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Why Addiction is Getting Worse | Judy Grisel
Why do the things we turn to to feel better so often end up making us feel worse?
In this episode of Next Door Neuro, I sit down with Judy Grisel - a behavioral neuroscientist, professor at Bucknell University, and nationally bestselling author who has spent decades studying addiction… while also living through it herself.
At 12 years old, Judy describes alcohol as: “the solution to a problem I didn’t know I had.”
What followed was a decade-long spiral through substance abuse, homelessness, expulsion from multiple schools, and profound despair - before eventually finding sobriety and becoming a neuroscientist focused on understanding addiction, reward, and the brain.
What makes Judy especially compelling isn’t just her scientific expertise. It’s the combination of deep neuroscience with lived experience.
In this conversation, we explore why addictive behaviors often begin as solutions… how the brain adapts in ways that trap us in destructive cycles… and why addiction may actually be getting worse despite decades of scientific progress.
We discuss dopamine and the brain’s reward system, why modern environments are amplifying addiction risk, how phones, pornography, gambling, and social media hijack the same neural pathways as drugs, and why adolescents may be especially vulnerable in today’s world.
We also dive into evolutionary mismatch, the limits of willpower, the importance of environment, and what recovery taught Judy about meaning, awe, challenge, and real-world fulfillment.
This conversation isn’t just about addiction.
It’s about how the brain learns, adapts, copes, and searches for relief in the modern world.
⸻
About Judy:
Judy Grisel is a behavioral neuroscientist, professor at Bucknell University, and the author of the bestselling book "Never Enough."
She is also the founder of True Weed - an educational initiative focused on helping young people better understand cannabis, addiction, brain development, and decision-making through science-based education and peer collaboration.
Learn more:
True Weed → https://trueweed.org
⸻
Connect with Judy:
Instagram: @trueweed.ig
TikTok: @trueweed.tt
X: @TrueWeed_x
Facebook: TrueWeed
LinkedIn: TrueDrugs
Bluesky: @trueweed.bsky.social
Bucknell Faculty Page:
https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/judith-grisel
⸻
Subscribe to Next Door Neuro for conversations on neuroscience, stress, behavior, brain health, and how to better fuel your brain in the modern world.
View all episodes
By Dr. Jamey ManiscalcoWhy do the things we turn to to feel better so often end up making us feel worse?
In this episode of Next Door Neuro, I sit down with Judy Grisel - a behavioral neuroscientist, professor at Bucknell University, and nationally bestselling author who has spent decades studying addiction… while also living through it herself.
At 12 years old, Judy describes alcohol as: “the solution to a problem I didn’t know I had.”
What followed was a decade-long spiral through substance abuse, homelessness, expulsion from multiple schools, and profound despair - before eventually finding sobriety and becoming a neuroscientist focused on understanding addiction, reward, and the brain.
What makes Judy especially compelling isn’t just her scientific expertise. It’s the combination of deep neuroscience with lived experience.
In this conversation, we explore why addictive behaviors often begin as solutions… how the brain adapts in ways that trap us in destructive cycles… and why addiction may actually be getting worse despite decades of scientific progress.
We discuss dopamine and the brain’s reward system, why modern environments are amplifying addiction risk, how phones, pornography, gambling, and social media hijack the same neural pathways as drugs, and why adolescents may be especially vulnerable in today’s world.
We also dive into evolutionary mismatch, the limits of willpower, the importance of environment, and what recovery taught Judy about meaning, awe, challenge, and real-world fulfillment.
This conversation isn’t just about addiction.
It’s about how the brain learns, adapts, copes, and searches for relief in the modern world.
⸻
About Judy:
Judy Grisel is a behavioral neuroscientist, professor at Bucknell University, and the author of the bestselling book "Never Enough."
She is also the founder of True Weed - an educational initiative focused on helping young people better understand cannabis, addiction, brain development, and decision-making through science-based education and peer collaboration.
Learn more:
True Weed → https://trueweed.org
⸻
Connect with Judy:
Instagram: @trueweed.ig
TikTok: @trueweed.tt
X: @TrueWeed_x
Facebook: TrueWeed
LinkedIn: TrueDrugs
Bluesky: @trueweed.bsky.social
Bucknell Faculty Page:
https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/judith-grisel
⸻
Subscribe to Next Door Neuro for conversations on neuroscience, stress, behavior, brain health, and how to better fuel your brain in the modern world.