Did you watch Dr Tanya Byrons Addictions

[JsMum]

It was really interesting and how there is a theory that there is an addicted gene, something we are born with, and that addiction is caused because people with addictive genes have low dose of dopamine and we crave for the pleasure hormone, dopamine, its very similair to the ADHD theory, so I found it megga interesting, It went onto people who where addicted to online games and I now realise that J can spend an hour gaming, and that s because its releasing dopamine.

 

Did anyone watch it.

 

I think it was BBC2 tonight, 9-10pm

 

JsMum

[ASue67]

I watched it, was curious about how Mike can sit for hours and hours engrossed in his online game on the computer.........

 

Was very interesting

[Mumble]

I watched it, and found it a bit mixed. I was waiting for autism to be mentioned - and it wasn't

 

I think it would be interesting to see more research about a 'gene for addiction'. I personally don't think it's as simple as that and involves various environmental factors/triggers. Also, as they said in their example with online gambling, addicts don't always lose, that always 'nearly win'. I think there's a lot (and of course, in part, this is what much gambling is about) in the way such things impact psychologically on us. Think, to take a more trivial example, of 2p falls machines you get on piers and at funfairs. They are set up so that we 'nearly win', in that we can see something that is 'almost going to fall' or 'just went to the wrong side'. I can see how the psychology involved there could extrapolate - think about the lottery. Say the winning numbers were 2, 6, 17, 19, 23, 46 and you had chosen 1, 5, 18, 20, 22, 47, you would be likely to say something like 'so close' or 'I nearly won the lottery'. Of course you didn't, you lost just as much as someone who had picked numbers well away from the winning numbers because there is equal chance of every number being drawn, but through a poor understanding of probability combined with the psychological factors of 'nearly winning', people try again or 'just have one more go' and you can see how an addiction may take hold.

 

I have to say, I began to loose interest in the programme when an addiction to chocolate was mentioned - I think that's a world away from the heroin addicts and alcoholics featured earlier on, particularly as the 'addicted' lady was only consuming up to 3 bars a day. Depending on hormonal and stress factors I might eat 3 bars of chocolate - that doesn't mean I'm addicted...

 

I thought the horses bit was interesting, if a bit 'out there'. That's something I would like to try and I wonder if it would help some people, autistic or otherwise, to connect with others?

[Tally]

I didn't watch the programme, but I do believe that there is such thing as an "addictive personality." Whether that is caused by genetic factors, I cannot say, and I think that environmental and psychological factors also play a big role.

 

Someone could be addicted to chocolate and only eat 3 bars a day. She might think about them all the time and crave them all day long. Someone else could eat more than that, but not crave it, and easily cope without it. But an addiction like that does pale into insignificance when you compare it to other addictions.

[westie]

Hi. Did not watch that but am now watching "am I normal?" also presented by Dr Tanya. Its about body image and girls as young as 6 internalising opinions/ideas about perfect shape and people having scary procedures to look perfec). Its quite scary.....

Edited April 21, 2008 by westie

[warrenpenalver]

Are almost all woman terribly insecure about body image and think they are fat or ugly??????? I ask because all my female Aquiantences/Friends (wish i knew difference!) are terribly insecure and hate the way they look. this is despite the fact none of them are overwieght or fat or ugly yet they all think they are?? One even used to puke her food up as a form of control.

 

I think fashion has a lot to answer for!!!

 

Do people make these self opinions based on what they think men will think or woman or both? Or is it a lot of jealousy?? I wish i understood!! Seems total madness!!!