How does neuroscience revolutionize the understanding of addiction?
Knowing what addiction is and how to identify it is the first step in treating it. For decades, medical and public health institutions, such as the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization (WHO), have classified addiction as a chronic and progressive brain disease, comparable to diabetes or hypertension. This definition was based on studies showing alterations in the reward, control, and memory circuits of addicts.
However, this approach has limitations:
- It makes it seem that the individual is trapped forever, dependent on medications or hospitalizations.
- It reinforces social stigma, treating the addict as “broken” or “incurable.”
- It minimizes the power of behavioral and environmental changes in recovery.
It’s in this context that Marc Lewis, PhD — a neuroscientist and former addict — brings a different perspective: addiction is not a disease, but a natural process of brain learning and adaptation that can be reversed.
Who is Marc Lewis and what addictions reveal about our current society
Marc Lewis, PhD, is a renowned Canadian neuroscientist, professor, and author specializing in addiction studies. He also speaks with singular authority on the subject because, before becoming a scientist, he lived through years of hard drug dependency, which led him to deeply investigate how the brain creates, maintains, and overcomes compulsive behaviors.
In his best-known book, “The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease”, Lewis challenges the idea that addiction is an irreversible disease, arguing that it is, in fact, a process of brain learning and adaptation — something that can be transformed through new experiences, habits, and purpose.
Nowadays, addiction is no longer seen only as chemical dependency (alcohol, illicit drugs, or controlled medications) and has come to include a growing range of compulsive behaviors affecting millions of people of all ages and social classes:
- Emotional dependency, marked by toxic relationships or deep neediness.
- Screen addiction, such as excessive use of social media, video games, and compulsive video consumption, including pornographic content.
- Online betting and gambling, which have attracted youth and adults into cycles of debt and anxiety.
- Plus, of course, legal and illegal drugs, which continue to be one of the most serious public health problems.
This new reality is contributing to an alarming increase in anxiety, depression, and social isolation, impacting teenagers, young adults, and even children and the elderly. More than ever, it’s essential to understand how the brain forms these patterns and how we can reverse this spiral.
After all, what is addiction, and what does Marc Lewis defend in “The Biology of Desire”
In the book, Lewis presents a bold thesis grounded in neuroscientific research:
- Addiction is a reinforced habit, not a permanent brain abnormality.
The brain learns to associate substances (or behaviors) with relief and pleasure, strengthening neural connections. - The brain changes seen in addicts reflect learning, not degeneration.
The same areas that change in addiction — such as the dopaminergic system and prefrontal cortex — also change in other learning and motivation processes. - Recovery is possible through neuroplasticity.
Just as addiction creates strong circuits, new habits and experiences can create alternative networks, reducing compulsion. - Stigma and labeling as “sick” harm more than help.
Treating addiction as learning restores a sense of agency and empowers the person to change.
What neuroscience reveals about addiction
Addiction is fueled by three main mechanisms in the brain:
1. The role of dopamine in desire and compulsion
Contrary to what many think, dopamine isn’t just the “pleasure molecule.”
According to Lewis, it encodes desire, motivation, and reward anticipation, leading the individual to seek the substance even when it no longer generates pleasure.
This continuous search creates a sense of urgency, known as “craving.”
2. The neuroplasticity that reinforces the habit
When a person repeats drug use or addictive practices (like gambling or pornography), the brain:
- Strengthens synapses in the reward system (nucleus accumbens and amygdala).
- Weakens connections with the prefrontal cortex, decreasing self-control.
- Makes environmental triggers (places, emotions) almost irresistible.
These changes are comparable to learning to play an instrument or practice a sport. The more you repeat it, the more automatic it becomes.
3. Why does the brain “learn” addiction so quickly?
Because addiction involves immediate and intense reinforcement, something that evolutionarily the brain interprets as essential for survival. Dopamine acts as a signal that says: “This is important, repeat it!”
Case studies presented by Marc Lewis
The book presents real stories that illustrate how different people develop and overcome addictions, showing that:
- Each addiction has a unique emotional origin — trauma, loneliness, anxiety, or the search for excitement.
- Change begins when the person finds new sources of purpose and connection, gradually replacing addictive patterns.
- Recovery doesn’t depend exclusively on clinics or medications, but on reconstructing meaning and support networks.
For example, Lewis reports cases of:
people who overcame heroin, alcohol, and gambling addiction by changing their environment, adopting practices like meditation, and building healthy relationships
Why this view is revolutionary for treatment
- Empowers the individual.
Instead of being treated as “incurably sick,” the person understands they can train the brain for new pathways. - Promotes more effective therapies.
Instead of focusing only on abstinence and medication, it uses cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and social reconstruction. - Reduces relapses.
When the focus is on creating lasting new habits, rather than just “stopping use,” recovery becomes more solid.
Practical strategies for dealing with addiction according to neuroscience
- Avoid environmental and emotional triggers.
The brain associates places, people, and situations with use. Recognizing and avoiding them is essential at the beginning. - Practice mindfulness.
Studies show that meditation helps reduce craving by strengthening the prefrontal cortex. - Replace immediate pleasures with constructive pleasures.
Sports, music, volunteering, and hobbies create new healthy dopaminergic pathways. - Seek social connection.
Loneliness is fuel for addiction. Support groups and friendships strengthen recovery. - Reprogram internal narrative.
Seeing yourself as someone in learning, not “sick,” increases motivation.
What does science say about reversing these brain changes?
Neuroimaging research shows that:
- After 12 to 18 months of abstinence and new habits, many brain alterations associated with addiction begin to regress.
- The prefrontal cortex recovers part of its control.
- The dopaminergic system returns to responding to natural rewards (like exercise and social interactions).
