Human Beings and Brain

Neuroplasticity has gained traction, in the realm of pop psychology and also in the more credible arenas of counseling and clinical psychology. In Doidge's (2007) book, neuroplasticity is presented for a general audience but using research to substantiate claims. Therefore, the case studies that comprise The Brain That Changes Itself can become effective blueprints for personal change. The book delves into various aspects of neuroplasticity. Three of those include sexual attraction, addiction, and pain. Chapter 4 of The Brain That Changes Itself covers the neuroplasticity of sexual attraction and love.

Doidge (2007) claims that human beings "exhibit an extraordinary degree of sexual plasticity compared with other creatures," (p. 94). Specific examples of sexual plasticity include trying different sexual positions, techniques, or toys with the same partner or with multiple partners, becoming fixated on certain "types" of people for a while, or going through periods of high versus low sexual energy.

As Doidge (2007) puts it, human beings are more "gourmet" than "glutton" when it comes to sex because of the way we can pick and choose what we like and when we like it (p. 95). Many bisexual people are not necessarily attracted simultaneously to people of both genders but instead go through phases of preferring one gender or another. Doidge (2007) underscores the fact that neuroplasticity affects all aspects of human brain and behavior.

Applying the chapter on sexuality to making concrete changes would involve paying attention to both sexual attraction and love. It is interesting that, as Doidge (2007) points out, couples use terms of endearment that are actually infantile or parenting in nature, with strong Freudian implications or undertones that could be mistaken for regression (p. 99-100). "Dirty talk" during sex or to express sexual interest also signal the brain's returning to an adolescent phase, according to the author (p. 100).

These tendencies are not harmful, but for people who do have sexual hang-ups or problems in their sex life, it may be useful to understand that they can change their attitudes or behaviors about sex. Persons who become addicted to Internet porn or who tend to have sexual addiction and relationship problems can also use the principles of neuroplasticity to change, rather than continuing to react to their conditioning. Like sex addiction, substance abuse can be understood and ameliorated with an understanding of neuroplasticity.

Addiction is one of the most obvious manifestations of neuroplasticity because of the way a person becomes habituated to using the drug to attain a certain feeling. Dopamine is specifically linked to brain changes that can lead to addiction. Doidge (2007) suggests that drug addiction can be physically and irreversibly damaging to the brain (p. 107). This is bad news for addicts who hope to recover, but it at least explains why some addicts relapse continually and never seem to recover at all.

It is possible that for many addicts, their brain has irreversibly changed so that it is impossible for them to feel pleasure without a drug. Given the research on dopamine and addictions, it may be that drug policy should be more compassionate. If a person is already addicted to a substance, it might be better to develop ways of delivering them the substance in safe ways, as with the methadone model.

Alternatively, neuroscientists and chemists can work together to develop ways of delivering dopamine or whatever neurochemical needed through effective medications. Linked with the research on "redesigning the brain," the studies on neuroplasticity and bad habits can also be extended to addiction problems that are less severe, which have not yet caused irreversible brain changes. One of the core principles of neuroplasticity is "neurons that fire together wire together," which reflects basic behaviorism (p. 174).

In other words, the person needs to retrain the brain to associate some other activity like running or yoga with the intense pleasure that the drug used to provide. This way, the neuron that fires pleasure will fire with the healthy behavior. The second law of neuroplasticity is "neurons that fire apart wire apart," which is a natural counterpart to the first law (Doidge, 2007, p. 175). By not acting on our immediate urges or compulsions, withholding gratification for as long as possible, we can retrain our brains.

Doidge (2007) calls this process "delinking," because the person learns to dissociate the feeling from the compulsion and thereby creates new feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Neuroplasticity also plays a strong role in pain, which the author calls the "dark side of plasticity," because of the mysterious way pain works. For example, pain is sometimes present when there is no physical reason.