What is the addiction cycle?

Have you ever wondered why some foods are so hard to resist? Why do we sometimes eat more than we need, even when we are not hungry?

The answer may have something to do with a brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means it helps send messages between nerve cells in the brain. Dopamine release happens in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region famous for its role in registering pleasure and reinforcing learning. Dopamine is involved in many functions, such as learning, memory, movement and motivation. One of the most important roles of dopamine is to make us feel good when we do something rewarding, such as eating a delicious meal, playing a video game or getting a hug from a friend.

Lots of things give you little dopamine boosts… eating a tasty meal when you’re hungry, connecting with friends and loved ones, and achieving goals. However, certain activities and substances—like drugs, gambling, and (yes) highly-processed foods—can produce unnaturally high surges of dopamine. When we eat something tasty, our brain releases dopamine as a way of saying “good job, that was a smart choice”. This makes us feel happy and satisfied, and also encourages us to repeat the behavior in the future. This is how we learn to associate certain foods with pleasure and reward.

The greater the dopamine response, the more pleasure you experience. The more pleasure you feel, the more motivated you are to repeat it. When you experience a dopamine surge, you learn to associate pleasure with the specific activity or substance that caused it. As that learning continues, your prefrontal cortex and your reward system get hijacked. You become focused on getting more of the thing. And you have trouble experiencing pleasure from anything else.

Not all foods have the same effect on dopamine. Some foods, especially those that are high in sugar, fat and salt, can trigger much more dopamine than others. These foods are called highly palatable foods, and they can be very addictive. They are like drugs for our brain, because they make us feel so good that we want more and more of them. The problem is that when we eat too much of these foods, our brain gets used to the high levels of dopamine and starts to need more to feel the same pleasure.

Over time, your brain adapts to these floods of dopamine. This is called tolerance. Tolerance drives you to chase more of the pleasurable thing, yet you rarely feel satisfied, and it means that we have to eat more of the addictive food to get the same reward. Over time, this can lead to a cycle of craving and bingeing on these foods, even when we are not hungry or when we know they are bad for us. This cycle can also affect our mood and emotions. When we are not eating the addictive food, our dopamine levels drop and we feel unhappy, anxious or irritable. This is called withdrawal, and it makes us want to eat more of the food to feel better. This can create a vicious circle of addiction that is hard to break. This is the addiction cycle.

Food addiction is a serious condition that can affect our health and well-being. It can cause weight gain, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other problems. It can also make us feel guilty, ashamed or depressed about our eating habits.

It's almost time! Become a Food Addiction Professional at INFACT!

Hello friends and colleagues,

The final countdown has begun! In less than a week, The International School for Food Addiction Counseling and Treatment is launching our transformative Food Addiction Professional Certification Course.

Kick-off with a 3-Day Intensive: September 6th, 7th, and 8th

Here’s what you’ll gain:

170 hours of dynamic and interactive online virtual sessions.
Exclusive access to our student platform, filled with essential resources and continuous support.
In-depth lectures and a comprehensive teaching manual to guide your learning.
A prestigious Food Addiction Professional Certificate (CFAP) from the European Certification Board.

This course is your pathway to becoming a certified expert in the rapidly growing field of food addiction counseling. With limited spaces available, time is of the essence! Seize this opportunity to advance your career and make a meaningful impact in the lives of those battling food addiction.

Secure your spot today and join us on this life-changing journey!

Warm regards,
Esther Helga Gudmundsdottir

Sign up

Did you know that we offer flexible payment plans and have limited scholarship opportunities available to help you on your journey to becoming a certified Food Addiction Professional. For more information, please message Esther at esther@infact.is.

Step into your calling and make a lasting impact—enroll today and start your journey toward becoming a certified expert in food addiction recovery. Contact us now to secure one of the few remaining spots!

Sign up today!
Eszter's Transformative Journey with INFACT
Eszter's Transformative Journey with INFACT

If you missed our recent webinar or want to revisit the valuable insights shared, we’ve got great news! The recording of our latest session, "Pathways to Recovery: Certified Food Addiction Professional Training," is now available for you to watch at your convenience.

In this 1-hour webinar, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how you can help others recover from food addiction and elevate your career through effective counseling and treatment for food as a substance use disorder.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore the growing field of food addiction counseling. Watch the recording now and discover how you can make a lasting impact.

Check out the recording!

Are you interested in discovering if you are a food addict?

The INFACT School now offers you access to a free diagnostic tool called the Yale Scale. If you’re curious to find out whether you might have a food addiction or just keen to see the self-report measure in action, you can complete the questionnaire below.

Once you complete the questionnaire, we will be in touch with the next steps to help you in your recovery process.

Complete questionnaire
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