily they reach for the bottle or substance to cope with stress

Unlike the Chief who can use inner wisdom to contemplate choice, the user on a trajectory towards addiction slowly loses the ability to choose which dog to feed. It’s a painful and potentially embarrassing process for the person who thinks they are in control.

“Does this mean that the user, once caught in these dopamine surges, is powerless to change?”
No! Theoretically, change is always possible. However, willpower alone rarely accomplishes this.

“How will understanding the dopamine surges help me with the drinker in my family?”

You will realize that:
• as the user cuts down or cuts off their supply of dopamine from drugs or alcohol, they need to find another way to produce it
• although people in recovery can utilize other methods of supporting dopamine production (see below), it won’t have the same quality as provided by drugs and alcohol, and the user will crave the former surges
• stressful events trigger the need for a dopamine surge

“Can just drinking alcohol lead to an addiction?”
It sure can! With continual drinking, anyone can become an alcoholic.

“Feeding the dogs” is a metaphor for how we can direct our thoughts when we are not in an addictive process. The black dog in any one of us can take over.

What can be done to turn the addiction process around?
There is really quite a lot that can be done to heal from addiction.
• Professional help for nutritional rebuilding: There are nutritionists who specialize in rebuilding the body nutritionally after significant drug and/or alcohol use. After testing, specific supplements will be recommended. The brain can be tested for current chemical balance and supplements can be prescribed to restore a more desirable balance.
• Nutritional rebuilding on your own: If professional help is not possible for you right now, you can visit your local health food store and obtain a good multivitamin, vitamin B-6 and/or B complex, and protein powder to take daily. Nutritional rebuilding is a gradual education process and a retraining of our habits with food.
• Change your diet: Part of the nutritional rebuilding is changing your diet to more fruits, vegetables, some lean meat for protein, whole grains, and eliminating processed foods.
• Caffeine: Cut down or stop your caffeine intake as it constricts the blood flow to the brain.
• Physical Exercise: Exercise alone will increase the dopamine your brain produces.
• Mental Exercise: Try brain exercises; see www.lumosity.com. Keep active mentally and challenge yourself to learn new things. When you exercise your brain you support natural dopamine production.
• Positive thinking: Don’t believe the negative thoughts that arise automatically and habitually. Negative thoughts lead to depressed energy and a decrease in dopamine production. Talk back to negative thoughts. Positive thinking is a gradual education process and a retraining of our mental habits. As the bumper sticker says, “Don’t believe everything you think.”

All of the above suggestions contribute to increasing the natural dopamine production and flow in your brain.

Yet even with these suggestions and this new understanding, it’s still a challenge to produce lasting change. Counseling and coaching can help address your individual needs and create more choice for you in “which dog to feed.”

Pass this article on to anyone who may find it useful!

Author's Bio: 

Jeff is a Certified Addictions Counselor with a Master's degree in counseling couples and families. He's passionate about helping helping families in distress resolve issues around family drinking problems.