Hunter Biden — Interesting. One of the most anticipated books of 2022 will be published in June by Kathleen Buhle, the first wife of Hunter Biden, the sole surviving son of United States President Joe Biden. The book, If We Break, is being promoted as an addiction memoir that goes into the sordid details of how Hunter Biden’s addiction developed from social drinking to spending thousands of dollars on smoking crack cocaine and attending parties with prostitutes. It should be noted that President Biden’s son has already written an autobiographical addiction memoir, so we already know about his path to addiction and eventual recovery, which follows a course familiar to many people who have managed to achieve sobriety.
CURIOSITY AND VOLUNTARY DECISIONS
For the most part, substance use disorder starts out with curiosity that progresses into a voluntary decision to try something new and different. In American society, we tend to blame peer pressure as the root of addiction, but we can’t forget about the decisions we make once we have already gotten drunk or high. One of the reasons these decisions tend to be poorly made is because of how our brains are wired to process rewarding experiences.
BRAIN REWARD MECHANISMS
The physiological and neurochemical theories of substance use disorder assert that the positive feelings we usually derive from tasty food, meaningful relationships, and exercise are tied to specific neurotransmitters and receptors. Let’s say you’re a beginner CrossFit athlete who wins a competition at your local gym. This will likely make you feel euphoric, and now you know training to win another competition will make you feel the same way again. Drugs work in a similar fashion, but the euphoria is far more pronounced. Once you know a sudden rush of dopamine can be achieved through substance abuse, your brain will continue to crave such rewards.
HIJACKING OF NEURAL CIRCUITS
All addictions are compulsions. Someone who becomes dependent on opioid painkillers will compulsively seek more pills because they’re after the aforementioned flow of neurochemical rewards. Liquor, tobacco, and controlled substances are filled with compounds that hijack the brain’s reward mechanism and produce those strong urges we know as cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
This hijacking is what many researchers believe to be the reason ibogaine has proven to be effective in addiction recovery efforts. The psychoactive compounds in ibogaine appear to block opioid receptors, thus rewiring the brain so cravings can be eliminated.Ibogaine isn’t currently legal in the U.S., and for Americans who choose to be treated at Ibogaine Clinics, Mexico is often the destination of choice.
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Substance use disorder begins the moment we lose control or feel impaired to the point of affecting other facets of our lives. Addiction begins when we think substance abuse makes us feel normal. When this happens, it’s easy to develop bad habits that can easily turn into dependency, and this is what Hunter Biden discussed in his addiction memoir. At some point, Biden felt staying high wasn’t only normal but also conducive to dealing with anxiety and depression. Fortunately, this is when he decided to seek treatment.
Addiction impacts every aspect of physical and mental health, and it’s a serious, complex issue that requires professional treatment. If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, seek help from a medical professional or another individual you trust to help you explore options for treatment. For individuals who choose to seek out Medical Ibogaine Treatments, Tijuana, Mexico, is often the nearest location where this type of treatment can be obtained legally.