217: Understanding the Biomarkers of Addiction with Dr. Evelyn Higgins
b"If you found out earlier on in your youth that you actually have a genetic propensity toward addiction, would you have made decisions a lot differently? Addiction is a bio-psycho-social model, but we don't really look at the bio part of it. Sometimes, we have to look at the physiology of things to understand addiction better. And there has to be a paradigm shift in thinking about how we operate and exist in this world.\\xa0\\nOn today\\u2019s episode, Duane speaks with Dr. Evelyn Higgins about genes and biomarkers, how they influence our behavior, how they play out in addiction, and why knowing about this part of ourselves is an important step in addiction treatment and recovery.\\xa0\\nDr. Evelyn Higgins is the founder and CEO of Wired For Addiction and a recognized international expert in the epidemiology of addiction. With 34 years in clinical practice, Dr. Higgins has spent over 16 years dedicated to research and development in the science of addiction recovery, and she finds herself at the nexus of epigenetics, neuroscience, and addiction.\\xa0\\nIn this episode, you will hear:\\n\\nWhat it means to look at errors in genetic coding\\n\\nEpigenetics and aberrant behaviors\\n\\nWhy addiction is not a moral flaw, but a disease\\n\\nThe first step is getting objective information.\\n\\nThe common genetic markers of addiction\\n\\nHow seeing addiction from a biological perspective impacts the families\\n\\nSubscribe and Review\\nHave you subscribed to our podcast? We\\u2019d love for you to subscribe if you haven\\u2019t yet.\\xa0\\nWe\\u2019d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select \\u201cRatings and Reviews\\u201d and \\u201cWrite a Review\\u201d then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.\\nSupporting Resources:\\nWired For Addiction\\nDr. Higgins\\u2019 TEDTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNk8tNsaco\\xa0\\nNovusMindfulLife.com\\nEpisode Credits\\nIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"