New Perspective on Addiction: The Hypothesis of Rebound Effect

Addiction alters the levels of all happy brain hormones. My hypothesis is that addictive stimuli cause high amplitude changes in happy brain hormones with initially very high levels followed by very low levels (rebound effect). On the other hand, non-addictive stimuli such as creative work, moderate physical activity, healthy diet, healthy relationships and socialization, cause moderate amplitude changes in happy brain hormones with stable levels of dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin without rebound effect. Therefore, all of these non-addictive stimuli might be very helpful in the treatment of addiction.