Now I've Gotcha!: Addictive Chemicals from Sugar to Meth

By: Richard Hindmarsh

Narrated by: Richard Hindmarsh

Length: 45 mins

Publisher's summary

What do you experience if you miss your morning coffee, your morning cigarette, or prematurely run out of your pain medication? Why are these chemicals so addictive? Do you have a loved one struggling with an addiction? Are you struggling with an addiction?

Addiction is enslaving and killing our young people, devastating families, overstressing first responders and emergency room staff, and financially draining limited healthcare dollars. Addiction is a monster that needs to be understood and contained.

Only when you know what it looks like and how it behaves, will you have a chance of getting it into an appropriate cage.

Addiction is a disease of comfort-seeking. If I had the power to remove one phrase from the medical vocabulary, it would be the phrase, “drug-seeking behavior,” this phrase should be replaced with the more accurate, “comfort-seeking behavior.” The addict seeks comfort as a cure for the discomfort of their pain and anguish.

Scientists in the field of neurobiology have made significant recent advances. This short book provides a brief description of the science of addiction and why some of these chemicals, like sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, cocaine, Ecstasy, Kratom, and methamphetamine, are so addictive.

I hope that an awareness of the power that these chemicals possess will increase the reader's respect for them. These chemicals can rob you of all you value, and before you realize it, destroy your life.

©2020 Richard Hindmarsh (P)2020 Richard Hindmarsh

Fascinating review of the mechanisms of addiction

Although brief this book introduces the user to the mechanisms behind addiction. It can serve as a primer to more study, but is quite detailed on its own. This is not a book about how to specifically overcome addiction. It does admonish the reader (if addicted) to seek professional help. Because of the complexity of the issue, as outlined here, it may become more obvious that professional help is needed. Understanding neuroplasticity and brain changes may help reduce the stigma of addiction that in turn can reduce the likelihood of seeking help. Therefore for someone suffering from addiction the understanding gained here might enable them to move to the next level of recovery.

For the medical professional it is a handy summary of current thinking in addiction, reviewing mechanisms of the most common addictive chemicals. And it leaves 'em wanting more!

Concise, well-written and full of great info

This book is a great introduction to modern medical and scientific principals surrounding addiction. A quick read (or listen), but full of information. Complex concepts are explained concisely with real life comparisons that anyone can understand. The explanations on how different substances effect the brain and lead to addiction is fascinating. Dr. Hindmarsh clearly has a vast knowledge of the mechanisms of addiction and based on the modern concepts outlined in this book, it is clear he holds continued education in high regard. This is a fantastic resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding on how addiction works; from a medical professional, to a student writing a research paper, a concerned parent, or even someone who is addicted to a substance themselves, this is a great resource for anyone interested in the subject.