S2 Ep8: How Your Brain Can Be Hijacked by Addiction With Dr Rayyan Zafar

Today we have an incredible guest. Dr. Rayann Zafar is a neuropsychopharmacologist with a core focus on addiction. After a battle with anorexia nervosa as an adolescent, Dr Zafar was compelled to learn more about how the brain works and as a result dedicated his life and career to finding science-backed solutions that help others to tackle addiction and make sense of their own mental health. Rayyan talks about the reward pathways being hijacked by addiction, whether there is a genetic predisposition to addiction and the spiritual elements of addiction. Dr. Zafar is in the midst of some very exciting trials involving psilocybin, and how effective that can be in treating alcoholism, addiction, and depression. Please let us know your thoughts on our listener feedback form: https://forms.gle/AFptgi3mMJKTZdYg8 If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/ Follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with Paul on Instagram as he’d love to hear from you! Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor  Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor  Find Rayyan on Instagram @rayyanzaf Find out more about gambling trials with the NHS https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/250473/psychedelic-therapy-help-break-chains-gambling/ Find out more about psychedelics research https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/

Om Podcasten

Anyone can be affected by addiction…it does not discriminate. “This is Powerful” is a brand new podcast hosted by distinguished British model and mindset coach, Paul Sculfor. In this series, Paul comes clean about his own sobriety and the journey it took him to get here. Over the first eight episodes, Paul sits down with a variety of professionals in the field of addiction as well as special guests who candidly talk about substance abuse, how they achieved sobriety and how they maintain healthy mindsets today. Subscribe now so that you don’t miss an episode…and search for This Is Powerful with Paul Sculfor on YouTube to see all of the episodes in video form. This podcast is brought to you by the Stride Foundation.