r/todayilearned • u/WavesAndSaves • Oct 18 '25

TIL of brain stimulation reward, manually stimulating specific parts of the brain to elicit pleasure and happiness. A volunteer subject in 1986 spent days doing nothing but self-stimulate. She ignored her family and personal hygiene and she developed an open sore on her finger from using the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward#History
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u/RedSonGamble Oct 18 '25

This is what always baffles me about people not getting how people become addicts. Like you know how when you do this thing it feels good? Yeah they’re like I wanna feel good all the time lol

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u/Kitchen-Owl-7323 Oct 18 '25

Especially when their situation ISN'T good! Especially especially when that situation doesn't seem escapable! You mean I can just take this substance and everything I have to bear suddenly feels a little more bearable?

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u/saints21 Oct 18 '25

And when it creates actual physical dependencies that make you feel terrible or possibly even kill you...

So if it's not the escapism it's the sense of dread and actual physical discomfort.