This reinforces Lewis’s argument: addiction is reversible because the brain remains plastic throughout life.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Addiction isn’t a disease, so there’s no genetic predisposition?
There are genetic factors that increase vulnerability, but this doesn’t mean addiction is an inevitable disease. It’s a pattern that can be avoided or reversed.
2. Does this view mean clinics and medications aren’t necessary?
No. In some cases, medical treatments and hospitalizations are important, but they’re not the only solution.
3. Does this approach work for all types of addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling)?
Yes, because all involve the same brain circuits of reward and learning.
4. How long does it take for the brain to “unlearn” an addiction?
It depends, but studies show that significant changes occur over months to years, with continuous effort and support.
5. Do mindfulness and psychotherapy really work?
Yes. Research indicates that practices like meditation reduce craving and cognitive therapies restructure mental patterns linked to addiction.
6. What is addiction and how to identify it?
An addiction is a repetitive and compulsive behavior pattern that persists despite negative consequences, and can be identified by loss of control, intense and persistent desire, and prioritization of the addictive substance or activity over other areas of life.
Conclusion: a new way of viewing addiction
Marc Lewis’s work and modern neuroscience invite us to abandon the fatalistic view of addiction as an incurable disease and adopt a more humane and evidence-based perspective: addiction is a learning pattern, powerful but reversible.
With neuroplasticity, social support, and behavioral strategies, it’s possible to transform the relationship with dopamine, regain control, and build a meaningful life away from compulsion.
Reflection from Última Trincheira Portal
Renewal of the mind and neuroscience: How God’s Word and Christian meditation transform life
Addictions, anxiety, and the desire for a transformed life
We live in an era marked by anxiety, compulsivity, and addiction — whether linked to substances, digital habits, or harmful emotional patterns. Neuroscience, as Marc Lewis reveals in “The Biology of Desire”, demonstrates that addiction is not a condemnation, but a brain learning pattern, shaped by neuroplasticity.
On the other hand, the Bible offers us an even deeper path of transformation: renewal of the mind through God’s Word, which not only breaks destructive patterns but leads to peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
When we unite the insights of science and the eternal truth of Scripture, we find a powerful path for emotional healing, liberation, and building a new lifestyle with purpose and meaning.
Neuroscience and God’s Word: The connection point
Science has already proven that the brain can be remodeled. Neuroplasticity allows new synapses to be created and old pathways, linked to addiction and anxiety, to be weakened.
Interestingly, this idea echoes directly in Scripture, especially in Romans 12:2:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When we meditate on the Word, declare promises, and seek intimacy with God, we not only nourish the soul but literally reconfigure our brain, strengthening areas linked to peace, self-control, and purpose.
How Christian meditation reduces anxiety and compulsivity
Biblical meditation differs from secular meditation:
It doesn’t seek to empty the mind, but fill it with God’s truth, bringing focus and confidence.
Practices like contemplative prayer, devotional reading, and verse repetition (lectio divina) have profound effects:
- Reduce activity in the amygdala (responsible for fear and stress responses), decreasing anxiety.
- Activate the prefrontal cortex, strengthening self-control and mental clarity.
- Increase dopamine and serotonin levels, promoting wellbeing.
- Create new synaptic connections, replacing destructive thoughts with healthy patterns.
Harvard University research and studies on mindfulness, which also includes Christian meditation, show that 20 minutes daily of guided meditation can generate measurable changes in brain structure within a few weeks.
God’s peace that surpasses all understanding
Philippians 4:6-7 offers us a map for dealing with anxiety:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This peace doesn’t depend on circumstances, but is the fruit of a renewed mind trained to trust in God.
When anxiety decreases, brain circuits related to stress are weakened, while new connections linked to gratitude and trust are strengthened.
Creating new neural synapses with God’s Word
Neuroscience confirms that repetitive thoughts shape the brain.
If we live trapped in memories of fear, traumas, or compulsions, we strengthen these networks. But when we choose to meditate on God’s promises daily, we create new pathways.
Some verses that can be used to “reprogram” the mind:
- 2 Timothy 1:7: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline.”
Helps combat anxiety and strengthen self-control. - Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Reinforces trust and calms the nervous system. - Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Creates a mindset of resilience and purpose.
Repeating and visualizing these truths activates neural circuits linked to faith and hope, reducing the impact of negative memories.
Step by step: How Christian meditation can transform your life
1. Choose a daily time to silence and focus on God
Set aside 10 to 20 minutes to disconnect and focus on a verse or promise.
2. Use breathing as an anchor
Breathing deeply while mentally repeating verses like “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing (Psalm 23)” helps reduce physiological anxiety.
3. Visualize biblical truth
Imagine yourself living the promise — healed, at peace, free. This practice reinforces the synapses of faith.
4. Replace automatic negative thoughts
When a pattern of fear or compulsion arises, declare the Word out loud, creating a different neural response.
5. Connect with others in faith
Studies show that community and spiritual support accelerate brain and emotional changes, reducing relapses in addiction.
How this builds a new lifestyle with purpose
When the mind is renewed:
- Stress levels decrease, reducing risk of addiction relapses.
- Sense of purpose increases, as we begin to see our life as part of something greater.
- Natural dopamine is restored, making healthy activities (serving, working, worshiping) generate satisfaction again.
- A lighter, happier, and more meaningful life emerges, because we don’t just seek immediate pleasures, but a connection with God and others.
Reference – Lewis M. Brain Change in Addiction as Learning, Not Disease. N Engl J Med. 2018 Oct 18;379(16):1551-1560. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1602872. PMID: 30332573.
Lewis M. Addiction and the Brain: Development, Not Disease. Neuroethics. 2017;10(1):7-18. doi: 10.1007/s12152-016-9293-4. PMC5486526. PMID: 28725282.
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