Mind-Altering Chemicals

Probably many of my readers have made a New Year’s Resolution to decrease, or, even better, quit the use of mind-altering substances, such as alcohol, cocaine, etc.

I believe in making such resolutions, because it helps to formalize inchoate ideas or possibilities, thereby allowing individuals to envision their goals clearly, which makes them much ore attainable. In fact, there are four stages of change – pre-contemplative, contemplative, active, and maintenance. If you make a resolution, you are in at least the contemplative stage of change.

Secondly, the more time and energy we spend in thinking about what we would like to achieve, the more we become ego-invested in that goal. The more ego-invested, the more likely one is to achieve the desired goal.

The purpose of my column this week is to inform and encourage those individuals who wish to stop the use of artificial mind-altering chemicals.

The mind, as Johns Hopkin’s physician-researcher, Solomon Synder, has shown, can produce a “natural high.” This is done when the brain produces a morphine-like substance called endorphin. Endorphin is an abbreviation for endogenous morphine.

Readers may also have seen the term enkephalin used to refer to chemicals produced by the brain, which have effects similar to opiate drugs. An enkephalin is merely a smaller chemical configuration of an endorphin.

Morphine and heroin are the drug equivalents of endorphins and enkephalins. For hundreds of years, people, either illegally or with medical sanction, have used such opium derivatives to trigger a euphoric response that either eliminates pain or at least causes the person not to care about it. Two common, often abused painkillers are vicodin and hydrocodone. Of course, not only does the drug diminish awareness of pain, but also of any psychological problems that the person is experiencing.

What seems to be occurring in a “natural high” is that the brain produces a chemical, which aids in quieting the individual when that person’s biological system has been over stimulated, either by exercise or pain.

Thus, individuals such as long-distance runners and those engaging in other strenuous exercises will experience “natural highs”, in which endorphins are produced that affect those parts of the brain controlling emotional responses. The emotional response produced is a sort of euphoria or exhilaration, and feels great!!!

It’s a superior sort of high to alcohol or opiate derivatives for two reasons. One is that it’s self-induced, rather than the result of having to depend upon some outside source, and that feeling of accomplishment enhances the euphoria. Secondly, one does not have to worry about hangovers or unpleasant after-effects, although some people believe that excessive exercise can be addictive.

NIMH researchers have concluded that depression may result from the chemical inability of the brain to produce a good feeling. Not only opiate neurotransmitters but also noradrenaline appears to be at subnormal levels in many chronically depressed people. This is an expected finding since the emotion that accompanies endorphin action is euphoria or an exaggerated feeling of well-being.

Aside from effecting emotional responses and the awareness of pain, endorphins also have an effect on several physiological responses. Among these are cough reflexes, nausea and vomiting, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature regulation, and gastrointestinal functioning.

Although strenuous exercise on a regular basis appears necessary to experience the full benefits of endorphins, working out at the spa for 30-60 minutes or running for 15-30 minutes is probably enough to allow an individual to begin to experience some benefits.

It might take more time and effort than picking up a martini glass, but as any good business executive knows, the amount of effort invested in a project is directly correlated with the amount of obtained profit!!! Be sure and check with your family physician before beginning any sustained exercise program.