Heroin and chocolate

I read somewhere that chocolate gives you the same warm feeling as love.

I
Explosions.

Because there's no problem that chocolate won't cure!!! lol. j/k.
But yeah, chocolate makes us happy!
... gawd... craving a hersheys dark chocolate bar...
goin' 2 the store k bye!

------------------------------------------------------
That was longer than a heartbeat!

I actually came to this forum tonight to see if there was a thread on this. When I first saw the film I assumed she just needed something yummy, but I was a bit unclear. Maybe it's to do with serotonin? I still don't know. I find it hard to believe chocolate would have any noticeable effects.

There is a drug called Naloxone (Narcan) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naloxone. It is a competitive antagonist to opiates, and is the drug they give to overdose victims in emergency situations.

Anyway, you know how when you have a piece of chocolate there is the urge to have MORE chocolate. You buy a family block and think "I'll only have one strip and leave the rest for later" and before you know it the whole block is gone? Well, if that doesn't happen to you, it happens to a LOT of people. Well - I have heard (and I've not experienced this first hand) that if you take a piece of chocolate and immediately afterwards take Naloxone your urge to have more chocolate will disappear.

In other words, the stuff in chocolate in some ways excites the opiate receptors in your body and the Naloxone stops that.

Therefore, (if this is true) there is a similarity between heroin and chocolate.

SpiltPersonality

Well as a former heroin addict, I can chime in with my 2 cents. It is true that many opiate addicts may find chocolate soothing while detoxing, or right after they have gotten clean. Now it isn't anything strong or even really very perceptible, but it can bring a subtle sort of relief.

I believe it is due to a small release of endorphins, which are endogenous opioid peptides, aka neurotransmitters. The rush and high from heroin is caused by a sudden, massive release of endorphins. The chocolate makes the body release the same neurotransmitter, although of course just in a very small amount. But it is, however, still more of a release than when you haven't ingested anything, opiates, chocolate or otherwise.

So when a person is in rehab, or has just gotten off opiates, they are going to be feeling very sick and terrible, even if the actual withdrawals are over with. Furthermore, after long term opiate abuse your bodies natural ability to produce endorphins is going to be somewhat to severely stunted. So when you are feeling that terrible, anything that can bring even a small bit of happiness or joy is going to be enjoyed, as since we are talking about addicts, it will of course be used to excess. Even something as harmless as chocolate. lol.

Just my 2 cents, but I am pretty confident you would get a similar answer or explanation from any other former opiate addict.

And for what it is worth, the movie was fairly accurate. Of course they had to be a little loose with some aspects of it, otherwise the movie wouldn't have had been as dramatic or enjoyable. But it was refreshing to a see a movie that at least attempts to show a realistic look at addiction, instead of the usual Hollywood "one extreme or the other" caricature where either quitting is a breeze and the person has no other problems in their life and everything is fantastic; or they act like addicts are despicable, morally bankrupt terrible people who deserve what they got and should have just known better.

I'm a recovering opiate addict, which is a form of synthetic heroin, and hope this gives you little insight into what she's implying during this scene. I don't know if I can give you the medical answers or terminology however I can give you my personal experience in hopes to help.

During my stint in rehab, I am not able to say the chocolate or candy helped with easing the withdrawal from opiates... But it did however ease a craving sense I began to have shortly after I became clean. I cannot explain why or what lead up to the craving change but eventually, once I'd stayed clean long enough that the drug cravings subsided, I began to replace it with candy and chocolate. I can't remember why, but it was just a prominent as the cravings for opiates in that I had to have it, and would not be satisfied until I had it.

I hope this helps. I've read somewhere that alot of the replies regarding the effects on the brain are similar so that could be true as well. But this was just a bit of insight, like I said, to my personal experience.

I don't know about any connection to heroin, but chocolate does contain stimulants like theobromine, which is a stimulant similar to caffeine (and which is also found in tea leaves). I don't know what effect that would have on someone going through withdrawal, but wiki does mention that it relaxes smooth (involuntary) muscles. Maybe that has something to do with it?

I think chocolate triggers the dopamine receptors in your brain like opiates do.