Engineering Neurobiological Systems: Addiction

Abstract

Neurobiological engineering is the process of making models of brain function and psychoanalytic psychology as these interact in a social environment to hide complexity while remaining true to science. One-fourth of Americans are killed by drugs. The engineering model described is applied to psychodynamic therapy of addicted patients. It helps us understand why addiction is ubiquitous, hostile, malicious, and intractable. Drugs take over the will by changing the ventral tegmental dopaminergic SEEKING system.

Keywords: Addiction; Biological engineering; Neuropsychoanalysis; Opioid; SEEKING; Tobacco.