Neuroscience behind addiction to be explored in series
Learning about the brain and its chemistry helped Ken Clowes overcome his drug addiction, and now, he wants to share that knowledge with other people.
He said that by understanding the science behind why certain drugs have addictive properties and effects on the brain helped him learn of other ways he could activate those chemicals and escape addiction.
“Having an understanding of what was going on in my brain and when I quit ... it was a light bulb moment,” said Clowes, who is the Community Initiatives Center assistant at Butler County Community College. “’Oh, that's why I'm stuck.’ We talk about dopamine, endorphins, all the things that drugs work on in the brain.”
Clowes’ knowledge of the subject came in large part from the 2016 book “Hope is Dope,” by Steve Treu.
Clowes will help pass on this information for free to professionals who deal with people going through problems of addiction through the Hope is Dope Professional Series, which starts in mid-March.
“(The professional series) is all about the neuroscience on how addictions form, and how recovery happens, and understanding brain science,” Clowes said. “This class kind of teaches what those chemicals are, and things we can do in our daily lives to enhance those. That's the usefulness in recovery.”
Treu himself will be attending these sessions, according to Clowes, and he has attended other events hosted by Butler’s Hope is Dope group.
Clowes gave some examples of what Treu will discuss in the sessions, including some information about neurochemicals.
“Opiates affect endorphin receptors. They increase them and that's where habits start to form,” Clowes said. “One thing you can do is exercise; that's one of the biggest ones.”
Clowes said serotonin is a commonly referred to neurochemical that people will learn about in the sessions.
“When you do an act of kindness, not only do you get a boost of serotonin, the person who receives it does, too,” Clowes said. “If a third person sees that happening, they get a boost as well.”
The sessions will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. March 14, 21 and 28 in the Public Safety Building on BC3's main campus.
People can register to attend the series by visiting bc3.edu/hope.
Clowes also said there will be a follow-up series for people who are not professionals to learn about neurochemicals.
