How Substances Hijack Motivation and Meaning in Young Brains, with Dr. Judith Grisel

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

From the age of 12, Dr. Judy Grisel loved every drug she tried immediately. Over the next decade of intensive use, she found herself kicked out of high school and two colleges, homeless, and contracted hepatitis C from a dirty needle. At the age of 22, she was told she would die unless she stopped drugs entirely.

Judy rejected the idea of abstinence, but she developed a plan to stop using just long enough to survive. Against all odds, her experimental period of sobriety led Judy to a career as a renowned neuroscientist studying the role of the brain in addiction. She’s been in recovery for over 38 years.

In today's episode, we discuss a wide range of topics, including the most important things parents should understand about marijuana dependence and withdrawal, the critical role of risky behavior in teens, and why so much substance use centers around our kids’ sense of meaning.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• TED Ed: How does alcohol make you drunk?
• TEDx Talk: Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
• Judy’s Journey - Bucknell Univ. Article
• Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction (Dr. Grisel’s Book)

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