- Image by B1SHOP via Flickr
Dr. Rita Argiros started the new semester of her living skills class introducing students to some insights from brain science and demonstrating how these are relevant to their own challenges. Over the semester she will continue to explore how our brains work and why we do the things we do. Included will be ample analogies to help the students better understand “our disease”.
As a textbook, students will be reading at their own pace, a book titled America Anonymous. It shares the stories of eight different types of addicts, including individuals addicted to drugs, sex, gambling, food, and alcohol, along with their search for a better life.
Dr. Argiros discussed with the students the relationship between the emotions we feel and the chemicals that operate in our brains. As she explained, our brain is somewhat of a “drug making factory”, altering our moods, though this part of our brain is not connected to our intelligence. When something in the brain is not perfect, many alter the “drug making factory” on their own with either prescribed or illegal drugs. This changes our neurotransmitters to sometimes regulate, or sometimes enhance, an emotion.
Externally, our facial expressions can affect others and our own moods. Smiling when you are upset can mentally make you feel happier. Fantasy can also do this. But fantasy is a somewhat dangerous way of changing your mood. Connecting certain things in fantasy can trigger your last memory in relation to the fantasy, and in many cases this can create a risk of relapse for an addict.
The students are excited for the what lies ahead in this class. As one exclaimed, “I really think I am going to get a lot out of it.”
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