Psychology of Craving

Sushil Sharma, Bal Nepal, Carolyn S. Moon, Anthony Chabenne, Azza Khogali, Comfort Ojo, Esther Hong, Rochelle Gaudet, Ali Sayed-Ahmad, Amanda Jacob, Mujtaba Murtuza, Michelle Firlit

Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla Sub-Campus, Bonaire, The Netherlands.
School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Sciences at Houston, Houston, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmp.2014.32015                

Abstract

Craving is a complex psychological condition characterized by impaired dietary intake, sleep disturbance, sexual dysfunction, and drug abuse. Craving may be associated with risk-taking reckless behavior to seek pleasure including cigarette smoking, binge alcohol drinking, and illicit drug abuse (e.g. cocaine, methamphetamine, methylene deoxy meth-amphetamine (MDMA), ecstasy, morphine and heroine). Craving for food, sex and drugs involves the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. Thus, basic understanding of craving is exceedingly important for the better clinical management of major depression, hopelessness, and poor quality of life among young adolescents, as well as morbidity and early mortality among adults. Physical, psychological, nutritional, and medical rehabilitation may be helpful in the effective clinical management of patients with craving of any age, sex and race. Further studies on the psychology of craving will curb the number of hospital admissions as several victims of drug craving develop schizophrenia later in their life, if they remain untreated.

Keywords

Craving; Drug Seeking Behavior; Limbic System; Prefrontal Cortex; Schizophrenia; Morbidity; Mortality; Drug Addiction; Psychotherapy; Physical and Nutritional Rehabilitation; Charnoly Body

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	L. G. Costa, M. Aschner, A. Vitalone, T. Syversen and O. P. Soldin, “Developmental Neuropathology of Environmental Agents,” Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2004, pp. 87-110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.44.101802.121424
[2]	N. D. Volkow, G. H. Wang and D. Franceschi, et al., “Low Doses of Alcohol Substantially Decrease Glucose Metabolism in the Human Brain,” Neuroimage, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2006, pp. 295-301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.07.004
[3]	Anon, “Radiation Processing for Safe, Shelf-Stable and Ready-to-Eat Food,” Proceedings of a Final Research Co-Ordination Meeting, Montreal, 10-14 July 2000, International Atomic Energy Agency, Geneva, 2003.
[4]	“Alcohol Use in Australia. Issues and Stragtegies,” Department of Health, 2003-2004.
[5]	R. J. Wurtman and J. J. Wurtman, “Brain Serotonin, Carbohydrate-Craving, Obesity and Depression,” Obesity Research, Vol. 3, No. S4, 1995, pp. 477S-480S. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x
[6]	M. Aarin, M. Haque, L. Johal, P. Mathur, W. Nel, A. Rais, R. Sandhu and S. Sharma, “Maturation of the Adolescent Brain,” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Vol. 9, 2013, pp. 449-461.
[7]	S. Faisal, A. Patel, C. Mattison, S. Bose, R. Krishnamohan, E. Sweeney, W. Nel, A. Rais, R. Sandhu, N. Ngu and S. Sharma, “Effect of Diet on Serotonergic Neurotransmission in Depression,” Neurochemistry International, Vol. 62, No. 3, pp.324-329.
[8]	S. Sharma and M. Ebadi, “Distribution Kinetics of 18FDOPA in Weaver Mutant Mice,” Molecular Brain Research, Vol. 139, No. 1, 2005, pp. 23-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molbrainres.2005.05.018
[9]	S. Sharma, H. El Refaey and M. Ebadi, “Complex-1 Activity and 18F-DOPA Uptake in Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease and the Neuroprotective Role of Coenzyme Q10,” Brain Research Bulletin, Vol. 70, No. 1, 2006, pp. 22-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresbull.2005.11.019
[10]	M. Ebadi and S. Sharma, “Metallothioneins 1 and 2 Attenuate Peroxynitrite-Induced Oxidative Stress in Parkinson’s Disease,” Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 231, No. 9, 2006, pp. 1576-1583.
[11]	S. Sharma and M. Ebadi, “SPECT Neuroimaging in Translational Research of CNS Disorders,” Neurochemistry International, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2008, pp. 352-362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2007.08.011
[12]	S. Sharma, A. Rais, R. Sandhu, W. Nel and M. Ebadi, “Clinical Significance of Metallothioneins in Cell Therapy and Nanomedicine,” International Journal of Nanomedicine, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2013, pp. 1477-1488. http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S42019
[13]	S. Sharma, C. S. Moon, A. Khogali, A. Haidous, A. Chabenne, C. Ojo, M. Jelebinkov, Y. Kurdi and M. Ebadi, “Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease (Recent Update),” Neurochemistry International, Vol. 63, No. 3, 2013, pp. 201-222. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2013.06.005
[14]	A. Sharma, M. Ebadi, S. Sharma and M. Ebadi, “Antioxidant Targeting in Neurodegenerative Disorders,” In: I. Laher, Ed., System Biology of Free Radicals and Antioxidants, Springer-Verlag, Germany, 2013, pp. 1-30.